Shayari
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In Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Shaayaree, or poetry, essentially comprises couplet, or Sher. The plural for Sher is Ashaar. The form ghazal is a collection of mulitiple ashaar - each of which should convey a complete thought without any reference to other shayari of the same ghazal. In fact, though belonging to the same ghazal, the different ashaar therein can have completely different meaning and tone relative to one another.
Essential Shaayree vocabulary:
[edit] Sher
(Couplet). It consists of two lines (MISRA); first line is called 'MISRA-E-OOLA' and the second is called 'MISRA-E-SANI'. Each verse embodies a single thought or subject (sing) SHER, Shero, Shayari, Shyari, Shayri.
[edit] Bait
Another term for SHER, Sher-o-Shayari, Shayri.
[edit] Bait-ul-Ghazal
The best SHER in a GHAZAL
[edit] Ghazal
(Ode). The literary meaning of the word 'GHAZAL' is to converse with beloved. Etymologically, it come from the Arabic word Ghizaal, meaning gazelle. It is a poem containing a minimum of 5 verses and maximum 25. The opening Verse of the GHAZAL is called MATLA and both hemistiches rhyme with one another. The last verse of the GHAZAL is called MAQTA which usually contains the penname of the poet. Most of Persian and Urdu writers have earned fame as GHAZAL writers. GHAZAL is the soul of Urdu literature and most popular form of Urdu poetry.
The following is an example of sher, composed by Mirza Ghalib:
- nahii.n ki mujhko qayaamat kaa etiqaad nahii.n
- shab-e-firaaq se roz-e-jazaa ziyaad nahii.n
- It is not that I do not have faith in (the pains of) the day of judgement
- But the night of separation is not less than the day of judgement.
What the poet is trying to say is that he trusts that the day of judgement would be very painful, as it has been described in Qur'an and Hadith; however, this night of separation from his beloved is not less painful than the day of judgement.
A better example of ghazal is shown below from two couplets of Baqa Akbarabadi*, a contemporary of Meer Taqi Meer, from a ghazal written in the classical conversational form, that is a dialogue between the lover and the beloved. This traditional form as seen in Hafiz Shirazi's works in old Persian poetry, does seldom appear in contemporary Urdu works.
Kaha main ne! Sila meri wafa ka tujhsey kya nikla?
Kaha us ne! Nateeja dil lagane ka, bura nikla?
Kaha main ne! Wajah kya thi teri is be-wafaai ki?
Kaha us ne! Fida mujhpar koi, tujhsey siwa nikla!
Said I! What return did my love get back from you?
Said she! Did indeed your heart have a bad experience?
Said I! What caused this unfaithfulness of yours?
Said she! Someone more enchanted than you showed up to me!
*Diwaan e Baqa Akbarabadi, Nizami Press Kanpur India 1932. Kutubkhana Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu. Hyderabad. India.[edit] Fard
Composition of only a single SHER, Shero-Shayari, Shyari, Shayri is called FARD.
merey bachche mujhe boodha nahiN hone daete[edit] Hamd
Poem written in praise of God.
[edit] Huzal
Poem with abusive text and often on a tittilatingly sexual subject or form.
Example from Meer Taqi Meer, Masnawi Azdarnameh:
Mere dar se nikley hai yaan sab ki moot!
Mujhi se yeh dushmani? Teri maa ki choot!All around here urinate in my fear!
And you show this enmity? (I___)your mother's c___!Meer Taqi Meer wrote these lines in great anger and frustration from being enraged by an equally offensive and foul-mouthed huzal written and read out against him at a convention in Delhi, by Baqa Akbarabadi, a contemporary Urdu poet who loathed Meer's fame and legend. Meer should not be considered as an abusive writer from this example. Rather his style had the mastery in ghazal writing, which has yet no parallel in sweetness, sorrowfulness and wisdom.
Na hua par na hua! Meer sa andaz naseeb!
Zauq! Yaaron ne bohat zor ghazal pey maara!
Never ever was achieved Meer's diction and style
Zauq! Friends here have tried their might on ghazal!Diwaan e Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq Dehlavi. Nawal Kishore Press 1928 Luknow.India
Another example, just for an understanding of huzal, from the works of Sayyad Insha Allah Khan Insha, a poet of great fame and an after-runner of Meer at Lucknow is being quoted below:
Kal gode mein bitha ke jo khola izar band!
Ungli jali muey ki! Tha shola izar band!
Kal ki tarah milegi nahi asharfi bandhi!*
Yeh aap ne jo mera tatola izar band!
Yesternight when he eased me on his lap and undid my loin-string!
My lover's finger got scorched! So hot was my loin-string!
Like last night you may not see a gold-coin tied in!
