# Urdu-Hindi: short-lived/fleeting



## Qureshpor

One of the terms that is used for something that is "short-lived" in Urdu is chand-rozah, e.g.

_is forum meN Nai Urdu kii zindagii go *chand-rozah* hii sahii, kam az kam puraanii Urdu to ab tak qaa'im-o-daa'im hai!_

What other words would you say would fit this "chand-rozah" scenario, both from Urdu and Hindi. If possible, not just stand alone words but used in made up sentences or poetry.


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## UrduMedium

*chaar din* is also used in this context. As in _chaar din ki chaandni, phir andherii raat.
_
Also as used by Bahadur Shah Zafar, in 

umre daraaz maang ke laye the _chaar din_
do aarzuu meN kat gaye, do intizaar meN

Also obvious are the words such as _3aarzi _(temporary) and _muxtasar_ (brief).


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> *chaar din* is also used in this context. As in _chaar din ki chaandni, phir andherii raat.
> _
> Also as used by Bahadur Shah Zafar, in
> 
> umre daraaz maang ke laye the _chaar din_
> do aarzuu meN kat gaye, do intizaar meN
> 
> Also obvious are the words such as _3aarzi _(temporary) and _muxtasar_ (brief).



Very apt, UM SaaHib.

3umr-i-daraaz maaNg ke laa'e the chaar din
do aarzuu meN kaT ga'e do intizaar meN

3aarizii and muxtasar (muddat) are also good equivalents. Thanks.


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## marrish

Reducing the longevity of the whole four days in favour of brevity, one of my favourite modern Urdu poets, janaab-e Sahir Ludhianvi SaaHib says:

میں *پل دو پل کا* شاعر ہوں   _maiN *pal do pal kaa* shaa3ir huuN_
پل دو پل میری کہانی ہے                _pal do pal merii kahaanii hai_
پل دو  پل میری ہستی ہے                _pal do pal merii hastii hai__
_پل دو پل میری جوانی ہے             _pal do pal merii javaanii hai_
_(saaHir)_


We also say دو گھڑی کا  _do ghaRii kaa_, _kii_ or  گھڑی دو گھڑی کا، کی _ghaRii do ghaRii kaa. _Below an example from Ghalib's contemporary, Zauq Dihlavii:

کیا آئے تم جو آئے گھڑی دو گھڑی کے بعد      _kyaa aa'e tum jo aa'e ghaRii do ghaRii ke ba3d _
 سینہ میں ہوگی سانس اڑی دو گھڑی کے بعد     _siinah meN ho gii saaNs aRii do ghaRii ke ba3d_
    کیا روکا ہم نے گریہ کواپنے کہ لگ گئی             _kyaa rokaa ham ne giryah ko apne kih lag ga'ii_
پھر وہ ہی آنسوؤں کی جھڑی دو گھڑی کے بعد       _phir voh hii aaNsu'oN kii jhaRii do ghaRii ke ba3d_​


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## Qureshpor

^ Thank you marrish SaaHib for "pal do pal" and "ghaRii do ghaRii". I think the second set of verses is even nicer. Thank you once again!


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## marrish

You are very welcome, Qureshpor SaaHib! I share your opinion about the second set, it's superb.


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## UrduMedium

Both usages and examples right on, and beautiful. Thanks for sharing, marrish saahab.


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> Both usages and examples right on, and beautiful. Thanks for sharing, marrish saahab.



hai vahii 3aariz-i-Lailaa vahii shiiriiN kaa dahan
nigaah-i-shauq *ghaRii-bhar* ko jahaaN Thahrii hai

aate aate yuuN hii *dam-bhar* ko rukii ho gii bahaar
jaate jaate yuuN hii *pal-bhar* ko xizaaN Thahrii hai

Faiz

Here we have ghaRii-bhar, pal-bhar and dam-bhar all in one place!


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## UrduMedium

^Lovely. Thanks QP saahab.


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> *chaar din* is also used in this context.



ik furst-i-gunaah milii, vuh bhii *chaar din
*dekhe haiN ham ne Hausale parvardigaar ke

Faiz


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## greatbear

"kshanik" (the "n" being retroflex) is a common word for Hindi for momentary, fleeting things and emotions.


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## Qureshpor

greatbear said:


> "kshanik" (the "n" being retroflex) is a common word for Hindi for momentary, fleeting things and emotions.



