AfshaaN Anjum

Baad-e-Siyaah

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Mar 30, 2010, 1:18:49 PM3/30/10

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We have a Hindi news channel NDTV India in which there is a sports
news presenter. She is beautiful and has even more beautiful name
AfshaaN Anjum. I haven't come accross a better sounding Muslim name
(personal opinion). Does it mean scattered stars? Is the word afshaan
often used in Urdu poetry?

Afzal A. Khan

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Mar 30, 2010, 1:26:02 PM3/30/10

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It can also be used in words like "zehr~afshaani".

Afzal

Baad-e-Siyaah

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Mar 30, 2010, 1:44:42 PM3/30/10

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Actually it is nuun e gunnah that is creating magic

Naseer

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Mar 30, 2010, 2:07:48 PM3/30/10

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OK, Kala Sahib, if you want nuun-i-Ghunnah...

A volcano is known as "aatish afshaaN pahaaR". But let us not talk
about "zahr" or "aati/ash"

Khaame kaa safHe par ravaaN honaa
shaaKh-i-gul kaa hai gul-fishaaN honaa

zaKhm ne daad nah dii taNgii-i-dil kii yaa rab
tiir bhii siinah-i-bismil se par-afshaaN niklaa

One can have dur-afshaaN, zar-afzhaaN, daaman-afshaaN, shu'lah-afshaaN
and many more.
.....................................................................................

Naseer

B.G.M.

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Mar 31, 2010, 9:43:01 AM3/31/10

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"teer bhii seenah-e-bismil se par-afshaaN niklaa"

?tashreeH Please? ( par-afshaaN = ? )

===============================================================

Naseer

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Mar 31, 2010, 10:29:25 AM3/31/10

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B.G.M Sahib, you know where to find the answer! But this time, let it
be Ghalib himself to explain the meaning of this shi'r. (I wish some
people were prepared to do a little digging themselves!:-) )

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/006/6_02.html?

Naseer

nagesh

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Mar 31, 2010, 10:37:45 AM3/31/10

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And one more, Naseer Sahib:

Thehree hui hai shab ki siyaahi vahIN magar
kuchh kuchh sahar ke raNg par-afshAn hue to haiN

Faiz

Afzal A. Khan

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Mar 31, 2010, 11:31:39 AM3/31/10

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Naseer Saheb,

I think the way your brain is being picked, I too would want to
join --- say, if I want to learn something about Descartes'
contribution to Philosophy, I would ask you in respectful terms !
{It is a different matter that I happen to have delved into this
subject too !}.

Methinks, I too might have tried to explain the meaning of
this Ghalib sher in ALUP. To save you the trouble of trying
to ferret out the pertinent link, here is my take on the
above sher (copied from the Archives) :

GHalib has talked about "taNgi-e-dil" and "teer" in quite a
few of his verses. It is interesting to take a look at some of
these :

Sharh_ asbaab-e-giraftaari-e-KHaatir mat poochh
Is qadar taNg huwa dil ke main zindaaN samjha

Gila hai shauq ko dil men bhi taNgi-e-ja ka
Guhar men mahv huwa iztiraab darya ka

Koi mere dil se poochhe tire teer-e-neem_kash ko
Yeh KHalish kahaaN se hoti jo jigar ke paar hota

NaheeN zareea-e-raahat jaraahat-e-paikaaN
Woh zaKHm-e-teGH hai jis ko ke dil_kusha kahiye

In one of his letters, GHalib himself has offered an
explanation for the sher under discussion. It goes
something like this :

"TaNgi-e-dil = Narrowness of the heart
TaNgi-e-dil ki daad dena = ZaKHm ko kushaada karna
TaNgi ko zaail karna

Teer taNgi-e-dil ki daad kya deta, woh to KHud dil ki
taNgi (narrowness) se pareshaan ho kar ya ghabra kar
par phaRphaRaata huwa nikal gaya"

The expression "taNgi-e-dil" also refers to "sorrows"
("afsurdagi" or "ranj-o-GHam"). The two meanings add to
the enjoyment of the sher. Agar teer dil men paiwast rehta
to main uski Khalish se lutf_andoz hota aur is tarh_
meri afsurdagi ka izaala bhi ho jaata. Magar afsos aisa
na huwa.

If we examine the last sher quoted above (jaraahat-e-paikaaN),
it may help us in appreciating the other sher being discussed.
It is the sword-wound, rather than the grazing by an arrow, which
sort of "widens" the heart and provides greater pleasure.
"Dil_kusha" being used in both senses.

Interestingly, these two shers (jaraahat-e-paikaaN & teer-e-
neem_kash) seem to be each other's "anti-thesis" !

Afzal

B.G.M.

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Mar 31, 2010, 12:05:31 PM3/31/10

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On Mar 31, 11:31 am, "Afzal A. Khan" <me_af...@privacy.net> wrote:

"Teer taNgi-e-dil ki daad kyaa detaa, woh to Khud hi dil ki
taNgi (narrowness) se pareshaan ho kar yaa, ghabraa kar
par phaRphaRaataa huwaa, nikal gayaa"

> Afzal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waa...h! Khuub tashreeH farmaa`ii, Janaab!

Ab, she`r kaa matlab aur bhi saaf ho gayaa. kyaa kehne!

Shukriya

===================================================================================

Message has been deleted

Naseer

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Apr 1, 2010, 5:47:47 AM4/1/10

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Kala Sahib, aadaab.

There is another meaning of the word "afshaaN" and I quote my
dictionary:

"N.F. [feminine noun] tinsel strips, for bedecking face, hair etc".

I should add that this "bedecking" is caried out by ladies only!!

I am not sure if the word used in this meaning has been employed in
Urdu poetry or not.

Naseer

Zuhra

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Apr 1, 2010, 10:38:02 AM4/1/10

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Parveen Shakir ne ise is sense me ist'emaal kiya hai apni shaa'iri
meN. unki ek nazm ka band hai:

meri 'chemistry' meN
aisa koi talism nahi hai
jo meri taqdeer ko jhil-mil kar de
meri maaNg meN uske naam ki afshaaN bhar de