You that now have tweaked again this night my loin-string!* Women contemporary of Mughal and post-Mughal times used to get gold coins holed and tied by sliding them onto the (skirt/pettycoat or pyjama/shalwaar) string ends of their undergarments, probably to hide them from eyes of theives. The above form of poetry often written in the tongues of women mostly concubines and courtesans of those days, is known as Rekhti, that is feminine poems, an extinct style in modern Urdu poetry.
[edit] Hijv
(Satire). A poem written to condemn or to abuse a person. This form of poetry is considered of low type and which is usually avoided by reputed poets. The exact opposite of HIJV is MADAH which is a poem written in praise of Kings and Patrons.
[edit] Husn-e-Matla
Rhyming of the first two lines of a GHAZAL is called HUSN-E-MATLA.
[edit] Madah
Poem written in praise of Kings and Patrons.
[edit] Manqabat
Poem written in praise of Ahle-E-Bait (the members of the family of Muhammad).
[edit] Maqta
The last line of a GHAZAL or a poem which generally contains the poet's pen-name.
[edit] Marsiya
A poem written to commemorate the exploits of great men of Islam; usually to describe the battle fought on the plains of Karbala in Iraq by Hazarat Imam Husain and his supporters against the army of Yazid. It is usually a poem of mourning. The famous MARSIYA writers in Urdu are Mir Baberali Anis and Salamatali Dabir. Even a short poem written to mourn the death of a friend can be called MARSIYA. Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem 'In Memoriam' can rightly be called MARSIYA. The sub-parts of MARSIYA are called NOHA and SOZ which means lamentation and burning of (heart) respectively.
[edit] Masnawi
A long epic poem describing the battles fought long ago and past events. It may also contain philosophical or ethical themes. The most famous MASNAWIS are Shah-Namah of Firdosi, Masnavi-E-Roomi in Persian language and Zehar-E-Ishq in Urdu.
[edit] Matla
The opening SHER of a GHAZAL.
[edit] Misra
One line of a couplet, or verse.
[edit] Munajat
A lyrical poem as prayer to God.
[edit] Musaddas
Each unit consists of 6 lines (Misra). Most famous writer of this type of poem is Maulana Altaf Husain Hali.
[edit] Naat
Verses written in praise of Muhammad.
[edit] Nazm
The literary meaning of Nazm is Poetry (cf. Nasr, or Prose) A poem fully dealing with a single subject or thought.
[edit] Qafia
Rhyming of the last words of a poem.
[edit] Qasida
(Ballad). It is a long poem in Urdu, Persian or Arabic which usually describes battles or written in praise of kings; princes or the poet's patron. There is no limit of verses; it may even go beyond hundred lines.
[edit] Qat'a
(Fragments). It has two Ashaar and has a one complete subject. Plural Qita'at.
[edit] Radeef
(End rhyme). Each SHER, Shero, Shayari, Shyari, Shayri of GHAZAL in addition to QAFIA may also have RADEEF which is rhyming of more than the last two or three words.
[edit] Ruba'i
Persian word for Quatrain. Contains only 4 lines, the third one being different from the other three as it should not have QAFIA and RADEEF. RUBA'I deals with social, philosophical and romantic subjects. In Persian language Umar Khayyam is supposed to be a great poet of RUBAIYY A T whereas in Urdu Yagana, Firaq and Josh are leading poets of this time and Anis, an old time poet.
[edit] Salam
(Literal meaning Salutation) It is a kind of poem in which the incidents of Karbala i.e. hardships of Hazarat Imam Husain and his followers are described It is also written in praise of Muhammad, and is recited by standing up.
[edit] Sehra
A song sung at the time of tying Sehra during wedding ceremony, praising the bride or the bridegroom and their relatives.
[edit] Shehr Ashob
Poem describing a ruined city.
[edit] Tah-Tul-Lafz
The manner of reciting a poem; like rhythmic prose i.e. without singing; word for word.
[edit] Takhallus
A name adopted by a poet, by which he is known in the literary world.
[edit] Tarannum
The manner of reciting a poem in the form of a song.
[edit] Wasokht
Literal meaning 'displeasure' or 'disgust'. A kind of poem in which the displeasure and carelessness of a lover is narrated; while relinquishing the beloved.
[edit] Geet
Song or hymn.
[edit] Mushaira
A symposium of poets; a poet's gathering.
[edit] Qawwali
Devotional song expressing the love and oneness with God sung by a group of people to the accompaniment of musical instruments. Now-a-days, it has taken popular form covering subjects of romance, liquor, etc.
Some famous Urdu Poets using Sher Amir Khusro Meer Ghalib Hasrat Mohani Iqbal Faiz Ahmed Faiz
