4.7.1 Introduction to the ghazal

Historical background of the ghazal

The ghazal is one of the most important poetic forms in Urdu. It did not begin in South Asia. Its history goes back to Arabic poetry, then to Persian, and finally to Urdu.

In classical Arabic poetry, love and longing were common themes inside longer poems. Over time, a more focused love‑lyric form developed. Persian poets such as Rudaki, Saadi, Hafez, and others shaped this into the classical Persian ghazal. When Persian became a courtly and literary language in South Asia, the ghazal tradition came with it.

Early Urdu (then called Rekhta) grew in contact with Persian. Urdu poets adopted the ghazal form almost completely from Persian, including:

• Its structure in couplets
• Its musical meter
• Its elaborate imagery and metaphors
• Its themes of love, separation, and mysticism

By the 18th and 19th centuries, Urdu ghazal had become a mature and highly respected form, especially in Delhi and later in Lucknow. Poets like Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib made the ghazal central to Urdu identity.

Today, ghazals appear in written poetry, sung in concerts and on recordings, and used in film songs. Many lines from famous ghazals are quoted in everyday speech to sound elegant, emotional, or witty.

Basic structure of a ghazal

A ghazal is not a free collection of lines. It has a strict inner structure. Understanding this structure will help you recognize and enjoy ghazals even when you do not understand every word.

Couplets and independence

A ghazal is made of sher (شعر), that is, couplets. Each sher has exactly two lines, called:

• First line: misra‑e‑oola (مصرعِ اول, first hemistich)
• Second line: misra‑e‑sani (مصرعِ ثانی, second hemistich)

Each sher is structurally complete and semantically independent. That means:

• A couplet should make sense by itself.
• You can often quote one couplet alone, and it still works as a complete thought.
• The next couplet in the same ghazal may talk about something completely different.

A ghazal is therefore not a continuous story or argument. It is more like a string of pearls. The pearls are separate, but they share one thread, which is the rhyme, rhythm, and some shared mood.

Example of independence, from Mir Taqi Mir (simplified transliteration):

1. 
   patta patta, boota boota haal hamāra jāne hai
   jāne na jāne gul hi na jāne, bāgh to sāra jāne hai
2. 
   jāte hue kahte ho qayāmat ko milenge
   kya khoob, qayāmat ka hai goyā koī din aur

Even if you read only the first couplet, it is complete. The second is complete by itself too, even though, in the poet’s mind, there may be subtle connections.

Rhyme and refrain: qaafiya and radeef

A ghazal has a characteristic sound pattern made from two elements:

• Qaafiya (قافیہ) = rhyme pattern before the refrain
• Radeef (ردیف) = repeated word or phrase at the end of specific lines

The pattern appears like this:

• In the first couplet (called matla, see below), both lines end with the same qaafiya + radeef combination.
• In every later couplet, only the second line ends with the same qaafiya + radeef.

Let us see a very simplified artificial example in English, to focus on structure:

Suppose your radeef is “in the night” and your qaafiya is any word that rhymes like “light, sight, flight”.

Then the ghazal pattern is:

• Matla (first couplet):
• Line 1: … light in the night
• Line 2: … sight in the night
• Second couplet:
• Line 1: (no rhyme or refrain requirement)
• Line 2: … flight in the night
• Third couplet:
• Line 1: (free)
• Line 2: … bright in the night

So we can show this structure symbolically:

In real Urdu ghazals, the qaafiya and radeef are in Urdu, of course.

Example with real Urdu qaafiya and radeef

A famous ghazal by Mir has the radeef ہے (hai), and qaafiya words such as kya, kyun, kab, etc.

Structure: qaafiya (kya, kyun, kab, etc.) + ہے.

A simplified invented example to show pattern:

1. Matla:
   yeh dard kyā hai
   koī na samjhe, sab se chhuptā kyā hai
2. Second sher:
   dil se poochho to kyā kyā sāvan barastā
   par chehra bole, sab kuchh ṭhīk kyā hai

Here, the final word ہے repeats as radeef, and the preceding rhyming words (kya, kya) act as qaafiya.

Meter and rhythm

Like classical Urdu poetry in general, ghazals follow meters called behr (بحر). Meter concerns:

• The pattern of long and short syllables
• The total “weight” of each line

For this introductory chapter, you do not need to master scansion. Instead, focus on two points:

1. Every line in a ghazal has the same meter. If you tap the rhythm as you read, it should feel identical from line to line.
2. Ghazals are meant to be recited aloud quietly or sung, so their musicality and flow are essential.

