Urdu Bahrs - Structure and History

[Irfan Abid]

aadaab, dosto!

The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.

I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.

I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.

So let’s begin.

I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.

___________article begins___________

Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii

Originally published in June, 2001

Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.

The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.

‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.


‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’


Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).


An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).


An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).


An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).


An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).


The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.

Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.

The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.

The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.

After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.

The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.

Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.


1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim

Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge

Classic by ‘Mast’ Kalkatavi:
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai

2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab

Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai

Classic by ‘Jigar’ Moradabadi:
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai

3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf

Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai

Claasic by Mirza ‘Ghalib’:
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage

4. Bahr e Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf:

Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa

Classic by ‘Firaq’ Gorakhpuri:
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN

5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf

Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa

* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.

Classic by ‘Hasrat’ Mohani:
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa

6. Bahr e Ramal Musaddas Mahzuuf:

Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye

* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.

Classic by Meer Taqi ‘Meer’:
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa

7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim

Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai

Classic by ‘Bekhud’ Dehlvi:
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa

8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)

Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro

Classic by ‘Dagh’ Dehlvi:
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa

9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim

Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii

Classic by ‘Momin’:
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho

10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim

Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN

Classic by Nida Fazli:
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii

11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab

Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai

Classic by Allama ‘Iqbal’:
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa

12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur

Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar

* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.

Claasic by Dagh Dehlvi (with Faa-i-lun as the last rukn):
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa


13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur

Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te

Classic by Faiz Ahmed ‘Faiz’:
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale

If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

___________article ends____________

Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.

Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ

More to come.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Naseer]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.

muHtaram Irfan SaaHib, aadaab.

First thing first. The mention of my name in the same breath as Afzal A. Khan and Raj Kumar SaaHibaan is a cause for embarrassment for me and perhaps an insult to the aforementioned gentlemen, for my knowledge on the subject of prosody sums up to a nice round zero and I have often made a point of letting everyone know about this handicap of mine, which is one amongst many!!

Secondly, thank you very much indeed for the time taken and the hard work put in, in composing this extremely useful article on the subject of Urdu Bahrs. There is a lot of food for thought and I intend to read it again and again, so that I get a tiny bit of understanding of this complex subject. Who knows, before long, I shall be picking faults in your and Raj Kumar SaaHib's compositions!:-) Fat chance of that!

A question that came to my mind while reading your article. Why did you transcribe "martabah" and "daanah" with a long terminal "aa"? I know that "bah" and "nah" would be equivalent to 2 and so are "baa" and "naa" but a grain "daanah" is not wise "daanaa"!

Looking forward to further additions to your article. But please take your time. My digestive powers aren't what they were once upon a time:-)

Naseer

[Zoya]

Post by Naseer
A question that came to my mind while reading your article. Why did you transcribe "martabah" and "daanah" with a long terminal "aa"? I know that "bah" and "nah" would be equivalent to 2 and so are "baa" and "naa" but a grain "daanah" is not wise "daanaa"!

Irfan sahib,

May I please attempt to answer this question?

Here is what I think: 'bah' and 'nah' as 'consonant+h' at the word end are considered flexible and may take the weight 1 or 2, depending on the meter requirements. In this particular sh'er, you want both of them to be weight of 2 (faa) to fit the required 'bahr', so writing 'martabaa' and 'daana' leaves no doubt about that.

In other words, simply transcribing 'as written' from Urdu script to Roman is not sufficient enough to indicate the weight of flexible syllables required to fit the desired meter.

Yes?

Thank you.

_____Zoya

[Zoya]

Post by Naseer
A question that came to my mind while reading your article. Why did you transcribe "martabah" and "daanah" with a long terminal "aa"? I know that "bah" and "nah" would be equivalent to 2 and so are "baa" and "naa" but a grain "daanah" is not wise "daanaa"!

Irfan sahib,

May I please attempt to answer this question?

Here is what I think: 'bah' and 'nah' as 'consonant+h' at the word end are considered flexible and may take the weight 1 or 2, depending on the meter requirements. In this particular sh'er, you want both of them to be weight of 2 (faa) to fit the required 'bahr', so writing 'martabaa' and 'daanaa' leaves no doubt about that.

In other words, simply transcribing a word 'as written' from Urdu script to Roman is not sufficient enough to indicate the weight of flexible syllables required to fit the desired meter.

Yes?

Thank you.

_____Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by Naseer
A question that came to my mind while reading your article. Why did you transcribe "martabah" and "daanah" with a long terminal "aa"? I know that "bah" and "nah" would be equivalent to 2 and so are "baa" and "naa" but a grain "daanah" is not wise "daanaa"!

Irfan sahib,
May I please attempt to answer this question?
Here is what I think: 'bah' and 'nah' as 'consonant+h' at the word end are considered flexible and may take the weight 1 or 2, depending on the meter requirements. In this particular sh'er, you want both of them to be weight of 2 (faa) to fit the required 'bahr', so writing 'martabaa' and 'daanaa' leaves no doubt about that.
In other words, simply transcribing a word 'as written' from Urdu script to Roman is not sufficient enough to indicate the weight of flexible syllables required to fit the desired meter.
Yes?
Thank you.
_____Zoya

I have tried mightily to scan the first unscanned example in Irfan Sahib's document, and failed repeatedly. I should just call myself a duffer, administer a sharp slap to myself, and turn to easier subjects. Quantum mechanics, perhaps?

How does one scan the sher by Mast Kalkatavi beginning "miTaa de apnii ..." ?

I get stuck at "apnii" whether I begin at the front or from the back. I cannot scan the second line either.

Please help! I don't want to study quantum mechanics :-(

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
I have tried mightily to scan the first unscanned example in Irfan Sahib's document, and failed repeatedly. I should just call myself a duffer, administer a sharp slap to myself, and turn to easier subjects. Quantum mechanics, perhaps?
How does one scan the sher by Mast Kalkatavi beginning "miTaa de apnii ..." ?
I get stuck at "apnii" whether I begin at the front or from the back. I cannot scan the second line either.
Please help! I don't want to study quantum mechanics :-(
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

Quantum mechanics sounds like fun!! I am game if you need a study buddy and can find us an online class, you do know I was a Physics/Math double major in graduate school! :)

But don't be too hard on yourself, I think 'apnii' can indeed be tricky to scan. I am sure Irfan sahib will be able to guide you better, but here is my take on it, a direct quote from ustaad Sarwar sahib's article on Nikaat-e-SuKhan:

"agar teen (3) saakin Huroof (ya'nee voh Huroof jin ko bolne meiN
Harkat naheeN denee paRtee hai) aik saath aa.jaayeN to aaKhir saakin
lafz taqtee' meiN nazar.andaaz kiyaa jaa saktaa hai, maslan : zeest ke
teen Huroof ( ye, seen, te) saakin haiN, chunaanche 'te' ko taqtee'
meiN nazar.andaaz karnaa durust ho gaa."

So I am treating 'apnii' in a fashion similar to 'ziist' and really think we can drop the n from taqtii' and actually look at it as a-p(n)ii and scan it as 1-2 which will make it fit perfectly in the meter of the misra' under discussion.

My hint for the second line is that you may not be looking at gu-lo as 1-2, the rest of it seems pretty straight forward.

I will wait for Irfan sahib or maybe RK sahib to verify my thought process, and if it is flawed then we can try again! Or sign up for Quantum mechanics!! :-)

_____Zoya

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
I have tried mightily to scan the first unscanned example in Irfan Sahib's document, and failed repeatedly. I should just call myself a duffer, administer a sharp slap to myself, and turn to easier subjects. Quantum mechanics, perhaps?
How does one scan the sher by Mast Kalkatavi beginning "miTaa de apnii ..." ?
I get stuck at "apnii" whether I begin at the front or from the back. I cannot scan the second line either.
Please help! I don't want to study quantum mechanics :-(
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

Quantum mechanics sounds like fun!! I am game if you need a study buddy and can find us an online class, you do know I was a Physics/Math double major in graduate school! :)

But don't be too hard on yourself, I think 'apnii' can indeed be tricky to scan. I am sure Irfan sahib will be able to guide you better, but here is my take on it, I think the words that end with 'ii' can be shortened to just 'i' if the meter requires it.

So we can actually look at it apnii as ap-ni and scan it as 2-1 which will make it fit perfectly in the meter of the misra' under discussion.

My hint for the second line is that in 'gul-o-gulzaar', the o can be long or short, so try looking at it as gu-lo, 1-2, the rest of it should be pretty straight forward.

I will wait for Irfan sahib or maybe RK sahib to verify my thought process, and if it is flawed then we can try again! Or sign up for Quantum mechanics!! :-)

_____Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
I have tried mightily to scan the first unscanned example in Irfan Sahib's document, and failed repeatedly. I should just call myself a duffer, administer a sharp slap to myself, and turn to easier subjects. Quantum mechanics, perhaps?
How does one scan the sher by Mast Kalkatavi beginning "miTaa de apnii ..." ?
I get stuck at "apnii" whether I begin at the front or from the back. I cannot scan the second line either.
Please help! I don't want to study quantum mechanics :-(
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,
Quantum mechanics sounds like fun!! I am game if you need a study buddy and can find us an online class, you do know I was a Physics/Math double major in graduate school! :)
But don't be too hard on yourself, I think 'apnii' can indeed be tricky to scan. I am sure Irfan sahib will be able to guide you better, but here is my take on it, I think the words that end with 'ii' can be shortened to just 'i' if the meter requires it.
So we can actually look at it apnii as ap-ni and scan it as 2-1 which will make it fit perfectly in the meter of the misra' under discussion.
My hint for the second line is that in 'gul-o-gulzaar', the o can be long or short, so try looking at it as gu-lo, 1-2, the rest of it should be pretty straight forward.
I will wait for Irfan sahib or maybe RK sahib to verify my thought process, and if it is flawed then we can try again! Or sign up for Quantum mechanics!! :-)
_____Zoya

Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! You have made it easy. That was exactly where I was having trouble. I am trying to read Prof Pritchett's handbook on meter at the same time. There are so many exceptions that I get lost.

