Genres Of Urdu Poetry -- Ghazal --- Write-up For Purposes Of FAQ
Afzal A. Khan
As already suggested, this is a draft Write-up in respect of the
above topic. After finalization, the corresponding link can be
cited in the proposed FAQs.
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Ghazal
This is by far the most popular genre of Urdu Poetry.
A good ghazal is characterized by a strong sense or
mood of Internalism. It cannot be restricted to any
one single topic. Love and beauty, the ephemeral nature
of this world and our life, issues of social importance
and even politics can be the subject matters written
about in a ghazal. Briefly, we can say that a ghazal is
a collection of couplets (sher, plural : "ash'aar"), each
couplet being complete in itself. Thus each one of the
many couplets comprising a ghazal can be about a different
idea or thought. At times, though, a poet may choose to
continue the same theme, spread over two or more couplets
or "ash'aar". Such couplets (within the ghazal) are
called "Qata'~baNd". Ghalib's famous ghazal "Zulmat~kade
men mere shab-e-GHam ka josh hai" is inclusive of a "Qata'"
running into seven "ash'aar".
Radeef and Qaafiya (known together as Zameen) are also
characteristics of the ghazal, as a poetic form. Radeef is
the word or expression ("tarkeeb") which must be used at the
end of the second misra' (line) of each couplet. Qaafiya is
that word or expression which is used just before the radeef
in the second misra'. Though almost all ghazals follow
this pattern of radeef and qaafiya, there can be a few which
do not have a formal radeef. The earlier type of ghazal is
called "muraddaf" (i.e. having a radeef) and the latter type
are known as "GHair~muraddaf" (not having a radeef). These
definitions will be clear by examining a very popular ghazal
of Ghalib {only six "ash'aar are quoted, for the sake of
brevity :
Ibn-e-Mariyam huwa kare koi
Mere dukh ki dawa kare koi
Baat par waaN zabaan kaT'ti hai
Woh kaheN aur suna kare koi
Bak raha hooN junooN men kya kya kuchh
Kuchh na samjhe KHuda kare koi
Na suno, gar bura kahe koi
Na kaho, gar bura kare koi
Rok lo, gar GHalat chale koi
BaKH'sh do, gar KHata kare koi
Jab tawaqqo' hi uTh gayee Ghalib
KyoN kisi ka gila kare koi
In the above ghazal, we can say that "kare koi" is the
radeef; it is repeated in the second misra' of each sher.
Words like "huwa", "dawa", "suna", "KHuda", "bura",
"Khata" and "gila" etc. are the qaafiyas ("qawaafi", Urdu
plural of 'qaafiya'). Such "qawaafi" must follow the same
rhyming pattern. Incidentally, the fourth and fifth
"ash'aar" constitute a "qata'" --- both of them represent
the same theme (of moral advice).
It will be observed that, in the first sher above, both
misra's have the same radeef and qaafiya. This is called
the matla' --- the starting point of a ghazal. In other words,
it is the point or place where the ghazal "rises" :"jahaaN
ghazal tuloo' hoti hai".
In the last sher above, the poet has used his poetic pen-name
or "taKHallus". Such as sher is called the "maqta'" --- where
the ghazal ends : "jahaaN ghazal apne iKHtimaam par pahuNch'ti
hai".
It is customary for a ghazal to have both a "matla'" and a
"maqta'". At times, poets compose two or three opening
"ash'aar" each of which has a common radeef and qaafiya. The
first is called the "matla'" and the subsequent one is
referred to as "husn-e-matla'".
A majority of the ghazals composed by our Masters ("asaateza")
are "muraddaf" and this practice continues even today. But we
do come across some "GHair~muraddaf" ghazals. Similarly, there
have been a few ghazals where the poets have not composed a
"matla'"
Ghazals (and other genres of Urdu poetry too) are composed in
different poetical metres which are called "behr's". The
original source for these metres is to be found in the Arabic
language. From there, they were borrowed into the Faarsi
language. As Urdu developed as a language of literature and
poetry in India, these original metrical patterns became part
and parcel of Urdu poetry too. And these metres or "behr's"
continue to be used even today.
The different metrical "lengths" will be apparent by looking
at some of the ghazals of Ghalib :
1. Ibn-e-Mariyam huwa kare koi
2. Deh'r men naqsh-e-wafa wajh-e-tasalli na huwa
3. Yeh na thi hamaari qismat ke wisaal-e-yaar hota
4. Kabhi neki bhi us ke ji men gar aa jaaye hai mujh se
etc. etc.
There are as many as 19 principal poetic metres and some of
them have variants too. However, a detailed explanation of all
these Arabic-origin metres is not within the scope of this
write-up.