As you listen to sung ghazals, try to notice how every line fits the same rhythmic pattern, even when the melody expands some syllables.

Special technical terms in a ghazal

The ghazal tradition uses some key technical terms. You already met qaafiya and radeef. Here are the main others, all of which you will keep meeting as you read and listen more.

Matla: the opening couplet

The matla (مطلع) is the first sher of the ghazal. Its features:

• Both lines have the qaafiya + radeef pattern.
• It often sets the tone or musical mood of the poem.
• Sometimes a ghazal can have more than one matla. The extra one is called matla‑e‑sani (second opening), but this is less common.

Example, highly simplified English structure with radeef “again”:

• Matla:
• Line 1: You came to my door again
• Line 2: My heart forgot its pain again

Both lines show the full pattern.

Maqta and takhallus: the poet’s signature

The maqta (مقطع) is usually the last sher of a ghazal. In this couplet, the poet often uses his or her takhallus (تخلّص), or poetic pen name.

Purposes of maqta:

• A kind of signature: the poet speaks directly about themself.
• A place for self‑reflection, irony, or a twist.
• Sometimes playful: the poet addresses themselves by name, or stages a small scene.

Example in English, imagining a poet with takhallus “Saba”:

• Earlier sher (no signature):
• My heart keeps burning like a silent coal
• It hides the fire under a mask of snow
• Maqta:
• Saba, they call you wise in love’s cruel art
• Yet you still bring your wounds to every show

Here, “Saba” in the last couplet acts like the takhallus. In Urdu, this would be a conventional, recognized pen name.

Radif and qaafiya recap

You have already seen these, but since they are so central, we summarize them clearly:

Themes and moods of the ghazal

Although each sher of a ghazal is independent in meaning, ghazals traditionally turn around certain typical themes and moods. These can appear in both secular and mystical ways.

Love, longing, and separation

The most famous theme of ghazal is love. More precisely, it often focuses on:

• Longing for the beloved
• Separation from the beloved
• The pain and sweetness of love

The beloved may be:

• A human lover
• A symbol of divine love (God or a spiritual ideal)
• A mixture of both meanings at once

In classical ghazals, the lover (aashiq) is often:

• Helpless, passionate, and faithful
• Willing to suffer for love
• Speaking to friends, to the beloved, or to themselves

Short example in simple English mimicking ghazal tone:

• I keep the city awake with my restless sighs
• Yet you sleep in peace, unaware of my nights

Even though this is not in Urdu, it shows the mood of complaint, longing, and sorrow that is common.

Mystical and philosophical meanings

Many ghazals have a double reading:

• On the surface, they speak of romantic love
• At a deeper level, they point to Sufi or spiritual ideas

Some typical mystical elements in ghazals:

• The tavern and wine can symbolize spiritual intoxication.
• The beloved can symbolize God or ultimate truth.
• The journey can symbolize the soul’s path.

The reader can choose to feel the poem as romantic, spiritual, or both.

Irony, wit, and wordplay

Ghazals are not only serious and sad. They can also be:

• Playful
• Ironic
• Clever with language

Poets use:

• Double meanings of words
• Surprising twists in the second line of a sher
• Light mocking of themselves or of social norms

For example, a poet might say (again, in English imitation):

• You asked if I am faithful, and I replied “Of course”
• How else could I keep breaking my promises to you?

The apparent contradiction creates a witty tension in the second line, which is very typical in ghazals.

Imagery and symbols in ghazal

Ghazals repeat certain images, metaphors, and symbols. Once you learn these, you can anticipate what a word probably suggests even if you do not know every shade of meaning.

Common images of the beloved

The beloved in a ghazal is usually idealized, distant, and powerful. Some typical images:

These are not fixed in every poem, but they appear again and again in different combinations.

The lover and suffering

The poet often presents themselves as the suffering lover. Common images:

So if you see a line where the poet is “happy in chains,” it may not be literal. It can mean they accept the pain of love.

Typical ghazal settings

Many shers do not have a specific location. They take place in a poetic, symbolic world. Most common settings:

• Desert: loneliness, spiritual journey.
• Garden: beauty, spring of life, but also change and loss.
• Tavern: freedom from social rules, spiritual or emotional intoxication.
• Street or door of the beloved: place of waiting, hope and humiliation.