I suppose "apnii" is like "mere" which can be shortened to "mire". I never thought of the possibility.

Yes, I know you wrote a thesis on particle physics, but I have forgotten which particles they were. I am a lowly economist, but I do aspire to higher things.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! You have made it easy. That was exactly where I was having trouble. I am trying to read Prof Pritchett's handbook on meter at the same time. There are so many exceptions that I get lost.
I suppose "apnii" is like "mere" which can be shortened to "mire". I never thought of the possibility.

Nagesh sahib, I am so glad the hints worked for you. Honestly I myself get lost all the time when checking taqtii', I am far from being a pro.

And absolutely, I am also a huge fan of Dr Pritchett. I feel that her lecture notes work better for someone like me who thinks, writes and even talks mostly in English, a stress timed language as opposed to Indic languages which are syllable timed.

Post by nageshsahib
Yes, I know you wrote a thesis on particle physics, but I have forgotten which particles they were.

Baryons!

I am a lowly economist, but I do aspire to higher things.

Come on now, that's not lowly, in fact lately I have been really interested in exploring some economic concepts, especially their social implications, fascinating stuff. So much to learn!

I am looking forward to working with you on the rest of the ash'aar in Irfan sahib's article, do keep me posted.

Post by nageshsahib
Regards,
Nagesh

_________Zoya

[Raj Kumar]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
Yes, I know you wrote a thesis on particle physics, but I have forgotten which particles they were.

Baryons!

***I thought you worked on quasi-particles --- just like the quasi-poetry you write! :-)

R.K.***

[Zoya]

Post by Raj Kumar

Post by Zoya
Baryons!

***I thought you worked on quasi-particles --- just like the quasi-poetry you write! :-)
R.K.***

Quasi-particles?! Prof Dr RK sahib, you know baryons are considered rather heavy in the subatomic world!! :-)

And yes I may need help in checking the 'weight' of my poetry, but as my ustaad, you have to agree that it is not entirely lacking in 'mass'! :-))

_______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! You have made it easy. That was exactly where I was having trouble. I am trying to read Prof Pritchett's handbook on meter at the same time. There are so many exceptions that I get lost.
I suppose "apnii" is like "mere" which can be shortened to "mire". I never thought of the possibility.

Nagesh sahib, I am so glad the hints worked for you. Honestly I myself get lost all the time when checking taqtii', I am far from being a pro.
And absolutely, I am also a huge fan of Dr Pritchett. I feel that her lecture notes work better for someone like me who thinks, writes and even talks mostly in English, a stress timed language as opposed to Indic languages which are syllable timed.

Post by nageshsahib
Yes, I know you wrote a thesis on particle physics, but I have forgotten which particles they were.

Baryons!
I am a lowly economist, but I do aspire to higher things.
Come on now, that's not lowly, in fact lately I have been really interested in exploring some economic concepts, especially their social implications, fascinating stuff. So much to learn!
I am looking forward to working with you on the rest of the ash'aar in Irfan sahib's article, do keep me posted.

Post by nageshsahib
Regards,
Nagesh

_________Zoya

Zoya Sahiba:

I struggle a lot because Urdu prosody is not really syllable timed. In English, a syllable must include a vowel (or a pseudo-vowel like 'y'). A single letter like 'r' is not a syllable in English.

However, single consonants can be independent units in Urdu poetry. I think the second line in the sher by Mast Kalkatavi gives us one example. There are four feet of weight 1-2-2-2. I scanned the second line as follows:

k1 daa naa khaa/ k meiN mil kar/ gu lo gul zaa/ r ho taa hai.

Both "k" at the end of khaak and "r" at the end of zaar stand as independent units.

Of course, I could be wrong. That has never stopped me. :-)

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
I struggle a lot because Urdu prosody is not really syllable timed. In English, a syllable must include a vowel (or a pseudo-vowel like 'y'). A single letter like 'r' is not a syllable in English.
k1 daa naa khaa/ k meiN mil kar/ gu lo gul zaa/ r ho taa hai.
Both "k" at the end of khaak and "r" at the end of zaar stand as independent units.
Of course, I could be wrong. That has never stopped me. :-)
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

This is exactly how I broke down the second misra', the three 1's in the places you have indicated. I think we've nailed this one.

But remember, I barely qualify as a TA in this field, it is work in progress for both of us.

Are you ready to start assignment #2? :)

_______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
I struggle a lot because Urdu prosody is not really syllable timed. In English, a syllable must include a vowel (or a pseudo-vowel like 'y'). A single letter like 'r' is not a syllable in English.
k1 daa naa khaa/ k meiN mil kar/ gu lo gul zaa/ r ho taa hai.
Both "k" at the end of khaak and "r" at the end of zaar stand as independent units.
Of course, I could be wrong. That has never stopped me. :-)
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,
This is exactly how I broke down the second misra', the three 1's in the places you have indicated. I think we've nailed this one.
But remember, I barely qualify as a TA in this field, it is work in progress for both of us.
Are you ready to start assignment #2? :)
_______Zoya

I have started a spreadsheet incorporating all the rules we have seen so far, and will be adding to it over time as we learn more.

I will send you my scanned lines when I have completed a few more.

This is more fun than I thought it would be. Sitting with books is no substitute for having a teacher. Irfan Sahib was correct.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Naseer

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.

muHtaram Irfan SaaHib, aadaab.
First thing first. The mention of my name in the same breath as Afzal A. Khan and Raj Kumar SaaHibaan is a cause for embarrassment for me and perhaps an insult to the aforementioned gentlemen, for my knowledge on the subject of prosody sums up to a nice round zero and I have often made a point of letting everyone know about this handicap of mine, which is one amongst many!!
Secondly, thank you very much indeed for the time taken and the hard work put in, in composing this extremely useful article on the subject of Urdu Bahrs. There is a lot of food for thought and I intend to read it again and again, so that I get a tiny bit of understanding of this complex subject. Who knows, before long, I shall be picking faults in your and Raj Kumar SaaHib's compositions!:-) Fat chance of that!
A question that came to my mind while reading your article. Why did you transcribe "martabah" and "daanah" with a long terminal "aa"? I know that "bah" and "nah" would be equivalent to 2 and so are "baa" and "naa" but a grain "daanah" is not wise "daanaa"!
Looking forward to further additions to your article. But please take your time. My digestive powers aren't what they were once upon a time:-)
Naseer

Naseer sb, aadaab arz hai!

Zoya sahiba has already answered your question on "aa" vs "ah" in the end of words like "martabaa" and "daanaa." It's true that I have been using "aa" primarily to stress that the vazn of this part of the word is 2. When this part is used with a vazn of 1, I have been dropping the "h" and simply using "a." But I do realize that in the case of words like “daanah,” replacing “ah” with “aa” makes it a totally different word. Therefore, I am considering using “ah” in both the cases. I hope readers will figure out the weight according to the situation.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[nageshsahib]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Irfan Sahib:

Thank you very much for the tutorial: it is very easy to understand because you have focused on the essentials, and left the complications for later. I think newcomers like me will find it much easier to deal with the difficult matters once we have mastered the basics. I found your simple and clear definitions of wazn and arkaan especially helpful.

I look forward to the remaining lessons. Perhaps I will learn to scan in Urdu before I learn how to do so in English:-)

Gratefully,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

I really appreciate you taking the time and effort for starting this thread and your generosity in sharing your knowledge with us. I vaguely remember reading the original version of this article in ebazm many years ago, I had found it hugely beneficial even back then. I am most definitely ready for a refresher course to clarify the basic rules, and to supplement them with some finer details.

I am grateful for ustaads like Sarwar sahib, RK sahib and you, who are willing to guide us in virtual mediums like Alup. Honestly there has never been anyone physically around me who had the expertise to do this. As I always say, my life has been so much richer for knowing the three of you.

I think I am lucky that I have always had an inherent sense of meter and rhythm, I can usually tell right away when a 'misra' is out of 'bahr'. The best simple advice I once got regarding this was from Sarwar sahib, I would like to share it with other students of the craft. He had told me that if in doubt, read a sh'er out loud slowly, once you verbalize it, you will immediately know if it is out of meter. That always works for me.

In my follow up post, I will list some points that are coming to mind after reading your article. Some simple comments, or short questions to clarify/verify some details. I will really appreciate your brief feedback to each one of those, even if it is just a yes/no response.

Thank you Irfan sahib.

aap ke liye bahut sii dua'eN,

_______Zoya

[Zoya]

Follow up to my own post.

Irfan sahib, I will really appreciate your response to each one of the points:

I will use the numbers 1,2 and 3 as needed, I find this a lot easier to work with when checking for meter.

1. Is 1 always in the beginning or middle of a word, never at the end?

2. 2 has the most freedom, it can be in the beginning, middle or end?

3. 3 is never in the beginning or middle, always at the end only, and nothing can follow it?

4. 3 can always be looked at as 1+2 also?

5. Please explain the terms 'saakin' and 'mutharrik' in the context of meter, I understand them to mean stationary and movable words respectively, but do not have full clarity.

6. Again, in the context relevant here, does 'maktuubii' mean a letter that is written but is silent and carries no weight e.g. 'w' in 'Khwaab'?