****************************************
Afzal
Naseer
janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
I don't think I need to thank you again because we the ALUPers have
come to expect nothing less than the high quality information you have
kindly agreed to share with us. Have you ever thought of being a
writer? Perhaps all your "works" in ALUP and RIMM could be collected
as "Memoirs of Afzal.A.Khan"! And why not?
You have rightly described the "matla'" as the "rising point" of the
Ghazal. Perhaps "maqta'" could be explained in the same vein as the
"cutting point".
This bit is perhaps not quite relevant to the topic but since this is
an unmoderated group, I shall make the most of this allowance:) The
Ghalib Ghazal you have quoted has its qaafiyaa..
hu-'aa
da-waa
su-naa
KHu-daa
bu-raa
KHa-taa etc
The common rhyming part in essence is, -aa. In each case it is
proceeded by a consonant w,n,d,r,t. What is the consonant in the word
hu'aa? It is the hamza.
KHair-KHvaah,
Naseer
asad
baat FAQ kii ho rahii hai isliye shaayad hame.n ye baat yahaa.n
nahii.n kahnaa chaahi_e. phir sochaa ki Gazal kaa bhii zikr hai to
kyu.n na a.ngrezii ke ek shaa'ir John Hollander kii Gazal tahriir kar
de.n jo unho.n ne Gazal ke andaaz me.n aur Gazal hii ke baare me.n
likhii hai. a.ngrezii ke ek shaa'ir Agha Shahid Ali ise a.ngrezii kii
pahlii Gazal maante hai.n
For couplets the ghazal is prime; at the end
Of each one's a refrain like a chime: "at the end"
But in subsequent couplets, throughout the whole poem,
It's this second line only will rhyme at the end.
On a string of such strange, unpronounceable fruits
How fine the familiar old lime at the end!
All our writing is silent, the dance of the hand,
So that what it comes down to's all mime, at the end.
Dust and Ashes? How dainty and dry! we decay
To our messy primordial slime at the end.
Two frail arms of your delicate form I pursue,
Inaccessible, vibrant, sublime at the end.
You gathered all manners of flowers all day,
But your hands were most fragrant of thyme, at the end.
There are so many sounds! A poem having one rhyme?
A good life with a sad, minor crime at the end.
Each new copulet's a different ascent: no great peak
But a low hill quite easy to climb at the end.
Two-armed bandits: start with a great wad of green
Thoughts, but you're left with a dime at the end.
Each assertion's a knot which must shorten, alas,
This long worded rope of which I'm at the end.
Now Qafia Radif has grown weary, like life,
At the game he's been wasting his time at. THE END.
For the full article on Ghazal which includes this and other Ghazals
in English go here: http://tiny.cc/dP6tq
Asad
Naseer
janaab-i-Asad Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
Thank you for posting this extraordinary Ghazal in English. It
certainly clarifies qaafiyah, radiif, taKHallus etc.
In the link that you have provided, the author seems to be saying that
a Ghazal should have a minimum of 5 couplets. Surley this can'tbe
true. I thought even one couplet can constitute a Ghazal, as
exemplified the solitary ash'aar in diivaan-i-Ghalib. Could you please
elaborate on this.
Also, if a typical Ghazal is..
AA, BA,CA,DA etc, then the matla' is AA. If there are two matla's,
then we would have AA AA BA CA etc. If there is no matla', then the
Ghazal would take the form AB, CB, DB. Is this correct?
Can we have more than two matla's?
KHair-KHvaah,
Naseer
Afzal A. Khan
Naseer Saheb,
I myself have not come across any such restriction that a ghazal
must have a minimum of 5 ash'aar. In another thread, reference
was made to a ghazal by Ghalib, sung by Suraiyya in "Mirza Ghalib".
AFAIK, it has only three ash'aar.
As for the last question, I believe Yes.
Afzal
asad
>
> janaab-i-Asad Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
>
> Thank you for posting this extraordinary Ghazal in English. It
> certainly clarifies qaafiyah, radiif, taKHallus etc.
>
> In the link that you have provided, the author seems to be saying that
> a Ghazal should have a minimum of 5 couplets. Surley this can'tbe
> true. I thought even one couplet can constitute a Ghazal, as
> exemplified the solitary ash'aar in diivaan-i-Ghalib. Could you please
> elaborate on this.
>
> Also, if a typical Ghazal is..
>
> AA, BA,CA,DA etc, then the matla' is AA. If there are two matla's,
> then we would have AA AA BA CA etc. If there is no matla', then the
> Ghazal would take the form AB, CB, DB. Is this correct?
>
> Can we have more than two matla's?
>
> KHair-KHvaah,
>
> - Show quoted text -
aadaab arz hai Naseer Saaheb,
My intention in pasting the link to the article was to point out how
the Ghazal format is being used by the English poets. I'm sure the
article has many inaccuracies as pointed out by you and Afzal Saaheb.
