Chand: The Moon as a Metaphor in Love Poetry

The moon, चाँद (chaand), is one of the oldest images in South Asian love poetry.

The beloved as the moon

Poets compare a beloved's face to the moon for its beauty, glow and calm. A face is called चाँद सा चेहरा (chaand sa chehra), "a moon-like face".

Distance and longing

The moon is also far away. It can be seen but not touched, and this makes it a fitting symbol for love that is longed for but out of reach.

Moon and night

• रात (raat), night, the moon's stage
• चाँदनी (chaandnee), moonlight
• तारे (taare), stars, the moon's companions
• पूनम (poonam), the full moon

The moon as a witness

Poets address the moon as a confidant that sees both lovers. If two people are apart, the same moon shines on both, which gives a sense of connection.

Festivals and the moon

Moon imagery gains extra meaning around occasions such as Karwa Chauth, when many married women wait for the moon to rise, and Eid, which begins with the sighting of the new moon.

An original example

वही चाँद है जो तुझे भी दिखता होगा, इसी बहाने तुझसे मुलाक़ात हो जाती है।

Wahee chaand hai jo tujhe bhee dikhta hoga, isee bahaane tujhse mulaaqaat ho jaatee hai. It is the same moon that you must also see; in that way, we meet.

An original couplet for illustration only.

Beyond cliché

The moon is a very common image, so poets look for fresh angles: a cloud-covered moon, a moon seen from a train, a moon that seems to follow you.

Tips

1. Notice what the moon stands for in each verse.
2. Look for fresh twists on the old image.
3. Use moon verses for night-time messages.

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