7. A long syllable can always be shortened to fit the meter if need be. True? Is the reverse ever true?

I think sometimes I run into basic issues of vocabulary because as you know, Urdu is my fourth language, and I am a self taught reader of the script with no formal education in it. Also, I mostly think and write in English, talk in English, Punjabi or Hindi, and practically never write in Urdu script. So under the circumstances, I think I am doing pretty good! Thanks for bearing with me. :)

I will definitely have more questions along the way and appreciate your patience.

______Zoya

[Zoya]

Post by Zoya
1. Is 1 always in the beginning or middle of a word, never at the end?
2. 2 has the most freedom, it can be in the beginning, middle or end?
3. 3 is never in the beginning or middle, always at the end only, and nothing can follow it?

Irfan sahib,

I am studying syllable flexibility and word grafting these days, so am now unsure of the validity of these three basic points. If they are invalid, please just let me know, I will try to figure out the details. I don't think I have the sufficient knowledge yet about the modified 'arkaan' and other details to make such blanket assertions.

Sometimes I just think out loud in my posts, thanks for bearing with me.

________Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya
Follow up to my own post.
I will use the numbers 1,2 and 3 as needed, I find this a lot easier to work with when checking for meter.

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Sorry for the late reply. I was busy working on a important assignment that was due yesterday. I see that you and Nagesh sb have sorted out a few things between you two. That’s good. Less work for me! :) Here are the answers to your questions.

Post by Zoya
1. Is 1 always in the beginning or middle of a word, never at the end?

1 can occur at the end of a word, such as in ‘sham.a’, ‘sub.ha,’ etc.

Post by Zoya
2. 2 has the most freedom, it can be in the beginning, middle or end?

Yes, 2 can be anywhere in a word.

Post by Zoya
3. 3 is never in the beginning or middle, always at the end only, and nothing can follow it?

3 can be elsewhere other than the end of the word, for example ‘dars’ in ‘darsgaah’ is a 3 that occurs in the beginning of the word. Such a word can only be used before the end of the misra and in taqtii’a, such a 3 is broken down as 2+1.

Post by Zoya
4. 3 can always be looked at as 1+2 also?

For the purposes of taqtii’a, if you are following the 1-2 system, then yes, 3 can be treated as 2+1.

Post by Zoya
5. Please explain the terms 'saakin' and 'mutharrik' in the context of meter, I understand them to mean stationary and movable words respectively, but do not have full clarity.

‘saakin’ comes from ‘sukuun,’ which means ‘rest.’ On the other hand ‘mutaharrik’ comes from ‘harakat,’ which means ‘motion.’ Acccordingly you stop at ‘saakin’ letters and keep moving at ‘mutaharrik’ letters when pronouncing a word. But these letters can change behavior if at a particular spot in a bahr. We will discuss it in detail later.

Post by Zoya
6. Again, in the context relevant here, does 'maktuubii' mean a letter that is written but is silent and carries no weight e.g. 'w' in 'Khwaab'?

What you are referring to are ‘maktuubii Ghair malfuuzii’ (written but not spoken) letters. ‘vaao ma’duula’ is one of them. The ‘vaao’ in ‘Khvaab’ is ‘vaao ma’duula’ and it’s not counted while weighing the word. So for the purposes of taqtii’a ‘Khvaab’ is equal to ‘Khaab.’

Post by Zoya
7. A long syllable can always be shortened to fit the meter if need be. True? Is the reverse ever true?

Not all long syllables can be shortened. Similarly not all short syllables should be lengthened. We will discuss it in detail later.

Post by Zoya
I think sometimes I run into basic issues of vocabulary because as you know, Urdu is my fourth language, and I am a self taught reader of the script with no formal education in it. Also, I mostly think and write in English, talk in English, Punjabi or Hindi, and practically never write in Urdu script. So under the circumstances, I think I am doing pretty good! Thanks for bearing with me. :)
I will definitely have more questions along the way and appreciate your patience.
______Zoya

Sure. I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Naseer]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
Follow up to my own post.
I will use the numbers 1,2 and 3 as needed, I find this a lot easier to work with when checking for meter.

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy working on a important assignment that was due yesterday. I see that you and Nagesh sb have sorted out a few things between you two. That’s good. Less work for me! :) Here are the answers to your questions.

Post by Zoya
1. Is 1 always in the beginning or middle of a word, never at the end?

1 can occur at the end of a word, such as in ‘sham.a’, ‘sub.ha,’ etc.

Irfan SaaHib, tasliimaat.

If I may ask a question please.

In the two examples that you have given, it seems to me that the final zabar/fatHah is "artificially" added to aid pronunciation, perhaps (?). As you know, in both subH and sham3, the final letters are saakin. Is the "a" that is being added, a fully fledged zabar/fatHah or what is termed as a "niim-fatHah"?

Naseer

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Naseer

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
Follow up to my own post.
I will use the numbers 1,2 and 3 as needed, I find this a lot easier to work with when checking for meter.

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy working on a important assignment that was due yesterday. I see that you and Nagesh sb have sorted out a few things between you two. That’s good. Less work for me! :) Here are the answers to your questions.

Post by Zoya
1. Is 1 always in the beginning or middle of a word, never at the end?

1 can occur at the end of a word, such as in ‘sham.a’, ‘sub.ha,’ etc.

Irfan SaaHib, tasliimaat.
If I may ask a question please.
In the two examples that you have given, it seems to me that the final zabar/fatHah is "artificially" added to aid pronunciation, perhaps (?). As you know, in both subH and sham3, the final letters are saakin. Is the "a" that is being added, a fully fledged zabar/fatHah or what is termed as a "niim-fatHah"?
Naseer

Naseer sb, aadaab arz hai!

You are right. The final letters in both subH and shama' are saakin, and so are the letters before them. There is a rule in taqtii'a that says if two saakin letters come after each other, the second one is treated as mutaharrik. That is the basis for what I said. I am not aware of the term "niim-fatHah." That may be the term used to describe this behavior.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy working on a important assignment that was due yesterday. I see that you and Nagesh sb have sorted out a few things between you two. That’s good. Less work for me! :) Here are the answers to your questions.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,

Thanks a lot for answering my queries. I think some concepts will become more clear to me along the way as we dig deeper.

And no rush, I realize that you have other life commitments too and really appreciate you taking the time to teach us. I have been keeping busy and also having a lot of fun honing my taqtii' skills, something that I had been putting off for years. What a great use of my pandemic induced confinement! :)

Best regards,

_____Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy working on a important assignment that was due yesterday. I see that you and Nagesh sb have sorted out a few things between you two. That’s good. Less work for me! :) Here are the answers to your questions.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,
Thanks a lot for answering my queries. I think some concepts will become more clear to me along the way as we dig deeper.
And no rush, I realize that you have other life commitments too and really appreciate you taking the time to teach us. I have been keeping busy and also having a lot of fun honing my taqtii' skills, something that I had been putting off for years. What a great use of my pandemic induced confinement! :)
Best regards,
_____Zoya

For those who like cheat sheets, Chapter 12 of Professor Pritchett's Handbook on Meter, available on her website, contains the scansion of several common words. I wish I had seen this before attempting to scan Irfan Sahib's examples. I will check my work against her list.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
For those who like cheat sheets, Chapter 12 of Professor Pritchett's Handbook on Meter, available on her website, contains the scansion of several common words. I wish I had seen this before attempting to scan Irfan Sahib's examples. I will check my work against her list.
Regards,
Nagesh

Thanks Nagesh sahib,

I just checked it out, great resource. It can definitely be a huge help when learning to flex some of the more commonly occurring syllables. However, I think the struggle that we've gone through independently is probably worth it in the long run. In fact, I had created my own cheat sheet on a note card with the common flexible syllables, and keep it handy when scanning, helps a lot.

Oh, and I am done with all 13 of Irfan sahib's examples. If you want to cross check anything, please let me know.

Irfan sahib,

We are ready to start lesson 2 whenever you are. :-)

_________Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
For those who like cheat sheets, Chapter 12 of Professor Pritchett's Handbook on Meter, available on her website, contains the scansion of several common words. I wish I had seen this before attempting to scan Irfan Sahib's examples. I will check my work against her list.
Regards,
Nagesh

Thanks Nagesh sahib,
I just checked it out, great resource. It can definitely be a huge help when learning to flex some of the more commonly occurring syllables. However, I think the struggle that we've gone through independently is probably worth it in the long run. In fact, I had created my own cheat sheet on a note card with the common flexible syllables, and keep it handy when scanning, helps a lot.
Oh, and I am done with all 13 of Irfan sahib's examples. If you want to cross check anything, please let me know.
Irfan sahib,
We are ready to start lesson 2 whenever you are. :-)
_________Zoya

Zoya Sahiba:

I sent you my spreadsheet by email earlier today. It should be in the inbox of the account associated with this newsgroup.

Regards,

Nagesh

[nageshsahib]

Post by nageshsahib

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
For those who like cheat sheets, Chapter 12 of Professor Pritchett's Handbook on Meter, available on her website, contains the scansion of several common words. I wish I had seen this before attempting to scan Irfan Sahib's examples. I will check my work against her list.
Regards,
Nagesh

Thanks Nagesh sahib,
I just checked it out, great resource. It can definitely be a huge help when learning to flex some of the more commonly occurring syllables. However, I think the struggle that we've gone through independently is probably worth it in the long run. In fact, I had created my own cheat sheet on a note card with the common flexible syllables, and keep it handy when scanning, helps a lot.
Oh, and I am done with all 13 of Irfan sahib's examples. If you want to cross check anything, please let me know.
Irfan sahib,
We are ready to start lesson 2 whenever you are. :-)
_________Zoya

I sent you my spreadsheet by email earlier today. It should be in the inbox of the account associated with this newsgroup.
Regards,
Nagesh

FWIW - here is a list of short flexible words from Prof Pritchett's Handbook:

"Here is a list of common one-syllable words which ARE flexible. They are listed in the GLOSSARY as well.
bhī
to , tū
thā , the , thī, thīñ jo
do
sā
se
so
kā
ko
meñ , maiñ
ne
vuh , yih
ho
hūñ , hoñ
hī
hai , haiñ
yūñ
In general, one-syllable words not on this list are not flexible, but can be taken as long."

