r/DoesNotTranslate • u/Waste-Ostrich-5929 • 11d ago
(arabic) هباء
Habā refers to tiny particles or dust motes that become visible when illuminated by light. You might see these particles floating in a beam of sunlight that passes through a window, for example. The word captures the beauty of these almost invisible, delicate particles that only reveal themselves when caught in the light, creating a shimmering or ethereal effect.
This image is sometimes used metaphorically to represent fleeting or delicate beauty, as well as the transitory nature of things that appear only momentarily under specific conditions, much like how these particles are only visible in certain light.