देख कर दस्त-ए-सितम में तेरी तेग़-ए-आबदार मेरे हर ज़ख़्म-ए-जिगर के मुँह में आब आ जाएगा
— Bahadur Shah Zafar
Meaning

Seeing your lustrous and sharp sword in the hand of cruelty, water will come to the mouth of every wound on my heart.

Explanation

The poet plays brilliantly with the double meaning of 'aab', which refers both to the glittering sharpness of a sword and to water. Seeing the beloved raise that gleaming, deadly blade, the lover's existing wounds don't cower in fear—their 'mouths water' in eager anticipation of being struck again. It captures that quintessential madness of classical Urdu love poetry, where the lover hungers for the pain inflicted by the beloved rather than dreading it.

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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