The Ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, tracing origin to 7th century Arabic poetry. Often, it is a poetic expression of the beauty of love despite the pain of loss or separation.
Typically a Ghazal has 5 to 15 independent rhyming couplets called शेर(sher) or बैत(bayt).
The couplets are thematically linked albeit abstractly, but more strictly, in poetic form.
The best sher in the Ghazal is called the शाह-ए-बैत (lit. King of Bayts)
The first bayt in a ghazal is called the मतला(matlaa).
The last bayt in a ghazal is called the मक़्ता(maqtaa), but only if the poet places his name or “तख़ल्लुस(takhallus) or nom de plume in it.
The repeating rhyming words in the sher of a Ghazal, are called the क़ाफ़िया(Qaafiya).
The second line of all the couplets (bayts or shers) must end with the same word(s).
The Qaafiya is the word that rhymes with another word (also a qaafiya) in another line or मिसरा(misraa).
A Qaafiya always comes before a radiif. Each qaafiya is different, except that it ends with the same syllable to conform to the rhyming scheme.
Theरदीफ़(Radif) is what comes after the qaafiya and is always repeated.
This repetition of common ending words in rhyming lines is the Radiif of the Ghazal.
As a rule, anything that comes after a qaafiya should be repeated in other rhyming lines or misraas.
Both lines of the मतला must contain the क़ाफ़िया and रदीफ़.
Example Ghazal
One of Majrooh Sultanpuri’s celebrated Ghazals in chaste Urdu, found its way into a melodious song by Lata Mangeshkar. A classic example of Majrooh Sultanpuri’s poetry set to Madan Mohan’s music.
Just love Madan Mohan’s choice of the sitar and tabla combination -- how situation-appropriate!
The footage is picturized on Rehana Sultan, Sanjeev Kumar playing her enraged husband and the light-eyed Kamal Kapoor, playing a lecherous customer.
In this Ghazal, the Qaafiyaa is the following pattern of words:
“बाज़ार”, ख़रीदार”, “दौलत-ए-बेदार”, “निगह-ए-यार”, “गेसू-ए-दिलदार”, दीवार”, “लब-ओ-रुख़्सार”, “गुनहगार”,…
The रदीफ़ is “की तरह”. Every second line ends with a “की तरह” !
That is the Radif of the Ghazal.
The poet inserts his nom de plume (तख़ल्लुस) in the last bayt.
Here:
“मजरूह” लिख रहे हैं वो अहल-ए-वफ़ा का नाम;
हम भी खड़े हुए हैं गुनहगार की तरह
Only when the poet has inserted his name or nom de plume in the last couplet, does that last couplet qualify as a मक़्ता(maqtaa).
Translation
Here I translate the entire Ghazal, line-by-line(Urdu to English).
हम हैं मता-ए-कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार की तरह
I am like the merchandise(wares) of the lane and the bazaar.
उठती है हर निगाह खरीदार की तरह
every glance leers (at me) like that of a potential buyer.
वो तो कहीं हैं और, मगर दिल के आस पास...
He is somewhere else. But close to my heart...
फिरती है कोई शय निगाह-ए-यार की तरह
lurks some entity like the glance of a lover.
“मजरूह” लिख रहे हैं वो अहल-ए-वफ़ा का नाम,
(When) Majrooh is enumerating the names of loyal people,
हम भी खड़े हुए हैं गुनहगार की तरह
I also left standing like a criminal
The song in the film has only 40% of the Ghazal; the rest follows
इस कू-ए-तिश्नगी में बहुत है कि एक जाम,
Many are in this street of thirst, but one goblet (alone)
हाथ आ गया है दौलत-ए-बेदार की तरह
has come to hand, like newly awakened wealth
सीधी है राह-ए-शौक़, पर यूँ ही कभी कभी
The path of love is straight, but has sometimes
ख़म हो गई है गेसू-ए-दिलदार की तरह
curled like the tresses of (my) beloved.
अब जा के कुछ खुला हुनर-ए-नाखून-ए-जुनून
The skill of the nails of passion, has now somewhat opened
ज़ख़्म-ए-जिगर हुए लब-ओ-रुख़्सार की तरह
the wounds of the heart, like lips and a face.