Can even a single couplet qualify as a Ghazal? I'd be grateful if you
illustrated this.
aapkaa,
Asad
Afzal A. Khan
> My intention in pasting the link to the article was to point out how
> the Ghazal format is being used by the English poets. I'm sure the
> article has many inaccuracies as pointed out by you and Afzal Saaheb.
> , b
> Can even a single couplet qualify as a Ghazal? I'd be grateful if you
> illustrated this.
> Asad
Asad Saheb,
I don't think we would be justified in terming a single sher as a
ghazal. The norms usually associated with a ghazal (radeef,
qaafiya, matla', maqta') are not verifiable in a single sher.
In poets' deewaans, such single shers are often put together in a
separate section, with titles like "Mutafarriq Ash'aar" or
"Far'diyaat" etc. Many a time, poets compose such ash'aar
individually, but then don't get to complete the ghazal.
Afzal
UVR
> Naseer wrote:
>
> > In the link that you have provided, the author seems to be saying that
> > a Ghazal should have a minimum of 5 couplets. Surley this can'tbe
> > true. I thought even one couplet can constitute a Ghazal, as
> > exemplified the solitary ash'aar in diivaan-i-Ghalib. Could you please
> > elaborate on this.
>
I don't know if a single sh'er can be called a Ghazal (I'm not saying
it cannot. I'm just saying I don't know). Intuitively, it seems to
me that there should be at least two. If they are on the same topic,
or related closely, then they could form a qit'a (a 2-sh'er musalsal
Ghazal). If totally unrelated to each other, they could perhaps
possibly be called a Ghazal. It seems kind of futile to call just a
single sh'er a Ghazal, no matter how expansive the thought compressed
into it ... but who knows!
> > Can we have more than two matla's?
>
> As for the last question, I believe Yes.
>
> Afzal
Yes, most certainly. I can recall having read Ghazals with as many as
4 or even 5 "matla'-s". Some of our own ALUP poets have 'said'
Ghazals with 3 or more matla'-s. One example from a Jigar Ghazal with
3 matla-s:
tabii'at in dinoN begaana-e-Gham hoti jaati hai
mire hisse ki goyaa har Khushi kam hoti jaati hai
saHar hone ko hai, bedaad-e-shabnam hoti jaati hai
Khushi min_jumla-e-asbaab-e-maatam hoti jaati hai
qayaamat kyaa yeh ai husn-e-do_aalam hoti jaati hai
k maHfil to wahi hai, dil_kashi kam hoti jaati hai
I think (but could be wrong that) terminologically, matla' #3 is
called zeb-e-matla' (matla' #2 is husn-e-m., as already stated
previously by Afzal saahib). I'm not sure if there are special names
for m.#4 and upwards, but, who knows?
-UVR.
Naseer
Asad Sahib, there was no implication whatsoever that you are at fault
in anyway. My questions were rhetorical and when I said " I thought
even one couplet can constitute a Ghazal...", once again this was more
a query than a statement.
> Can even a single couplet qualify as a Ghazal? I'd be grateful if you
> illustrated this.
This appears to be a challenge!:)
Let me explain to all of you my line of thinking. A diivan, say
diivaan-i-Ghalib for example starts with the main body consisting of
Ghazals presented in alphabetical order of their radiif. This body is
then followed by qasaaaid, masnaviis, qat'aat, rubaa'iyaat etc.
On the first page of "diivaan-i-Ghalib", after the first "naqsh
faryaadii hai.." Ghazal, following the same alif radiif, one has a
solitary shi'r...
jiraaHat tuHfah, alnaas armuGhaaN, daaGh-i-jigar hadyah
mubaarak baad Asad, Gham-KHvaar-i-dard-mand aayaa
Then after "dar KHor-i-qahr-o-Ghazab.." Ghazal there is..
Asad vuh junuuN jaulaaN gadaa-i-be sar-o-paa haiN
kih hai sar panjah-i-miZgaan aahuu pusht KHaar apnaa
Following "rahaa gar koii taa qiyaamat salaamat", one finds..
mund gaiiN kholte hii kholte aaNkheN Ghalib
yaar laae mirii baaliiN pih use, par kis vaqt
.................................................................
In the jeem radiif..
lo ham mariiz-i-'ishq ke biimar-daar haiN
achchhaa agar nah ho to masiiHaa kaa kyaa 'ilaaj
In re,
sitam-kash maslaHat se huuN kih KHuubaaB tujh pih 'aashiq haiN
takalluf bar taraf, mil jaae gaa tujh saa raqiib aaKHir.
