Word Meaning
सर्फ
sarf
Meaning
Expended, devoted, dedicated to, or spent in a cause.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'sarf' denotes the expenditure, consumption, or dedicated deployment of something valuable, such as one's heart, life, or effort. In this couplet, 'sarf-e-wafa' conveys the sense of devoting or exhausting the heart entirely in the pursuit of fidelity. It suggests that rather than surviving as a lasting symbol of loyalty, the heart was consumed as a sacrificial offering.
Etymology
Arabic (ص-ر-ف, related to turning, spending, or expending).
Usage
In ghazal poetics, it commonly appears in izafat constructions like 'sarf-e-wafa' or 'sarf-e-nazar' to express total commitment or turning away.
Examples
sarf-e-wafa karna (to expend oneself in loyalty)
sarf-e-gham hona (to be consumed by grief)