These settings help create atmosphere quickly, without long descriptions.

How to read a ghazal as a learner

Ghazals can feel difficult at first for three reasons:

• Classical vocabulary, often from Persian and Arabic
• Compact style, with many ideas in few words
• Double meanings and cultural references

Here are some simple strategies suitable for your level.

Focus on one sher at a time

Because each sher is independent, you do not have to understand the whole ghazal at once.

1. Choose one couplet.
2. Look up key vocabulary.
3. Identify the qaafiya and radeef in the second line.
4. Try to see what “surprise” or contrast appears between the first and second line.

Example exercise structure (in English for clarity):

• Line 1: I lit a candle in the storm outside
• Line 2: Then wondered why the wind refused to hide

Here, the “surprise” is that the speaker creates an impossible situation and then complains about it. In real Urdu ghazals, similar logical twists are common.

Expect layers, not one fixed meaning

Many ghazals allow more than one reading. As a learner:

• Start with the simplest literal meaning.
• Then ask: could this also be about spiritual longing, social pressure, or inner conflict?

You do not have to choose one final answer. Accept that richness is part of the form.

Listen to sung ghazals

Ghazals are very often sung. For learning Urdu:

• Listening helps you feel the meter and pronunciation.
• Repeating lines of a famous ghazal improves your accent and vocabulary.
• Music can make the emotional content more intuitive, even if you miss some words.

Try this approach:

1. Listen to a recorded ghazal once without text, just to feel it.
2. Then listen again while reading the written lyrics.
3. Underline the radeef each time it appears.

This will train your ear for the structure.

A very simple sample ghazal (pedagogical)

To give you a feeling for ghazal structure without too much vocabulary, here is a short, simplified ghazal in English, imitating the Urdu pattern. The purpose is to understand form, not to show real Urdu poetry.

• Radeef: “at your door”
• Qaafiya: words ending in “-ore” sound, like before, more, shore

Matla (first sher):

1. 
   Line 1: I spent the silent night at your door
   Line 2: I left my pride and name at your door

Second sher:

2. 
   Line 1: Friends say, “Forget this love, there is a world outside”
   Line 2: I sold that world and bought one dream at your door

Third sher (maqta with takhallus “Sahil”):

3. 
   Line 1: Sahil, the sea of grief is wide, the waves are high
   Line 2: Yet every drowning heart still comes at your door

Notice:

• Every second line ends with qaafiya (door, more, shore etc. in proper version) + radeef (“at your door”).
• The first and second couplets are separate scenes.
• The last couplet uses “Sahil” as a pen name and refers to “drowning,” matching the meaning of the name (shore).

Now, when you see a real Urdu ghazal, you can look for this pattern with Urdu words.

Ghazal in modern Urdu culture

In modern South Asia, the ghazal lives in many forms:

• Classical recitation in literary gatherings (mushaira).
• Sung ghazals by well‑known singers.
• Film songs which use ghazal style and imagery.
• Everyday speech, where people quote a single sher to comment on a situation.

Even non‑specialists often know at least a few famous couplets by heart. Knowing how a ghazal works helps you understand this shared cultural reference.

Practice ideas

Here are some practical activities you can do to deepen your understanding of ghazal, even at upper‑intermediate level:

1. Identify structure in a short ghazal
• Take a printed ghazal.
• Highlight all radeef words in one color.
• Underline all qaafiya words.
• Mark the matla and maqta.
2. Translate only the radeef
• Find 3 or 4 ghazals.
• For each, identify the radeef and simply translate that part.
• You will see how one small phrase can carry different emotions in different poems.
3. Write a mini‑ghazal in English
• Choose a simple radeef like “tonight” or “in my heart.”
• Choose a group of rhyming words for qaafiya.
• Write 3 or 4 independent couplets where each second line ends with that qaafiya + radeef pattern.
• This will help you feel the constraints and possibilities of the form.
4. Memorize one sher
• From a famous poet like Ghalib or Mir, select a single sher with a translation.
• Memorize it, repeating aloud until the rhythm feels natural.
• Try to explain its basic meaning in simple English or simple Urdu.

These small steps will prepare you for deeper study of specific poets in later chapters.

Vocabulary list for this chapter

The following table collects key terms and some thematic vocabulary related to ghazals that appeared in this chapter. The meanings are in English only, since you focus here on conceptual understanding.

You do not need to memorize all of these at once, but recognizing them will make future chapters on specific poets and texts easier to follow.