In 'ain, this one shi'r is the only "Ghazal".
jaadah-i-rah-KHor ko vaqt-i-shaam hai taar-i-shu'aa'
charKH vaa kartaa hai maah-i-nau se aaGhosh-i-vadaa'
In miim there is one example and in nuun there are three. In he, there
is one and in ye..there are several, including..
ghar meN thaa kyaa, kih tiraa Gham use Ghaarat kartaa
vuh jo rakhte the ham ik Hasrat-i-ta'miir, so hai
zindagii apnii jab is shakl se guzrii Ghalib
ham bhii kyaa yaad kareN ge kih KHudaa rakhte the.
ug rahaa hai dar-o-diivaar se sabzah Ghalib
ham biyaabaaN meN haiN awr ghar meN bahaar aaii hai
Can one call these one shi'r Ghazals?
In diivaan-i-Ghalib there are several instances of two-couplet
"Ghazals" If not why do they follow the radiif order? Why not bunch
them together under "mutafariq ash'aar"?
KHair-KHvaah,
Naseer
Vijay
*This post, in similar form, may apear twice*
As far as I know, a 'ghazal', by definition, has to have a minimum of
5 asha'ar. A single she'r, written as such, is called 'fard'. Here are
a couple of examples from ghalib:
ug raha hai dar-o-diiwaar pe (?se)sabza ghalib
ham haiN viiraane meN aur ghar meN bahaar aaii hai
and
ziNdagii apnii jab (?kuchh) is shak'l se guzrii ghalib
ham bhii kyaa yaad kareNge ki Khuda rakhte the
Regards,
Vijay
sat pal
>
> - Show quoted text -
aadaab!
maiN yih chahta hooN ke qaafiye par mukamal bahas ho.Kyonki bahut kuch
hai jo saaf nahiN hai..
jaise kya gulaab ke saath shraab ka qaafia baandh sakteiN haiN? Iske
basics par detail me bahas honi chahiye.
Regards
sat pal khyaal
UVR
>
> As far as I know, a 'ghazal', by definition, has to have a minimum of
> 5 asha'ar. A single she'r, written as such, is called 'fard'. Here are
> a couple of examples from ghalib:
>
Vijay saahib,
Like Afzal saahib, I too have never come across a restriction of 5
ash'aar on the length of a Ghazal. Could you cite the source where
you came across this? Five seems rather arbitrary. Why not 3 or 4?
To me it seems that, in theory, anything that's three ash'aar or more
could be comfortably classified as a Ghazal -- enough space for a
matla, a maqta and one more sh'er.
It's the 2-sh'er ones that I'm not so sure about -- if the ash'aar are
musalsal, then we could call it a qit'a, but what if they aren't?
-UVR.
UVR
>
> aadaab!
> maiN yih chahta hooN ke qaafiye par mukamal bahas ho.Kyonki bahut kuch
> hai jo saaf nahiN hai..
> jaise kya gulaab ke saath shraab ka qaafia baandh sakteiN haiN? Iske
> basics par detail me bahas honi chahiye.
> Regards
> sat pal khyaal
sat pal ji,
aap ki tajweez achchhi hai. yaqeenan ham log qaafiye par bahs kar
sakte haiN.
kyoN na aisaa kareN k aap hi qaafiye par ek nayi laRi shuru' kar deN!
waise aap ke is sawaal kaa, k kyaa gulaab ke saath sharaab kaa qaafiya
baaNdh sakte haiN, jawaab hai -- zaroor baaNdh sakte haiN. misaal
pesh hai ek "filmi shaa'ir" ke qalam se:
chhalke tiri aaNkhoN se SHARAAB aur ziyaadah
khilte raheN hoNToN ke GULAAB aur ziyaadah
ummeed hai is jawaab se aap ki tashaffi ho paayi hai.
-UVR.
Vijay
The only written source I have is Sultan Nathani who defines ghazal as
having between 5 and 25 asha'r. I agree, it seems a bit arbitrary. But
I had heard the minimum 5 asha'ar definition before. When I lived in
Canada, we had a quarterly bazm-e-adab nishast, where often people
tried their hand at a tarah misra to compose a ghazal. Raj Kumar Qais
sahib will often advise people 'ki bhaii, kam-az-kam 5 she'r to likho,
ta ki ham ise ghazal keh sakeN!'. So if he is reading this, perhaps he
can kindly throw further light on this issue.
Regards,
Vijay
Afzal A. Khan
>
> As far as I know, a 'ghazal', by definition, has to have a minimum of
> 5 asha'ar. A single she'r, written as such, is called 'fard'. Here are
> a couple of examples from ghalib:
>
> ug raha hai dar-o-diiwaar pe (?se)sabza ghalib
> ham haiN viiraane meN aur ghar meN bahaar aaii hai
>
> and
>
> ziNdagii apnii jab (?kuchh) is shak'l se guzrii ghalib
> ham bhii kyaa yaad kareNge ki Khuda rakhte the
>
> Regards,
>
> Vijay
What would be the term used if there are only three or four
ash'aar ? That is, less than five ?
