Word Meaning
हैफ़
haif
Meaning
Alas, what a pity; sorrow, regret, or grief over an unfortunate outcome.
Detailed Meaning
An interjection and noun conveying deep grief, lamentation, or disappointment. In this couplet, the poet laments that even when his essence (dust) managed to enter the beloved's heart, it only did so as irritation and pain, prompting the sorrowful cry of regret. It highlights tragic ironies where longing culminates in bitter sorrow.
Etymology
Arabic (حَيْف - ḥayf, meaning injustice, oppression, or wrong; evolved in Persian and Urdu into an expression of lamentation and regret)
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, it is frequently employed as an exclamatory sigh or lament over missed opportunities, fate's cruelty, and unrequited devotion.
Examples
Alas! The garden withered before the arrival of spring.
A thousand pities on this fleeting life and unfulfilled love.