Word Meaning
सफ़्फ़ाक
saffāk
Meaning
Bloodthirsty, ruthless, merciless killer, or brutal tyrant.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetics, 'saffāk' denotes an intensely ruthless slayer who sheds blood without hesitation. In the context of the couplet, it describes the armed tyrant or beloved whose lethal cruelty wipes out the oppressed. Classical poets use it hyperbolically to emphasize merciless lethality, whether of a cruel beloved or a political oppressor.
Etymology
Arabic root s-f-k (س-ف-ك), meaning to shed blood; derived from the intensive agent noun form 'faʿʿāl' (سَفَّاك, lit. 'one who sheds much blood').
Usage
In the classical ghazal, the term serves as an exaggerated epithet for the beloved whose disdain destroys lovers, or for a ruthless ruler.
Examples
The glance of that ruthless beloved proved fatal.
No mercy could be sought from such a bloodthirsty tyrant.