The correct text of the first sher above is as under :
Ug raha hai dar-o-deewaar se sabza(h) Ghalib
Hum bayaabaaN men haiN aur ghar men bahaar aayee hai
Afzal
Afzal A. Khan
UVR Saheb,
I have seen it mentioned in various books that
'umooman ghazal me paaNch se le kar saat ya nau
ya gyaara(h) ash'aar hote haiN......
But I doubt whether that can be construed as a restriction.
As has been mentioned in ALUP on a number of occasions, in
earlier times, ghazals were often recited first in Mushaa'iraas.
And to recite just 3 or 4 ash'aar would have reflected on the
reciter's poetic acumen. I believe RK Saheb's plea to the
(Canadian) poets might perhaps have the same background : yeh
kya ke bas teen/chaar ash'aar keh liye aur mehfil men chale aaye !
Afzal
UVR
Afzal saahib,
All I can say is that I have not come across any "authoritative" text
that conclusively states that there should be 5 or more ash'aar in a
Ghazal (Vijay saahib, I hope you will forgive me if I do not consider
the Nathani book authoritative; yes, I have seen it a few times!)
I suppose it is irrelevant to assert here that it is not the number of
qawaafee or rhyming verses one can create that indicates the quality
or worth of a Ghazal-go shaa'ir; there must be some substance in the
couplets too. Otherwise, people like me could also stake a claim to
the throne upon which the likes of Jigar and Firaq sit in regal repose
(these being only two of the names that excelled in producing LONG
Ghazals of stupendous quality).
-UVR.
Afzal A. Khan
UVR Saheb,
I think you missed the nuance in my post. The quote I mentioned
cannot be construed as any sort of authoritative or mandatory
restriction. But it is easy enough for some folks to imagine
that the above type of quote is a surefire indicator of a minimum
limit.
Afzal
Raj Kumar
“The only written source I have is Sultan Nathani who defines ghazal
as
having between 5 and 25 asha'r. I agree, it seems a bit arbitrary.
But
I had heard the minimum 5 asha'ar definition before”.
In principle, both these numbers --- 5 and 25 --- are arbitrary. I
haven’t seen them in print anywhere and, insofar as the upper limit is
concerned, I am hearing it for the first time!
I have seen a number of Ghazals by prolific writers containing a
‘nauseatingly large’ number of ash’aar --- especially by my favorite
poet Firaaq --- and, sometimes, that number runs well above 25, with
the result that the fraction of “bhartii ke ash’aar” in such a Ghazal
becomes too much to bear!.
As regards the lower limit, more follows.
Vijay saahib further wrote:
“When I lived in
Canada, we had a quarterly bazm-e-adab nishast, where often people
tried their hand at a tarah misra to compose a ghazal. Raj Kumar Qais
sahib will often advise people 'ki bhaii, kam-az-kam 5 she'r to
likho,
taa-k ham ise ghazal keh sakeN!'. So if he is reading this, perhaps
he
can kindly throw further light on this issue”.
Of course, I am reading it, Vijay saahib. In fact, ever since I have
re-returned to ALUP, I have been reading its contents almost
religiously. So, here I am.
My humble reason for some sort of an adherence to a minimum of 5 is
rooted NOT in any theoretical model of Ghazal --- it is rooted ONLY in
my upbringing. As I have mentioned here before, my elder brother
Professor Zia often brought his poet-friends to our ancestral home
and, all through the weekend, I had the opportunity to listen to their
literary musings. On more than one occasion, they mentioned 5 ash’aar
as a lower limit for a Ghazal --- for precisely the reason Afzal
saahib proffered when he wrote:
“I have seen it mentioned in various books that
'umooman ghazal me paaNch se le kar saat ya nau
ya gyaara(h) ash'aar hote haiN......
But I doubt whether that can be construed as a restriction.
As has been mentioned in ALUP on a number of occasions, in
earlier times, ghazals were often recited first in Mushaa'iraas.