The glossary has many more words, but this "cheat list" can be quite useful to newbies like me.

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
I sent you my spreadsheet by email earlier today. It should be in the inbox of the account associated with this newsgroup.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

I have received the spreadsheet and compared your work with mine. You've done an excellent job! We differed only slightly and in just 4 places total. 2 of those seemed negotiable, but I actually liked your version better, and changed mine.

The other two places, I think there is a slight issue with your scanning, so I have a couple of suggestions. I will email them to you.

You seem to have almost mastered this skill, and so very quickly! My sincere compliments. Oh, and I guess no need to take a Quantum Mechanics course now! :-)

________Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
I sent you my spreadsheet by email earlier today. It should be in the inbox of the account associated with this newsgroup.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,
I have received the spreadsheet and compared your work with mine. You've done an excellent job! We differed only slightly and in just 4 places total. 2 of those seemed negotiable, but I actually liked your version better, and changed mine.
The other two places, I think there is a slight issue with your scanning, so I have a couple of suggestions. I will email them to you.
You seem to have almost mastered this skill, and so very quickly! My sincere compliments. Oh, and I guess no need to take a Quantum Mechanics course now! :-)
________Zoya

Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! Without meaning to, you have acquired a student:-).

I am sure Afzal Sahib will heave a sigh of relief on hearing that I will spend more time on Urdu meter, and less on quantum mechanics.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! Without meaning to, you have acquired a student:-).
I am sure Afzal Sahib will heave a sigh of relief on hearing that I will spend more time on Urdu meter, and less on quantum mechanics.
Regards,
Nagesh

You are most welcome Nagesh sahib! :)

But honestly, your scanning was at par with mine, I am no master at this craft either. We are learning together and are fortunate to have active guidance of Irfan sahib and RK sahib.

BTW, did you get a chance to scan the two ash'aar that RK sahib assigned in the other thread? I am really curious to compare notes on what you make of the Firaaq sh'er. If you wish, that discussion can be exported to this thread, may be more relevant here.

I am looking forward to the next chapter.

_____Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! Without meaning to, you have acquired a student:-).
I am sure Afzal Sahib will heave a sigh of relief on hearing that I will spend more time on Urdu meter, and less on quantum mechanics.
Regards,
Nagesh

You are most welcome Nagesh sahib! :)
But honestly, your scanning was at par with mine, I am no master at this craft either. We are learning together and are fortunate to have active guidance of Irfan sahib and RK sahib.
BTW, did you get a chance to scan the two ash'aar that RK sahib assigned in the other thread? I am really curious to compare notes on what you make of the Firaaq sh'er. If you wish, that discussion can be exported to this thread, may be more relevant here.
I am looking forward to the next chapter.
_____Zoya

Zoya Sahiba:

That is today's homework. The two are more challenging because the bahr is not given and must be determined (ab initio) for me.

Once I have the lemma solved, I will move on to the theorem. I needed that snack!

Nagesh

[nageshsahib]

Post by nageshsahib

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
Thank you, Zoya Sahiba! Without meaning to, you have acquired a student:-).
I am sure Afzal Sahib will heave a sigh of relief on hearing that I will spend more time on Urdu meter, and less on quantum mechanics.
Regards,
Nagesh

You are most welcome Nagesh sahib! :)
But honestly, your scanning was at par with mine, I am no master at this craft either. We are learning together and are fortunate to have active guidance of Irfan sahib and RK sahib.
BTW, did you get a chance to scan the two ash'aar that RK sahib assigned in the other thread? I am really curious to compare notes on what you make of the Firaaq sh'er. If you wish, that discussion can be exported to this thread, may be more relevant here.
I am looking forward to the next chapter.
_____Zoya

That is today's homework. The two are more challenging because the bahr is not given and must be determined (ab initio) for me.
Once I have the lemma solved, I will move on to the theorem. I needed that snack!
Nagesh

Specially for Zoya Sahiba and RK Sahib:

Using the bahr identified by Zoya Sahiba, and then the Handbook of Dr. Pritchett, here is my scansion (taqtii') of one of Josh's sher:

2-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 2-2

mujh se jaaN baa/z ko Ghur bat/hai bi saa t-e/shat raNj
jo na vaa pas/ka bhii pal tay/voh pi yaa da(h)/ huuN maiN

The secret I am still missing is this: how do you decide what the bahr is before scanning the couplet? Since there are so many flexible words, it is hard to ascertain which are short or long, so the first four arkaan are not easily "fixed" right away. One could, of course, try all the potentially applicable meters until one found the right one, but that seems terribly inefficient.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
2-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 2-2
mujh se jaaN baa/z ko Ghur bat/hai bi saa t-e/shat raNj
jo na vaa pas/ka bhii pal tay/voh pi yaa da(h)/ huuN maiN
The secret I am still missing is this: how do you decide what the bahr is before scanning the couplet? Since there are so many flexible words, it is hard to ascertain which are short or long, so the first four arkaan are not easily "fixed" right away. One could, of course, try all the potentially applicable meters until one found the right one, but that seems terribly inefficient.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

Perfecto!!! This is exactly how I scanned the Josh Malsiaani sh'er, 100% match.

Honestly, even I had to struggle with this one. I am sure Irfan sahib or RK sahib will be able to give us some hints to be more efficient, I can tell you how I approached it. I read the sh'er out loud and tried to think of another common sh'er that might sound similar. I then scanned it without knowing the bahr, and compared it with the list of all the standard bahrs to check if it fit any. Close, but no cigar.

So I noted down the two bahrs which seemed the closest. As you pointed out, there were a bunch of flexible syllables. I then started manipulating those which had seemed natural as 2's into 1's, and bingo! That did it, perfect match.

As I said, I haven't yet figured out an efficient way to do this, maybe with practice we will get faster. Or maybe an ustaad will hold our hands and guide us along?!

Now waiting eagerly to see what you make of the Firaaq sh'er that RK sahib had assigned. :)

_______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
2-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 1-1-2-2 2-2
mujh se jaaN baa/z ko Ghur bat/hai bi saa t-e/shat raNj
jo na vaa pas/ka bhii pal tay/voh pi yaa da(h)/ huuN maiN
The secret I am still missing is this: how do you decide what the bahr is before scanning the couplet? Since there are so many flexible words, it is hard to ascertain which are short or long, so the first four arkaan are not easily "fixed" right away. One could, of course, try all the potentially applicable meters until one found the right one, but that seems terribly inefficient.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,
Perfecto!!! This is exactly how I scanned the Josh Malsiaani sh'er, 100% match.
Honestly, even I had to struggle with this one. I am sure Irfan sahib or RK sahib will be able to give us some hints to be more efficient, I can tell you how I approached it. I read the sh'er out loud and tried to think of another common sh'er that might sound similar. I then scanned it without knowing the bahr, and compared it with the list of all the standard bahrs to check if it fit any. Close, but no cigar.
So I noted down the two bahrs which seemed the closest. As you pointed out, there were a bunch of flexible syllables. I then started manipulating those which had seemed natural as 2's into 1's, and bingo! That did it, perfect match.
As I said, I haven't yet figured out an efficient way to do this, maybe with practice we will get faster. Or maybe an ustaad will hold our hands and guide us along?!
Now waiting eagerly to see what you make of the Firaaq sh'er that RK sahib had assigned. :)
_______Zoya

I am trying to find guidance in Prof Pritchett's Handbook. Chapter 7 is titled "Scanning as Code-Breaking". It provides a list of "shortcuts" and ends on a sombre note:

"If none of these shortcuts works, you can always take the meter list (Section 6.1), and plow through it until you recognize your meter; though the list is not exhaustive, it contains meters for something like 95% of the meters you will normally encounter. For rare and exotic meters, you can check in Barker or Grahame Bailey. Don't let a difficult-looking meter intimidate you. Even educated native speakers have trouble when given small samples of exotic meters. If you are careful and persistent, you can eventually figure out almost anything."

I wish the penultimate word ("almost") were not there. But I am plowing. I hope I get this done before I have to snowplow:-)

Nagesh

[nageshsahib]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Irfan Sahib:

Greetings. I have been inspired by your introduction to take up pencil and paper and take detailed notes on your lucid presentation. I have a couple of questions.

1. Are the 8 arkaan you present the only ones that can be used in Urdu poetry?

2. In examples 2 and 3, you present the rukn "maf-uu-lu". This does not appear in the list of 8 arkaan presented. Is there a typo, or am I missing something?

3. In example 3, you present the rukn "ma-faa-ii-lu." Is this a typo (lu should be lun?)

4. Similarly, in example 8 you present "faa-uu-lu." A typo? lun for lu?

I have not checked the remaining examples for deviations from the list of 8.

