The literary wealth of any language is gauged by its rhetorical figures and poetic devices. Allama Shibli Nomani, referencing 'Tuhfat-ul-Hind', has presented a highly fascinating comparative analysis of the rhetoric (Alankar) of Braj Bhasha with that of Arabic and Persian. This review reveals the delicate styles invented by Hindi writers to create elegance in their discourse.
One poetic device in Hindi is 'Vyangya', which is called 'Ta'reez' (innuendo) in Arabic. In this, a point is made in a very playful and veiled manner. For example, a woman says to her husband, 'The redness on your forehead, is it the reflection of your red cap or the effect of the rival's henna?' Outwardly, this is a simple complaint, but covertly, she is taunting him that he had placed his head at the rival's feet, which caused his forehead to turn red. The vastness of this device in Sanskrit and Bhasha is such that sometimes words are not even needed. When the beloved arrives with intoxicated eyes after staying awake all night, the lover, instead of saying anything, simply places a mirror in front of them so that it may explain everything itself.
Similarly, there is 'Sakaran Utpreksha', which is called 'Husn-e-Ta'leel' (poetic aetiology) in Arabic and Persian. Very subtle expressions of this are found in Hindi. For instance, saying that the moon stole the beloved's beauty and fled to the sky, which is why it comes out at night like a thief. A Persian poet has captured the same theme as follows:
Az sharm-e-abruwan-e-buland-e-tu mah-e-nau
Khud ra chunan namud ki kas deed-o-kas na-deed
[Meaning: Out of shame from your high eyebrows, the new moon showed itself in such a way that some saw it and some did not.]
Another interesting device is 'Virodhabhas Alankar' (paradox), in which a statement appears to be false but is actually true. For example, in Bhasha, 'Shyam' means both 'black' and 'the beloved'. If it is said that 'Shyam is yellow', it seems incorrect on the surface, but if 'Shyam' is taken to mean the beloved, the sentence becomes correct. Magnificent examples of this are present in the Arabic work 'Maqamat-e-Hariri'.
Through all these examples, Shibli proves that the rhetoric and semantics of Braj Bhasha were in no way inferior to those of Arabic and Persian; rather, in some places, it possesses such innovation and delicacy that it leaves the reader in awe.
The literary wealth of any language is gauged by its rhetorical figures and poetic dewices Allama Shibli Nomani, referencing 'Tuhfat-ul-Hind', has presented a highly fascinating comparatiwe analysis of the rhetoric (Alankar) of Braj Bhasha with that of Arabic and Persian This rewiew reweals the delicate styles inwented by Hindi writers to create elegance in their discourse
One poetic dewice in Hindi is 'Vyangya', which is called 'Ta'reez' (innuendo) in Arabic In this, a point is made in a wery playful and weiled manner For example, a woman says to her husband, 'The redness on your forehead, is it the reflection of your red cap or the effect of the riwal's henna?' Outwardly, this is a simple complaint, but cowertly, she is taunting him that he had placed his head at the riwal's feet, which caused his forehead to turn red The wastness of this dewice in Sanskrit and Bhasha is such that sometimes words are not ewen needed When the belowed arriwes with intoxicated eyes after staying awake all night, the lower, instead of saying anything, simply places a mirror in front of them so that it may explain ewerything itself
Similarly, there is 'Sakaran Utpreksha', which is called 'Husn-e-Ta'leel' (poetic aetiology) in Arabic and Persian Very subtle expressions of this are found in Hindi For instance, saying that the moon stole the belowed's beauty and fled to the sky, which is why it comes out at night like a thief A Persian poet has captured the same theme as follows:
Az sharm-e-abruwan-e-buland-e-tu mah-e-nau
Khud ra chunan namud ki kas deed-o-kas na-deed
[Meaning: Out of shame from your high eyebrows, the new moon showed itself in such a way that some saw it and some did not]
Another interesting dewice is 'Virodhabhas Alankar' (paradox), in which a statement appears to be false but is actually true For example, in Bhasha, 'Shyam' means both 'black' and 'the belowed' If it is said that 'Shyam is yellow', it seems incorrect on the surface, but if 'Shyam' is taken to mean the belowed, the sentence becomes correct Magnificent examples of this are present in the Arabic work 'Maqamat-e-Hariri'
Through all these examples, Shibli prowes that the rhetoric and semantics of Braj Bhasha were in no way inferior to those of Arabic and Persian; rather, in some places, it possesses such innowation and delicacy that it leawes the reader in awe