And to recite just 3 or 4 ash'aar would have reflected on the
reciter's poetic acumen. I believe RK Saheb's plea to the
(Canadian) poets might perhaps have the same background : yeh
kya ke bas teen/chaar ash'aar keh liye aur mehfil men chale
aaye” !
vaaqe’ii, un adeeboN ka bhi yihii kehnaa tha k agar ko’ii shaKhs
Ghazal kehta hai to kam-az-kam paaNch-saat ash’aar to kahe --- yeh
kyaa k kul teen-chaar ash’aar keh kar hi us ke “baaje baj gaye”! :)
This impression of mine got further reinforced when I was attending a
mushaa’ira in Delhi where Prof. Kishan Singh of P.U. Camp College,
Delhi, was sitting next to me. When a young poet recited a Ghazal
consisting of exactly 5 couplets and left the stage, I quietly said: “
are bhaai, do-aek she’r aur keh dete to kyaa bur’aa thi”? At this,
Prof. Singh turned to me and said, ”Doctor saahib, kam-az-kam
“threshold” to puuri kar gayaa”!
That was the moment when I realized that the concept of a 5-minimum
that I had been hammered upon during my childhood wasn’t just a local
concept --- it had a much broader acceptance!
Even so, I’ll hasten to admit that I am not aware of any
“authoritative rule” that advocates this lower limit!!!
UVR sahib wrote:
“To me it seems that, in theory, anything that's three ash'aar or
more
could be comfortably classified as a Ghazal -- enough space for a
matla, a maqta and one more sh'er”.
Fair enough in theory, Ravindra saahib, but in practice can you show
me any such “Ghazal” where there are exactly three ash’aar --- the
first one of which is a matl’a and the last one a maqt’a?
I have seen in “deevaan-e-Ghaalib” a place where there are exactly
three ash’aar --- including the misr’a “Gham voh afsaana k aashufta-
bayaanii maaNge” (on which I wrote a Ghazal which most people liked
-------- with the sole exception of you)! ;) :)
Among those ash’aar, there is no matl’a, there is no maqt’a, i.e., all
the three ash’aar are kind of ‘vagabonds’! Clearly, those ash’aar
can’t be called a Ghazal!
At the same time, I have seen a good number of “Ghazals” that either
didn’t have a matl’a or didn’t have a maqt’a ------------ should we or
should we not regard them as Ghazals?
Afzal saahib asked:
“What would be the term used if there are only three or four
ash'aar ? That is, less than five ?
Such ash’aar are routinely called “mutafarriq ash’aar” --- most poets
put them at the end of their collection and call them so. Some others,
like Ghaalib, put them in the middle of their “deevaan” but that, in
my opinion, doesn’t obligate us to call them a “Ghazal”.
Raj Kumar
Afzal A. Khan
> Afzal saahib asked:
>
> “What would be the term used if there are only three or four
> ash'aar ? That is, less than five ?
>
> Such ash’aar are routinely called “mutafarriq ash’aar” --- most poets
> put them at the end of their collection and call them so. Some others,
> like Ghaalib, put them in the middle of their “deevaan” but that, in
> my opinion, doesn’t obligate us to call them a “Ghazal”.
>
> Raj Kumar
Raj Kumar Saheb,
Mine was merely a rhetorical question. Vijay Saheb had opined
that a ghazal had to have a minimum of 5 ash'aar. He added that
a single sher was called "fard". My comment (in the form of a
question) was in that context only.
Afzal
Amjad
baat Ghazal ke ash'aar ki taa'daad ki ho rahi hai, is liye socha ke
maiN bhi bisaat bhar apni raaye pesh kar dooN. isi bahaane URDU
shaa'iri par kuch baateN URDU zabaan meiN bhi ho jaaiN gi :) (Hadd-e-
adab)
Raj Kumar saHib ne farmaaya :
"In principle, both these numbers --- 5 and 25 --- are arbitrary. I
haven’t seen them in print anywhere and, insofar as the upper limit
is
concerned, I am hearing it for the first time! "
Ghazal ke ash'aar ki taa'daad ke silsile meiN Maulvi Hakeem Najm-ul-
Ghani (mutakhallis beh "Najmi Rampuri) apni maa'rikah aaraa kitaab
"beHr.ul.fasaahat" meiN farmaate haiN:
"Ghazal ke ash'aar taaq hote haiN, aur muHaqqiqeen ke nazdeek aik
Ghazal ki taa'daad paaNch she'r se kam nahiN hoti. aur giyaarah (11)
she'r se ziyaadah nahiN, lekin baa'z agle shaa'iroN ke nazdeek aik
Ghazal ki taa'daad kam se kam teen she'r aur intehaa pachees 25 she'r
tak hai.