I think I can correct typos on my own given your very clear presentation of the basics, but I want to make sure they are typos. If not, there appear to be arkaan in addition to the 8 you have listed. If that is the case, I need more help.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
Greetings. I have been inspired by your introduction to take up pencil and paper and take detailed notes on your lucid presentation. I have a couple of questions.
1. Are the 8 arkaan you present the only ones that can be used in Urdu poetry?
2. In examples 2 and 3, you present the rukn "maf-uu-lu". This does not appear in the list of 8 arkaan presented. Is there a typo, or am I missing something?
3. In example 3, you present the rukn "ma-faa-ii-lu." Is this a typo (lu should be lun?)
4. Similarly, in example 8 you present "faa-uu-lu." A typo? lun for lu?
I have not checked the remaining examples for deviations from the list of 8.
I think I can correct typos on my own given your very clear presentation of the basics, but I want to make sure they are typos. If not, there appear to be arkaan in addition to the 8 you have listed. If that is the case, I need more help.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,

I am sure Irfan sahib will give you a detailed explanation, but I am quoting this from his original article in the first post:

***The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one.***

So, to confuse you further, it may or may not be a typo! :-)

Over to Irfan sahib,

______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by nageshsahib
Greetings. I have been inspired by your introduction to take up pencil and paper and take detailed notes on your lucid presentation. I have a couple of questions.
1. Are the 8 arkaan you present the only ones that can be used in Urdu poetry?
2. In examples 2 and 3, you present the rukn "maf-uu-lu". This does not appear in the list of 8 arkaan presented. Is there a typo, or am I missing something?
3. In example 3, you present the rukn "ma-faa-ii-lu." Is this a typo (lu should be lun?)
4. Similarly, in example 8 you present "faa-uu-lu." A typo? lun for lu?
I have not checked the remaining examples for deviations from the list of 8.
I think I can correct typos on my own given your very clear presentation of the basics, but I want to make sure they are typos. If not, there appear to be arkaan in addition to the 8 you have listed. If that is the case, I need more help.
Regards,
Nagesh

Nagesh sahib,
***The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one.***
So, to confuse you further, it may or may not be a typo! :-)
Over to Irfan sahib,
______Zoya

That answers my question, Zoya Sahiba. Thanks so much! And I don't think i need further enlightening at this point. Eventually, I guess I will need to understand what the muzaahif forms are.

I am simultaneously trying to read on English meter (Poetic Meter and Poetic Form by Paul Fussell). I am surprised at how few feet in English (or Latin/Greek) correspond to feet in Arabic poetry. The most common English foot is the iamb (1-2) and it has no equivalent in Arabic, whose feet are three units at a minimum. The two most common three-unit feet are anapest (1-1-2) and dactyl (2-1-1), neither of which shows up in the pure forms of the arkaan presented by Irfan Sahib. Nevertheless, so many people can enjoy poetry and easily find the natural rhythms in both systems of verse.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

aap ke do shishy aap k saumpe hue saare prashnoN ke saath saath Prof RK ke kaThhin prashn bhii samaapat kar chuke haiN. aur ab aChii tarah 'paani vaani jal val' pii kar duusre adhyay kii pratiikshaa kar rahe haiN!

kripyaa aap shiighr aagman kiijiye. :)

Oh, I just remembered something! Back to English!! :-))

Before starting Chapter 2, I have a couple of quick questions for RK sahib or you:

1. Are words like 'dunyaa' 'daryaa' etc always 2-2 or can these be flexed? Quite often I want to write 'duniya/duniyaa' 'dariya/dariyaa' but am not 100% sure.

2. In Meer's Hindi meter, once within a particular foot, if one of the lines is scanned as 2-2, can the other one be 2-1-1 or it also has to be 2-2? I'm asking this because while working on Firaaq she'r assigned by RK sahib, I thought the best fit was:

2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
ish q ke/ khel meiN/ yaa ro/ maiN to / jii t ne/ vaa laa/ thaa le/ kin
/ 2 2 / / 2 1
aa n pa /Rii ik /sha'e pyaa/ de kii/ huii yeh/baa zii / maa t ka/ haaN

Is this legit??

Thank you!!

Waiting eagerly,

_________Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya
Irfan sahib,
aadaab,
aap ke do shishy aap k saumpe hue saare prashnoN ke saath saath Prof RK ke kaThhin prashn bhii samaapat kar chuke haiN. aur ab aChii tarah 'paani vaani jal val' pii kar duusre adhyay kii pratiikshaa kar rahe haiN!
kripyaa aap shiighr aagman kiijiye. :)

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Khaadim haazir hai. :)

Post by Zoya
Oh, I just remembered something! Back to English!! :-))
1. Are words like 'dunyaa' 'daryaa' etc always 2-2 or can these be flexed? Quite often I want to write 'duniya/duniyaa' 'dariya/dariyaa' but am not 100% sure.

I just posted some more material. Please review the part about saakin and mutaharrik letters in the beginning of that post. Based on those guidelines, “dunyaa” and “daryaa” should always be broken as “dun+yaa” and “dar+yaa” i.e. as 2+2.

Post by Zoya
2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
ish q ke/ khel meiN/ yaa ro/ maiN to / jii t ne/ vaa laa/ thaa le/ kin
/ 2 2 / / 2 1
aa n pa /Rii ik /sha'e pyaa/ de kii/ huii yeh/baa zii / maa t ka/ haaN
Is this legit??

Nagesh sb brought this bahr up recently. As I said then, this is Bahr e Mutaqaarib Asram. It’s arkaan are:

faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lun faa OR
faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa

In the second form, any of the faa-lun can be fa-i-lun.

Please note the last point under the the aforementioned discussion on saakin/mutaharrik haruuf in my recent post. Based on that, the taqtii’a of the she’r will be as follows.

faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
ish-qak / khe-lam / yaa-ro / maiN to / jee-tan / vaa-laa / thaa le / kin

faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
aa-nap / Rii ik/ sha’e pyaa / de kii / hu-i yih / baa-zii / maa-tak / haaN

This is the correct Urdu taqtii’a. In this taqtii’a, as you can see, all arkaan (except the last one) are either faa-lun (2 2) or fa-i-lun (1 1 2), none of them is a 2 1 1. However, if you treat this she’r as a Hindi she’r, you can break each rukn down in any way as long as the sum of the weights is 4.

Post by Zoya
Thank you!!
Waiting eagerly,
_________Zoya

Hope this helps.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Khaadim haazir hai. :)

In my eyes Antonym of Khaadim, Irfan sahib,

aadaab :-)

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
1. Are words like 'dunyaa' 'daryaa' etc always 2-2 or can these be flexed? Quite often I want to write 'duniya/duniyaa' 'dariya/dariyaa' but am not 100% sure.

I just posted some more material. Please review the part about saakin and mutaharrik letters in the beginning of that post. Based on those guidelines, “dunyaa” and “daryaa” should always be broken as “dun+yaa” and “dar+yaa” i.e. as 2+2.

Post by Zoya
2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 1 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
ish q ke/ khel meiN/ yaa ro/ maiN to / jii t ne/ vaa laa/ thaa le/ kin
/ 2 2 / / 2 1
aa n pa /Rii ik /sha'e pyaa/ de kii/ huii yeh/baa zii / maa t ka/ haaN
Is this legit??

faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lun faa OR
faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa
In the second form, any of the faa-lun can be fa-i-lun.
Please note the last point under the the aforementioned discussion on saakin/mutaharrik haruuf in my recent post. Based on that, the taqtii’a of the she’r will be as follows.
faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
ish-qak / khe-lam / yaa-ro / maiN to / jee-tan / vaa-laa / thaa le / kin
faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
aa-nap / Rii ik/ sha’e pyaa / de kii / hu-i yih / baa-zii / maa-tak / haaN
This is the correct Urdu taqtii’a. In this taqtii’a, as you can see, all arkaan (except the last one) are either faa-lun (2 2) or fa-i-lun (1 1 2), none of them is a 2 1 1. However, if you treat this she’r as a Hindi she’r, you can break each rukn down in any way as long as the sum of the weights is 4.
Hope this helps.
niyaazmand,

You are awesome!! :-)

All I can say right now is that I will have to read Chapter 2 that you just posted, along with the information provided in the above written answers, more than once to comprehend it fully. Once I absorb this material and play with word grafting and the different meters some more, I will definitely have additional questions for you.

I want to let you know that you are giving me the best possible gift in these very difficult times that all of us are going through. Honestly, I can't think of any thing more interesting to keep my brain focused and stimulated during the no-end-in-sight pandemic confinement. Some of my friends think I am a little crazy to consider such stuff actually fun! I am glad I have Nagesh sahib to compare notes with, good to have a study buddy. :)

God bless you Irfan sahib, I am so grateful for you being you.

More later, the material provided should keep me busy for a few days.

Thank you,

________Zoya

[Zoya]

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

I want to put this particular example fully behind me before moving on to the new material. I need further clarification on a couple of things.

Post by Irfan Abid
faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lun faa OR
faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa

Here is my understanding of "Bahr e Mutaqaarib Asram"

*2-1/ 1-2-2/ 2-1/ 1-2-2/ 2-1/ 1-2-2/ 2-2/ 2 OR
2-2/ 2-2/ 2-2/ 2-2/ 2-2/2-2/ 2-2/ 2

In the second form any 2-2 can be 1-1-2 but NOT 2-1-1*

Post by Irfan Abid
In the second form, any of the faa-lun can be fa-i-lun.
Please note the last point under the the aforementioned discussion on saakin/mutaharrik haruuf in my recent post. Based on that, the taqtii’a of the she’r will be as follows.

I have been trying to understand your discussion about 'saakin/mutaharrik haruuf' in Article 2. Right now, it seems beyond my skill level, but I promise to work on it.

For now, will you please explain your notation of bringing in an 'a' and what role it plays in scanning the syllables that I have put in quotes (".a.") for reference in the taqtii'a provided by you. Once I understand this, it will probably help me move on to the finer points. Thank you.

