Urdu Dictionary
Persian · noun · Love & Longing

Mehndi

मेहंदी
said meh-ndee
also written: Hina
Meaning

Henna; the reddish dye used to decorate the hands and feet.

How Iqbal uses it

Mehndi reddens the beloved's palms as a mark of festivity and bridal beauty; the staining hand is a tender fixture of the adornment imagery.

See it in the verse

Mehndi in Iqbal’s couplets

Miri mashshatgi ki kya zarurat husn-e-mani ko
Ki fitrat khud-ba-khud karti hai laale ki hina-bandi
What need has true beauty of meaning for my adorning hand? Nature, all on its own, paints the tulip red.
Self-Knowledge · Humility · Action
Related words
ARABIC

Hina

Henna; the plant and the red dye made from it.

SANSKRIT

Singaar

Adornment, dressing-up, the act of making oneself beautiful.

PERSIAN

Gulgoona

Rouge; a rose-coloured cosmetic rubbed on the cheeks to deepen their bloom.

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