is zamaane meiN shaa'ir satrah aur unnis (19) aur ikkis (21) balke is
se ziyaadah ash'aar ki Ghazal likhte haiN. chunaaNche sukhanwaraan-e-
mutaakhireen-e-Faarsi ke kalaam meiN chaalees (40) she'r tak aur
sho'araa-e-mutaakhireen-e-rekhta ke kalaam meiN pachaas (50) pachpan
(55) she'r tak ki GhazleN maujood haiN. pas agar koi shaa'ir nihaayat
barjasta aur pasandeedah zameenoN aur dilchasp beHroN meiN lutf-e-
muhaavara, durusti-e-tarkeeb, aala darjay ki lataafat-o-fasaaHat, naye
khayaaloN, chaTakhte qaafiyoN ke saath tool taveel Ghazal likhe aur
usool-e-Ghazaliyat ko haath se na jaane de to ye kamaal mashq-e-
sukhanwari par daleel hai. (beHr.ul.FasaaHat, P:66).
goyaa mutaqaddimeen meiN baa'z sho'araa bhale hi 3 ash'aar ko ghazal
maante hoN, magar musannif ki raaye aur sho'araa ki kacrat ke mutaabiq
Ghazal ke she'roN ki taa'daad kam se kam 5 ash'aar aur zyaadah se
ziyaadah ki koi qaid nahiN hai.
shukriya
niyaaz.mand
Amjad
Raj Kumar
> aadaab arz hai
> baat Ghazal ke ash'aar ki taa'daad ki ho rahi hai, is liye socha ke
> maiN bhi bisaat bhar apni raaye pesh kar dooN. isi bahaane URDU
> shaa'iri par kuch baateN URDU zabaan meiN bhi ho jaaiN gi :) (Hadd-e-
> adab)
> Raj Kumar saaHib ne farmaaya :
> "In principle, both these numbers --- 5 and 25 --- are arbitrary. I
> haven’t seen them in print anywhere and, insofar as the upper limit
> is
> concerned, I am hearing it for the first time! "
---------
> Ghazal ke ash'aar ki taa'daad ke silsile meiN Maulvi Hakeem Najm-ul-
> Ghani (mutakhallis beh "Najmi Rampuri) apni maa'rikah aaraa kitaab
> "beHr.ul.fasaahat" meiN farmaate haiN:
> "Ghazal ke ash'aar taaq hote haiN, aur muHaqqiqeen ke nazdeek aik
> Ghazal ki taa'daad paaNch (5) she'r se kam nahiN hoti. aur giyaarah (11)
> she'r se ziyaadah nahiN, lekin baa'z agle shaa'iroN ke nazdeek aik
> Ghazal ki taa'daad kam se kam teen she'r aur intehaa pachees 25 she'r
> tak hai.
bahut bahut shukriya, Amjad saahib, k aap ne janaab-e-Najmii Rampurii
saahib ki is tehreer se hameN baihra-var kiyaa --- chaliye, ham ne
(aap ki vasaatat se) in hudood ko tehreeran to dekhaa! :)
taaham, yeh 'kam-se-kam 5 aur ziyaada-se-ziyaada 25' vaalii baat hai
to 'arbitrary' hi! kehne ka matlab yeh k is bayaan ke peechhe ko'i
mantiq to naheeN hai naa?
duusre yeh k yeh hiNdse hamesha "taaq (ya'ani-k, odd)" hi kyooN hote
haiN? inheN, kabhi-kabhaar, "juft (ya'ani-k, even)" bhi to hona
chaahiye! But, alas, I always hear numbers such as 3, 5, 7, 11, 15,
25, ---- I have never seen an even number mentioned in this regard!
I wonder --- what is so 'odd' about an 'even' number? ;)
> is zamaane meiN shaa'ir satrah (17), unnis (19) aur ikkis (21) balke is
> se ziyaadah ash'aar ki Ghazal likhte haiN. chunaaNche sukhanwaraan-e-
> mutaakhireen-e-Faarsi ke kalaam meiN chaalees (40) she'r tak aur
> sho'araa-e-mutaakhireen-e-rekhta ke kalaam meiN pachaas (50) pachpan
> (55) she'r tak ki GhazleN maujood haiN. pas agar koi shaa'ir nihaayat
> barjasta aur pasandeedah zameenoN aur dilchasp beHroN meiN lutf-e-
> muhaavara, durusti-e-tarkeeb, aala darjay ki lataafat-o-fasaaHat, naye
> khayaaloN, chaTakhte qaafiyoN ke saath tool taveel Ghazal likhe aur
> usool-e-Ghazaliyat ko haath se na jaane de to ye kamaal mashq-e-
> sukhanwari par daleel hai. (beHr.ul.FasaaHat, P:66).
Agreed, but the practical problem I notice many a time is that an
unduly long Ghazal is, more often than not, filled with ash'aar that
are, by and large, un-deserving to be there! In any case, Najmii
saahib's criteria for the justification of a large number of ash'aar
in a Ghazal are perfectly sound --- though, I must say, that most
long-
winded Ghazals fail to meet these criteria!