Post by Irfan Abid
faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
ish-"qak" / khe-"lam" / yaa-ro / maiN to / jee-tan / vaa-laa / thaa le / kin
faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa-lun / faa
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2/ 2
aa-"nap" / Rii ik/ sha’e pyaa / de kii / hu-i yih / baa-zii / maa-tak / haaN
This is the correct Urdu taqtii’a. In this taqtii’a, as you can see, all arkaan (except the last one) are either faa-lun (2 2) or fa-i-lun (1 1 2), none of them is a 2 1 1. However, if you treat this she’r as a Hindi she’r, you can break each rukn down in any way as long as the sum of the weights is 4.

Based on the above written statements, I have a couple of follow up questions.

1. Meer's Hindi meter gives us a lot more freedom in general, and "Bahr e Mutaqaarib Asram" may be considered a restrictive subset within that. True or not?
2. Was my original Taqtii'a of the Firaaq she'r under discussion acceptable under the Meer's Hindi meter? Could I get away with that or did I have to use the "Bahr e Mutaqaarib Asram" and my approach was unacceptable?

Once again, thanks for your time and patience.

Post by Irfan Abid
Hope this helps.
niyaazmand,

Respectfully,

_____Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!

Here is the second post in the series.

I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.

First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.

- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.

Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.

sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.

vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.

faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.

Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)

‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)

*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”

Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.

‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)

Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.

With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.

1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun

*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.

Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad, an Arab, is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash. Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Buzar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.

I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. None of the nineteen saalim bahrs are believed to have been used in ancient Indic text.

I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.

For those readers who would like to practice the taqtii’a of another saalim bahr in addition to #1, 2, 3 and 6 that were already covered in the first post, here is a she’r on Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz:

kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ

To be continued.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!

Here is the second post in the series.

I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.

First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.

- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.

Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.

sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.

vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.

faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.

Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)

‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)

*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”

Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.

‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)

Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.

With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.

1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun

*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.

Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.

I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.

I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.

For those readers who would like to practice the taqtii’a of another saalim bahr in addition to #1, 2, 3 and 6 that were already covered in the first post, here is a she’r on Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz:

kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ

To be continued.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[nageshsahib]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

Irfan Sahib:

There is much more here than I will ever master, but this is invaluable as a reference book. I am saving all your posts on meter in one document and expect to use it often with great pleasure and much profit. Knowledge, especially of this sort, is the greatest treasure.

Gratefully,

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Irfan sahib,

This is a feel good post for me. :)

Despite getting overwhelmed by the terminology and other scary details in Article 2, I am able to cruise through this scan! Since the ultimate goal for me is to be able to get more proficient at doing taqtii'a, we must be doing something right!

2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kal chau dha viiN/kii raa t thii/shab bhar ra haa/char chaa ti raa

2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kuchh ne ka haa /yih chaaN d hai/ kuchh ne ka haa/chih raa ti raa

Will you please bless it? :-)

_________Zoya

[Raj Kumar]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Irfan sahib,
This is a feel good post for me. :)
Despite getting overwhelmed by the terminology and other scary details in Article 2, I am able to cruise through this scan! Since the ultimate goal for me is to be able to get more proficient at doing taqtii'a, we must be doing something right!
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kal chau dha viiN/kii raa t thii/shab bhar ra haa/char chaa ti raa
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kuchh ne ka haa /yih chaaN d hai/ kuchh ne ka haa/chih raa ti raa
Will you please bless it? :-)
_________Zoya

***Before Irfan sahib blesses this taqtii'a, let me bless you for a PERFECT performance here!

Jai ho, Zoya sahiba, Jai ho!

R.K.***

[Zoya]

Post by Raj Kumar

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Irfan sahib,
This is a feel good post for me. :)
Despite getting overwhelmed by the terminology and other scary details in Article 2, I am able to cruise through this scan! Since the ultimate goal for me is to be able to get more proficient at doing taqtii'a, we must be doing something right!
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kal chau dha viiN/kii raa t thii/shab bhar ra haa/char chaa ti raa
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kuchh ne ka haa /yih chaaN d hai/ kuchh ne ka haa/chih raa ti raa
Will you please bless it? :-)
_________Zoya

***Before Irfan sahib blesses this taqtii'a, let me bless you for a PERFECT performance here!
Jai ho, Zoya sahiba, Jai ho!
R.K.***

:-) :-)

RK sahib, :)

Honestly, a lot of credit for the initial channeling of my intuitive understanding of Urdu meters goes to you. As your students, Shoaib sahib and I have talked about this numerous times. He always says, and I echo, that the 'bahr' nomenclature did not make real sense until you introduced us to the binary 1 2 system for checking 'vazn'.

Even now, I sort of work backwards. I have to break down the feet within a 'bahr' in the binary notation before I can start scanning. It works much easier for me.

As I have said previously, I am so blessed to have met Sarwar Sahib, you and Irfan sahib in this lifetime. You all have helped me understand and appreciate the finer details of Urdu poetry, my life long passion. For me these days, working to improve this craft is the silver lining in the otherwise gloomy pandemic world currently.

Thank you, always.

_________Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)

Irfan sahib,
This is a feel good post for me. :)
Despite getting overwhelmed by the terminology and other scary details in Article 2, I am able to cruise through this scan! Since the ultimate goal for me is to be able to get more proficient at doing taqtii'a, we must be doing something right!
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kal chau dha viiN/kii raa t thii/shab bhar ra haa/char chaa ti raa
2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 1 2
kuchh ne ka haa /yih chaaN d hai/ kuchh ne ka haa/chih raa ti raa
Will you please bless it? :-)
_________Zoya

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

You don't really need any more approvals after RK sb's, but yes, you nailed it! Congratulations!

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Here is the second post in the series.
Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

This is probably a very basic remedial level question, but it is holding my progress. I need some help.

Since I have never studied Urdu grammar formally and have dismal knowledge of Arabic, I am not even sure about what 'saakin and mutarrik' letters formally mean, or how they behave within certain words. Could you please briefly explain this to me in simple terms, or provide a link to a resource that may help me? I can not make full sense of the following part of your article unless I have more clarity on some basic concepts.

Post by Irfan Abid
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
niyaazmand,

Thank you.

_______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Here is the second post in the series.
Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.

Irfan sahib,
aadaab,
This is probably a very basic remedial level question, but it is holding my progress. I need some help.
Since I have never studied Urdu grammar formally and have dismal knowledge of Arabic, I am not even sure about what 'saakin and mutarrik' letters formally mean, or how they behave within certain words. Could you please briefly explain this to me in simple terms, or provide a link to a resource that may help me? I can not make full sense of the following part of your article unless I have more clarity on some basic concepts.

Post by Irfan Abid
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
niyaazmand,

Thank you.
_______Zoya

Zoya Sahiba:

Sakin is unvowelled, and mutaharrik is vowelled. Here is a nice link I found.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_prosody

Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
Sakin is unvowelled, and mutaharrik is vowelled. Here is a nice link I found.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_prosody
Nagesh

Thank you so much Nagesh sahib, this really helped. I should be able to make better sense of Irfan sahib's lesson now. I hope. :)

_______Zoya

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.

Irfan sahib,

mukarrar aadaab,

Thanks to Nagesh sahib, once I understood what 'saakin' and 'mutharrik' letters mean, I have been able to make perfect sense of your explanation as to how they behave depending on their position in words. I am so happy with my progress. :)

I just want to make 100% sure that based on your above quoted statement, 'dost' will always count as '2 1' in any taqtii'a, just as 'ziist' and other such words will. True?

I am ready for lesson 3 whenever you are. :-))

Thank you.

_________Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.

Irfan sahib,
mukarrar aadaab,

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Post by Zoya
Thanks to Nagesh sahib, once I understood what 'saakin' and 'mutharrik' letters mean, I have been able to make perfect sense of your explanation as to how they behave depending on their position in words. I am so happy with my progress. :)

I couldn't reply to your questions earlier, but it appears the delay was a blessing in disguise. You were able to figure things out yourself! :) The link Nagesh sb provided is really very useful. I am glad it proved helpful to you.

Post by Zoya
I just want to make 100% sure that based on your above quoted statement, 'dost' will always count as '2 1' in any taqtii'a, just as 'ziist' and other such words will. True?

Yes, as long as it is by itself.

Post by Zoya
I am ready for lesson 3 whenever you are. :-))

Will be back soon.

Post by Zoya
Thank you.
_________Zoya

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Will be back soon.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

Hope all is well.

I do realize you are probably busy with other commitments and perfectly understand it must be hard for you to find free time to resume these lessons. Whenever you get a chance, will you please give Nagesh sahib and me some more pointers and maybe assignments so we may continue to practice on our own. I have been lazy about this lately and am afraid I may forget some of the previous stuff.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I know exactly how my distance learning students feel and why I always keep them tied to a non negotiable firm weekly schedule! :)

Thank you. I really appreciate all that you do for us.

____Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!

I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.

Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.

fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu

Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.

1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-luun fa-uu-luun fa-uu-luun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun

For those who want similar material in Roman Urdu, here are links to a couple of posts on ALUP by Sarwar Alam Raz sb:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ

To be continued.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!

I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.

Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.

fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu

Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.

1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun

For those who want similar material in Roman Urdu, here are links to a couple of posts on ALUP by Sarwar Alam Raz sb:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ

To be continued.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

Thank you Irfan sahib.

I'm going to print out the latest notes and study them in detail. I will also scan the asha'ar used to illustrate the common bahrs, and compare notes with Nagesh sahib.

I may have some follow up questions later, and as always am grateful for your time and patience.

Regards,

______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

Thank you Irfan sahib.
I'm going to print out the latest notes and study them in detail. I will also scan the asha'ar used to illustrate the common bahrs, and compare notes with Nagesh sahib.
I may have some follow up questions later, and as always am grateful for your time and patience.
Regards,
______Zoya

Many thanks, Irfan Sahib! I will study these carefully.

