Word Meaning
हम-रहाँ
ham-raahaan
Meaning
Fellow travellers, companions on a journey, or comrades.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'ham-raahaan' is the Persian plural form of 'ham-rah', meaning fellow wayfarers or travelling companions. In this couplet, it conveys the cruelty or apathy experienced at the hands of one's own companions, which multiplies the distress of an already difficult journey.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'ham' (together, fellow) and 'rah' (road, path), followed by the plural suffix '-aan'.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, fellow travellers often symbolize fair-weather companions whose betrayals compound the pain of life's spiritual or emotional journey.
Examples
The indifference of fellow travellers stung deeper than the journey's thorns.
Leaving the companions behind, the lone wanderer moved ahead.