> goyaa mutaqaddimeen meiN baa'z sho'araa bhale hi 3 ash'aar ko ghazal
> maante hoN, magar musannif ki raaye aur sho'araa ki kacrat ke mutaabiq
> Ghazal ke she'roN ki taa'daad kam se kam 5 ash'aar aur zyaadah se
> ziyaadah ki koi qaid nahiN hai.
I couldn't agree more --- keeping in mind that, in view of the fact
that these numbers are essentially arbitrary, I personally regard a
Ghazal with only 3 ash'aar as more or less a “joke”, one with 5
ash'aar as “acceptable” but barely, and one with 7 or more ash'aar as
"respectable"!
As regards the upper limit, I too feel that ANYTHING GOES --- so long
as the criteria mentioned by Najmii saahib are duly met [which, in
real terms, does make the task more and more difficult as the poet
pushes himself (and his audience) towards the precipice, and
sometimes
even over it]!
Raj Kumar
Naseer
On May 30, 11:54 pm, Raj Kumar <rajkumarq...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> duusre yeh k yeh hiNdse hamesha "taaq (ya'ani-k, odd)" hi kyooN hote
> haiN? inheN, kabhi-kabhaar, "juft (ya'ani-k, even)" bhi to hona
> chaahiye! But, alas, I always hear numbers such as 3, 5, 7, 11, 15,
> 25, ---- I have never seen an even number mentioned in this regard!
>
> I wonder --- what is so 'odd' about an 'even' number? ;)
Nothing whatsoever! I suspect this is no more than forming part of a
wider body of myths and superstitions!!
> > goyaa mutaqaddimeen meiN baa'z sho'araa bhale hi 3 ash'aar ko ghazal
> > maante hoN, magar musannif ki raaye aur sho'araa ki kacrat ke mutaabiq
> > Ghazal ke she'roN ki taa'daad kam se kam 5 ash'aar aur zyaadah se
> > ziyaadah ki koi qaid nahiN hai.
>
> I couldn't agree more --- keeping in mind that, in view of the fact
> that these numbers are essentially arbitrary, I personally regard a
> Ghazal with only 3 ash'aar as more or less a “joke”, one with 5
> ash'aar as “acceptable” but barely, and one with 7 or more ash'aar as
> "respectable"!
>
> As regards the upper limit, I too feel that ANYTHING GOES --- so long
> as the criteria mentioned by Najmii saahib are duly met [which, in
> real terms, does make the task more and more difficult as the poet
> pushes himself (and his audience) towards the precipice, and
> sometimes even over it]!
Are matla' AND mata' an absolute necessity of a Ghazal? If they are
not, then in theory at least, could one call a two shi'r composition a
Ghazal?
e.g.
..................................................................................................
saraapaa rahn-i-'ishq-o-naa-guziir-i-ulfat-i-hastii
'ibaadat barq kii kartaa huuN awr afsos Haasil kaa
ba-qadar-i-zarf hai saaqii! KHumaar-i-tishnah-kaamii bhii
jo tuu daryaa-i-mai hai to maiN KHamyaazah huuN Haasil kaa
..................................................................................................
qatrah-i-mai baskih Hairat se nafas-parvar hu'aa
KHatt-i-jaam-i-mai saraasar, rishtah-i-gauhar hu'aa
i'tibaar-i-'ishq kii KHaanah-Kharaabii dekhnaa
Ghair ne kii aah, lekin vuh KHafaa mujh par hu'aa
...........................................................................................................
dahan par haiN un ke gumaaN kaise kaise
kalaam aate haiN darmiyaaN kaise kaise
zamiin-i-chaman gul khilaatii hai kyaa kyaa
badaltaa hai rang aasmaaN kaise kaise
............................................................................................................
Here are a couple of examples of "jokes":)
ghar hamaaraa jo nah rote bhii to viiraaN hotaa
baHr gar baHr nah hotaa to bayaabaaN hotaa
tangii-i-dil kaa gilah kyaa yih vuh kaafir dil hai
kih agar tang nah hotaa to pareshaaN hotaa
ba'd-i-yak 'umr-i-vara' baar to detaa baare
kaash rizvaaN hii dar-i-yaar kaa darbaaN hotaa
................................................................................
nah thaa kuchh to KHudaa thaa, kuchh nah hotaa to KHudaa hotaa
Duboyaa mujh ko hone ne, nah hotaa maiN to kyaa hotaa
hu'aa jab Gham se yuuN be-Hiss to Gham kyaa sar ke kaTne kaa
nah hotaa gar judaa tan se to zanuu par dharaa hotaa
huii muddat kih Ghalib mar gayaa, par yaad aataa hai
vuh har ik baat par kahnaa kih yuuN hotaa to kyaa hotaa
........................................................................................
KHair-andesh,
Naseer