Regards,

Nagesh

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!

guzishta kuchh roz kayii masruufiyaat meN guzre. idhar kuchh vaqt milaa hai to sochaa is silsile ko aage baRhaayaa jaaye. is qist meN mazeed muzaahif bahuur pesh kar rahaa huuN. vaqt kii qillat ke baais is martaba sirf vuh mazaahif bahuur darj kar rahaa huuN jo Urdu shaa’irii meN musta’mil haiN. agar baqiya tamaam mazaahif bahuur kaa zikr kartaa to is qist meN tabreeban 75 bahuur shaamil hotiiN.

36. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
37. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Makhbuun/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laan/faa-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-lun
Gham-e-hastii kaa “Asad” kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
sham’a har rang meN jaltii hai sahar hone tak (Ghalib)
38. Ramal Musamman Mashkuul: fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun
yih na thii hamaarii qismat ki visaal-e-yaar hotaa
agar aur jeete rahte yahii intizaar hotaa (Ghalib)
39. Ramal Musaddas Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
40. Ramal Musaddas MaKhbuun/Maskan Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun faa-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun
martabaa sab kaa badalte dekhaa
ham ne suuraj ko bhii Dhalte dekhaa
41. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun (see example in the original post.)
42. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tu ma-faa-ii-lu faa-i-laan/faa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
43. Mujtas Makhbuun: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun
bahisht meN bhii na be yaar ke lagegii tabee’at
mizaaj pher sakegaa na husn-e-huur hamaaraa (Atish)
44. Mujtas Musamman Makhbuub Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun faa-laan/fa-i-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
45. Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-laan/faa-lun
kyaa kaheN uR ke jaa nahiiN sakte
vuh chaman hai, vuh aashiyaanaa hai (Yaas Azeemabadi)

yahaaN Urdu bahuur kaa silsilaa Khatm hotaa hai. ummeed hai is laRii meN pesh-kardah mavaad qaaraiin ke liye mufeed saabit hogaa. ek mauzuua’ par tazkirah abhii baaqii hai aur vuh hai in bahuur kaa ancient Indic text se ta’alluq. zindagii aur fursat rahii to is par kabhii aainda guftuguu hogii.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!

guzishta kuchh roz kayii masruufiyaat meN guzre. idhar kuchh vaqt milaa hai to sochaa is silsile ko aage baRhaayaa jaaye. is qist meN mazeed muzaahif bahuur pesh kar rahaa huuN. vaqt kii qillat ke baais is martaba sirf vuh mazaahif bahuur darj kar rahaa huuN jo Urdu shaa’irii meN musta’mil haiN. agar baqiya tamaam mazaahif bahuur kaa zikr kartaa to is qist meN tabreeban 75 bahuur shaamil hotiiN.

36. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
37. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Makhbuun/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laan/faa-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-lun
Gham-e-hastii kaa “Asad” kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
sham’a har rang meN jaltii hai sahar hone tak (Ghalib)
38. Ramal Musamman Mashkuul: fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun
yih na thii hamaarii qismat ki visaal-e-yaar hotaa
agar aur jeete rahte yahii intizaar hotaa (Ghalib)
39. Ramal Musaddas Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
40. Ramal Musaddas MaKhbuun/Maskan Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun faa-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun
koii veeraanii sii veeraanii hai
dasht ko dekh ke ghar yaad aayaa (Ghalib)
41. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun (see example in the original post.)
42. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tu ma-faa-ii-lu faa-i-laan/faa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
43. Mujtas Makhbuun: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun
bahisht meN bhii na be yaar ke lagegii tabee’at
mizaaj pher sakegaa na husn-e-huur hamaaraa (Atish)
44. Mujtas Musamman Makhbuub Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun faa-laan/fa-i-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
45. Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-laan/faa-lun
kyaa kaheN uR ke jaa nahiiN sakte
vuh chaman hai, vuh aashiyaanaa hai (Yaas Azeemabadi)

yahaaN Urdu bahuur kaa silsilaa Khatm hotaa hai. ummeed hai is laRii meN pesh-kardah mavaad qaaraiin ke liye mufeed saabit hogaa. ek mauzuua’ par tazkirah abhii baaqii hai aur vuh hai in bahuur kaa ancient Indic text se ta’alluq. zindagii aur fursat rahii to is par kabhii aainda guftuguu hogii.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
guzishta kuchh roz kayii masruufiyaat meN guzre. idhar kuchh vaqt milaa hai to sochaa is silsile ko aage baRhaayaa jaaye. is qist meN mazeed muzaahif bahuur pesh kar rahaa huuN. vaqt kii qillat ke baais is martaba sirf vuh mazaahif bahuur darj kar rahaa huuN jo Urdu shaa’irii meN musta’mil haiN. agar baqiya tamaam mazaahif bahuur kaa zikr kartaa to is qist meN tabreeban 75 bahuur shaamil hotiiN.
36. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
37. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Makhbuun/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laan/faa-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-lun
Gham-e-hastii kaa “Asad” kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
sham’a har rang meN jaltii hai sahar hone tak (Ghalib)
38. Ramal Musamman Mashkuul: fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun
yih na thii hamaarii qismat ki visaal-e-yaar hotaa
agar aur jeete rahte yahii intizaar hotaa (Ghalib)
39. Ramal Musaddas Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
40. Ramal Musaddas MaKhbuun/Maskan Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun faa-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun
koii veeraanii sii veeraanii hai
dasht ko dekh ke ghar yaad aayaa (Ghalib)
41. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun (see example in the original post.)
42. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tu ma-faa-ii-lu faa-i-laan/faa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
43. Mujtas Makhbuun: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun
bahisht meN bhii na be yaar ke lagegii tabee’at
mizaaj pher sakegaa na husn-e-huur hamaaraa (Atish)
44. Mujtas Musamman Makhbuub Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun faa-laan/fa-i-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
45. Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-laan/faa-lun
kyaa kaheN uR ke jaa nahiiN sakte
vuh chaman hai, vuh aashiyaanaa hai (Yaas Azeemabadi)
yahaaN Urdu bahuur kaa silsilaa Khatm hotaa hai. ummeed hai is laRii meN pesh-kardah mavaad qaaraiin ke liye mufeed saabit hogaa. ek mauzuua’ par tazkirah abhii baaqii hai aur vuh hai in bahuur kaa ancient Indic text se ta’alluq. zindagii aur fursat rahii to is par kabhii aainda guftuguu hogii.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,

Thank you very much for taking the time to continue this series despite your very busy schedule. These articles are a goldmine of information for the current and future Alup students of the craft. I have personally benefited a lot by studying these. In your absence, Nagesh sahib and I have been practicing scansion under the expert advice of RK sahib. My sincere thanks to RK sahib and you for your generosity, patience and guidance.

I am eagerly looking forward to the very interesting next chapter on the topic of connection between ancient Indic texts and Urdu prosody. Whenever you get time for it, no rush.

