What is a Ghazal

 What is a Ghazal

Let’s start with what is a Sher ?
Simply put, a Sher is a poem of two lines. But then, this definition is deceptively simple. A Sher does not need, anything around it, to convey the message.

So what is a Ghazal?

A Ghazal is necessarily a collection of two-line-poems called Sher. But any collection of Sher's is not Ghazal. A Ghazal is a collection of Sher's which follow the rules of, and 'Radif', 'Kaafiyaa', 'Beher', 'Maqta' 'Matla'.

And what do these words mean? Let’s understand by considering a ghazal.

e.g Mohsin Naqvi’s classic ghazal composed and sung by Ghulam Ali

ये दिल ये पागल दिल मेरा क्यूँ बुझ गया आवारगी
इस दश्त में इक शहर था वो क्या हुआ आवारगी

कल शब मुझे बे-शक्ल की आवाज़ ने चौंका दिया
मैं ने कहा तू कौन है उस ने कहा आवारगी

ये दर्द की तन्हाइयाँ ये दश्त का वीराँ सफ़र
हम लोग तो उक्ता गए अपनी सुना आवारगी

इक अजनबी झोंके ने जब पूछा मिरे ग़म का सबब
सहरा की भीगी रेत पर मैं ने लिखा आवारगी

कल रात तन्हा चाँद को देखा था मैं ने ख़्वाब में
'मोहसिन' मुझे रास आएगी शायद सदा आवारगी

What is 'Radif' ?
In a Ghazal, second line of all the Sher's must end with the same word/s. This repeating common words is the 'Radif' of the Ghazal. In the above example both the lines end with the words “आवारगी”. This is Radif.

What is 'Kaafiyaa' ?
'Kaafiyaa' is the rhyming pattern which all the words before 'Radif' must have.

In our example the 'Kaafiyaa' is " गया ", " हुआ ", “वीराँ”, “सुना” etc. This is a necessary requirement. Something which is followed even in the exceptions to all these rules.

What is 'Beher' ?
'Beher' is the 'meter' of the Sher's. It can be considered as the length of the Sher. Both the lines in the Sher must be of same 'Beher'. And all the Sher's in one Ghazal must be of the same 'Beher'.

So Ghazal is a collection of Sher's of same 'Beher', ending in same
'Radif' and having same 'Kaafiyaa'.

Now that we have understood some basics, let’s get to the next step.

What is 'Matla' ?
The first Sher in the Ghazal *MUST* have 'Radif' in its both lines. This Sher is called 'Matla' of the Ghazal and the Ghazal is usually known after its 'Matla'. There can be more than one 'Matla' in a Ghazal. But let’s keep it simple at this stage. 😊

What is 'Maqta' ?
A Shayar usually has an alias ie. 'takhallus' eg. Mirza Asadullakhan used 'Ghalib' as his 'takhallus' and is known by that. In the above example, the shayar Mohsin Naqvi has put his name in the last line - “'मोहसिन' मुझे …”. This is similar to the way we had old saints putting their name in the last verse. e.g Tuka Mhane Aata. Using a Maqta is a way to make the listener aware of who the writer is. It is also means that the shayar uses to comment and speak to himself or about himself in the third person.

So these are the rules, but there are so many ghazal’s that do not follow these rules. this is similar to the way a composer stretches connotations of a Raag. But more about it some other day.