Thank you. Have you come across "chhinik" for "kshaNik" at all? The reason why I am asking is that as "lakshmi" is also known as "lachhmii", possibly there might be "chhinik" as well as "chhin bhar meN".

How would you use "kshaNik" in a sentence or two with the sense of "momentary"?


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## greatbear

QURESHPOR said:


> Thank you. Have you come across "chhinik" for "kshaNik" at all? The reason why I am asking is that as "lakshmi" is also known as "lachhmii", possibly there might be "chhinik" as well as "chhin bhar meN".
> 
> How would you use "kshaNik" in a sentence or two with the sense of "momentary"?



Well, there are several people who cannot pronounce "ksh" or do it only with utmost powers of concentration, so that's why "lakshmi" becomes "lacchmii"! "kshaN", which means moment, does become "chhaN" for such people (and "kshaNik" becomes "chhaNik").

An example sentence:
"*kshaNik* sukhoN ke bhog meiN insaan apnaa poora jiivan kharch kar daaltaa hai aur aakhir meiN maut ke saamne Thagaa saa khaRaa reh jaataa hai"
(Man spends his whole life in the enjoyment of *momentary *pleasures, and finally when faced with death feels kind of cheated.)


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## Qureshpor

greatbear said:


> Well, there are several people who cannot pronounce "ksh" or do it only with utmost powers of concentration, so that's why "lakshmi" becomes "lacchmii"! "kshaN", which means moment, does become "chhaN" for such people (and "kshaNik" becomes "chhaNik").
> 
> An example sentence:
> "*kshaNik* sukhoN ke bhog meiN insaan apnaa poora jiivan kharch kar daaltaa hai aur aakhir meiN maut ke saamne Thagaa saa khaRaa reh jaataa hai"
> (Man spends his whole life in the enjoyment of *momentary *pleasures, and finally when faced with death feels kind of cheated.)



Thank you gb. Actually I had in mind the possibility of the existence of both kshaNik and chhanik (without the retroflex) within the body of the language, at least in everyday speech, a bit like raatri and raat. I remember reading a story in our Urdu book (in my childhood of course) about Ram and his banishment by his father. If I remember rightly, his brother's name was written as "lachhman". I have a feeling that even in Hindi, lachhman and lakshmaN may exist side by side. Just a hunch.

Your sentence is quite interesting in its use of "kharch/xarch karnaa" for "spending time". Thanks.


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## greatbear

QURESHPOR said:


> I have a feeling that even in Hindi, lachhman and lakshmaN may exist side by side. Just a hunch.



Your hunch is very much correct; "LachhmaN" (or "Lachhman") for LakshmaN was made even more popular by Tulsidas, who wrote in Awadhi dialect, in which "ksh" invariably becomes "chh".


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## greatbear

QURESHPOR said:


> Your sentence is quite interesting in its use of "kharch/xarch karnaa" for "spending time". Thanks.



It's kind of metaphorical usage, though used in common language a lot, since life in the context of my sentence is being "wasted": hence the use of "kharch". Time here is of value, just like money.


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## UrduMedium

Just thought of another example of _ghaRii do ghaRii_, (and _ik ghaRii_) from an old Indian film Krantii. 

Sorry I do not know the songwriter's name ...

zindagii kii na TuuTe laRii 
piyaar kar le _ghaRii do ghaRii_
...
piyaar kii _ik ghaRi_ hai baRii
piyaar kar le _ghaRii do ghaRii_


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## Qureshpor

^ Regarding "ghaRii do ghaRii" and "ik ghaRii"..here are some nice lines.

faqiiroN kaa jamghaT *ghaRii do ghaRii*
sharaabeN tiree baadah-xaane tire

Abdul Hameed Adam

phir hijr kii lambii raat miyaaN, sanjog kii to yahii *ek ghaRii
*jo dil par hai lab par aane do, sharmaanaa kyaa ghabraanaa kyaa

Ibn-i-Insha

kahuuN kyaa Zauq aHvaal-i-shab-i-hijr
kih thii *ik ik ghaRii* sau sau mahiine

Zauq


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## marrish

_azaan-e maGhrib taa iqaamat-e maGhrib_


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> _azaan-e maGhrib taa iqaamat-e maGhrib_



This is more fleeting than fleeting! Thank you. (Don't forget, some people would be still doing their ablutions when others are standing behind the imaam!)


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> This is more fleeting than fleeting! Thank you. (Don't forget, some people would be still doing their ablutions when others are standing behind the imaam!)


Thank you too! Some people live a bit longer.


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