Word Meaning
होवें
hovein
Meaning
May be, should be, or were; archaic subjunctive/conditional plural form of 'to be'.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Rekhta poetry, 'hovein' serves as the third-person plural subjunctive or potential form of the verb 'hona' (equivalent to modern 'hon'). In this couplet, it expresses a conditional hypothesis ('aankhen jo hovein teri' meaning 'if your eyes were present' or 'should you possess eyes'). It establishes the subject's perceptual basis upon which the existence of the manifest world is judged.
Etymology
From Sanskrit 'भवति' (bhavati) through Prakrit 'होइ' (hoi) and Old Hindavi/Braj verbal morphology.
Usage
Widely favored in classical ghazal for its classical metrical cadence (vazan) where a long-short syllable distribution is needed.
Examples
If there be any lovers left in the world.
May all difficulties be resolved with ease.