There was once an era of the masters of the language, but now they are going through adverse times; the sword of the Urdu language needed the whetstone of Lucknow to be sharpened.

The poet looks back with a tender nostalgia at a lost golden age when true masters ruled the world of words, lamenting that times have now fallen on bitter adversity. Urdu is pictured as a noble sword ('tegh') and Lucknow as the whetstone ('fasaan') that once honed its edge to dazzling sharpness and elegance. It is a heartfelt tribute to Lucknow's refined culture, without whose polish and devotion the language feels blunted and unappreciated.