With appreciation and gratitude,

_______Zoya

[nagesh]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Irfan Abid
aadaab, dosto!
The catalyst behind this thread is the discussion about the similarity of some Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text that took place under a recent thread started by Naseer sb by the title “Genres of Urdu Poetry.” This is an area I have great interest in. I don’t know if I can answer the question of which one was the influencer and the influenced between Urdu bahrs and ancient Indic text, or whether the similarity between them was a matter of chance, but I will try to provide some material that will hopefully enable the readers to form their own opinion about it.
I am writing this post in English, and not in Roman Urdu, for two reasons. One, the folks who started the aforementioned discussion prefer to converse in English and I want to make sure they benefit from this post. Two, a lot of material I am going to share is already available in Roman Urdu in ALUP. In fact, I will refer to such material wherever appropriate.
I know in my heart that my knowledge of this subject is far from perfect. Therefore, I request the readers, especially the more accomplished ones like RK Sb, Afzal sb and Naseer sb to correct me if they see errors.
So let’s begin.
I will start by sharing an article I wrote on the construction of Urdu bahr about twenty years ago. This article was carried by a couple of websites, but I haven’t posted it on ALUP. I recently mentioned this article in another post and this seems to be the perfect occasion to share it here. This article will introduce the readers to the concept of arkaan, the building blocks of a bahr, and will lay the foundation for the forthcoming discussion. This article will also discuss how a misra’ can be broken down into arkaan (a process known as taqtii’a.) Please note that the purpose of this article was just that – explain arkaan and taqtii’a. That’s why I limited it to about a dozen popular bahrs. I will add more bahrs to the list in the next post. A comprehensive list of Urdu bahrs is a must to complete this discussion.
___________article begins___________
Bahr: The Backbone of Shaa’irii
Originally published in June, 2001
Before I started writing this article, I thought several times if I had the knowledge and expertise to dwell on a subject as vast and complex as shaa’irii. After all, I have taken only the first step towards learning this great art. But then I thought that my experience might help those who are yet to take that first step. So here I am, with my explanation of bahr, the most important technical aspect of shaa’irii.
The purpose of this article is to give the readers a general idea of what bahr means and how it is used to construct a misra’ (line) of Urdu shaa’irii. I am sharing with you some of my limited knowledge of shaa’irii that my ustad ‘Mazaq’ Charkharivi has graciously given to me. He belongs to Ustad Dagh Dehlvi’s school of shaa’irii. Everything written here conforms to that school and its teachings. There are areas where schools differ in opinion, but that happens only in the case of very fine details. The scope covered here is very basic and should not pose any such issue. However, I wanted to post the disclaimer, just in case.
‘Bahr or ‘Meter’ is the structure over which the words of a misra’ (line) of a she’r (verse) are arranged. Bahr itself is made of ‘arkaan’ (plural of ‘rukn’ which means ‘pillar’ or ‘important part’). Arkaan are also referred to as ‘feet’. Whosoever coined this term was perhaps trying to relate it to the bigger unit ‘meter’, without realizing that ‘meter’ and ‘foot’ are units of length in two different systems of measurement. However, the ‘meter’ and ‘feet’ combination may be justified by the fact that one meter is roughly equal to three and a quarter feet, and most of the bahrs do have three or four arkaan in one misra’. Arkaan are meaningless dummy words, the basic purpose of which is to specify the places of long and short syllables in an actual word. The eight arkaan, broken down into syllables, used in Urdu shaa’irii are as follows.
‘fa-uu-lun’,
‘faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’,
‘mus-taf-i-lun’,
‘faa-i-laa-tun’,
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’,
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’
and
‘maf-uu-laat’
Perhaps this is a good place to add a note on transliteration, that is the process of writing Urdu words in Roman script, so that they are pronounced correctly. We will treat ‘a’ as in ‘akbar’, ‘i’ as in ‘ishq’, ‘u’ as in ‘uljhan’, ‘e’ as in ‘ek’ (‘ai’ and ‘ei’ should be treated as ‘e’), ‘o’ as in ‘bahaaro’, ‘aa’ as in ‘aaraam’, ‘ii’ as in ‘merii’ and ‘uu’ as in ‘juutaa’ (other Roman letters used are self-explanatory and are not as important as these vowels).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a short syllable (weight ‘1’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ by itself or after a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘a’, ‘i’ or ‘u’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘2’).
An ‘e’, ‘o’, ‘aa’, ‘ii’ or ‘uu’ between two consonants or before a consonant will produce a long syllable (weight ‘3’).
The syllable with weight ‘3’ can be subdivided into two syllables, with weights ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively, but let us keep it as it is for now.
Given this description, the eight arkaan mentioned above can be written in terms of weights as ‘1-2-2’, ‘2-1-2’, ‘1-2-2-2’, ‘2-2-1-2’, ‘2-1-2-2’, ‘1-1-2-1-2’, ‘1-2-1-1-2’ and ‘2-2-3’, respectively.
The arkaan mentioned above are in their ‘saalim’ (pure) form. With slight modification, each can be turned into one of its ‘muzaahif’ (modified) forms (These forms may be seen in the bahrs given at the end of this article). Accordingly, a bahr may be a ‘saalim’ or a ‘muzaahif’ one. Bahrs are also classified according to the mix of their arkaan. If a bahr is made by the repetition of the same rukn, it is a ‘mufarrid’ (made of a single ingredient) bahr. If it uses a combination of more than one rukn, it is a ‘murakkab’ (composite) bahr. Bahrs given at the end of this article have examples of both.
The arkaan and bahrs were developed by the masters of literature and music. That is why shaa’irii written in proper bahr is fluent to recite and easy to compose into a tune. However, not all the bahrs have the same ease of flow and spontaneity of rhythm. As a result, few became more popular than others. In this article, we will cover only the most popular ones. Most of the Urdu shaa’irii has been written using these bahrs. Please note that in addition to the traditional bahrs that I was taught, I have seen shaa’irs using other bahrs that they have devised themselves. In my opinion, one can write poetry in any format as long as it follows some ‘rule’ and is enjoyable when recited. However, in the beginning, it is advisable to stick to the traditional bahrs.
After you decide which bahr to use, the next thing is to arrange your words on that bahr. This is the real art in shaa’irii. If possible, the words should start and end where the arkaan do, but this is not necessary. A word can be spread over two adjacent arkaan. Moreover, a syllable in a word that is normally considered a long syllable, can be treated as a short one, if it does not fit into the arkaan and the bahr. In other words, the ‘weight’ of the syllables can be reduced or the pronunciation of the syllables can be hastened to fit the bahr. Where and how one can do it is a complex issue in Urdu shaa’irii. There are elaborate rules for doing so which are beyond the scope of this article. For now, all I can suggest is to look at the shaa’irii by the ustaads and see how they have used a particular word in a particular situation. A glimpse of this feature may be seen in the ash’aar given with the bahrs in this article. You may notice that certain words have been placed against a relatively small portion (or syllable) of a rukn. These are the words whose pronunciation is altered to fit the bahr.
The bahrs being discussed here are used for the most popular forms of Urdu shaa’irii (like Ghazal, nazm, qit’a and geet/naGhma etc.), but not for all forms. Rubaa’ii, for instance, has its own set of bahrs.
Following are some very frequently used bahrs. You may find the names difficult to remember. But what’s in a name! Pay attention to the structure because that is what matters. Each bahr is accompanied by a she’r on it, broken down according to the structure of the bahr. If a word happens to be spread across more than one part of a rukn or across more than one rukn, its pieces are joined by a hyphen (-). I have used my own ash’aar to illustrate the bahrs, but I am also giving a classic she’r for each bahr. You may have heard the classic many times, may have memorized it and thus may find it easier to capture the structure of the bahr. Try to break these classic ash’aar down according to the bahr.
1. Bahr e Hazaj Saalim
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun
bha - rii dun- yaa sa - hii le - kin Thi - kaa- naa ham bhii paa leN- ge
ja - haaN do gaz za - miiN ho- gii va - hiiN ham ghar ba - naa leN- ge
miTaa de apnii hastii ko agar kuchh martabaa chaahe
ki daanaa Khaak meiN mil kar gul-o-gulzaar hotaa hai
2. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lun
Khvaa- boN meiN ba - naa - ii thii aaN - khoN meiN sa - jaa lii hai
tas - vii - r ti - rii ham ne is dil meiN ba - saa lii hai
kyaa husn ne samjhaa hai, kya ishq ne jaanaa hai
ham Khaak-nashiinoN kii Thokar meN zamaanaa hai
3. Bahr e Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf
Maf - uu - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Ma - faa - ii - lu Fa - uu - lun
tuu - faa - n meN tin - ke kaa sa - haa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
zul - mat meN to bas e - k sha - raa - raa bhii ba - hut hai
baaziicha-e-atfaal hai dunyaa mire aage
hotaa hai shab-o-roz tamaashaa mire aage
Ma - faa - ii - lun Ma - faa - ii - lun Fa - uu - lun
ta - man - naa - oN se aye dil, kyaa mi - le - gaa
jo qis - mat meN li - khaa ho – gaa, mi - le - gaa
sitaaroN se ulajhtaa jaa rahaa huuN
shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa huuN
5. Bahr e Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
dil kii be - chai - nii ne ap - naa kaa - m aa - Khir kar di - yaa
tujh se me - re raa - b - te ko aa - m aa - khir kar di - yaa
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
sab Ghalat kahte hain lutf-e-yaar ko vajh-e-sukuuN
dard-e-dil usne tau ‘Hasrat’ aur duunaa kar diyaa
Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - laa - tun Faa - i - lun*
ish - q kaa haa - sil hai kyaa mat puu - chhi - ye
kyaa mi - laa kyaa kho ga - yaa mat puu - chhi - ye
* Faa - i - laan is acceptable here.
ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa
7. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Saalim
Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun Fa - uu - lun
mu - hab - bat bu - rii hai na naf - rat bu - rii hai
bu - rii hai tau har shai kii kas - rat bu - rii hai
na dekhaa thaa jo bazm-e-dushman meN dekhaa
muhabbat tamaashe dikhaatii hai kyaa kyaa
8. Bahr e Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz Aslam (16 Ruknii)
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ho shaa - m-e- Gham jis qa - dar bhii lam - bii
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Dha - le - gii ye bhii za - ruu - r yaa - ro
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
ka - bhii to ut - re - gaa me - re ghar meN
Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun Fa - uu - lu Faa - lun
Khu - shii kii kir - noN kaa nuu - r yaa - ro
sitam hii karnaa jafaa hii karnaa nigaah-e-ulfat kabhii na karnaa
tumheN qasam hai hamaare sar kii hamaare haq meN kamii na karnaa
9. Bahr e Kaamil Saalim
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ki gaN - vaa di - ye maiN - ne ho - sh bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
mu - jhe chai - n aa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
ti - rii yaa - d yuN hii ja - vaaN ra - hii
Mu - ta - faa - i - lun Mu - ta - faa - i - lun
tu - jhe dil bhu - laa na sa - kaa ka - bhii
vuh jo ham meN tum meN qaraar thaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
vuhii yaanii vaadaa nibaah kaa tumheN yaad ho ki na yaad ho
10. Bahr e Mutadaarik Saalim
Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun Faa - i - lun
gul chi - raa - GhoN ko kar ham sa - re shaa - m deN
kyoN bha - laa aa - ti - sh-e - dil ko aa - raa - m deN
har taraf har jagah be-shumaar aadmii
phir bhii tanhaaiyoN kaa shikaar aadmii
11. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tun
maiN be - qa - raa - r kyoN huuN dil be - qa - raa - r kyoN hai
us be - va - faa se ab tak aa - Khir ye pyaa - r kyoN hai
saare jahaaN se achchhaa HindostaaN hamaaraa
ham bulbuleN haiN iskii ye gulsitaaN hamaaraa
12. Bahr e Mazaar’a Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur
Maf - uu - lu Faa - i - laa - tu* ma - faa - ii - lu** Faa - i - laan***
kai - se ka - huuN maiN ap - nii ka - haa - nii ko baa - r baar
kyoN kar pi - yuuN - gaa aa - Nkh ke paa - nii ko baa - r baar
* Faa-i-laa-tun is acceptable here.
** Maf-uu-lu is acceptable here.
*** Faa-i-lun is acceptable here.
Khaatir se yaa lihaaz se maiN maan to gayaa
jhuuTii qasam se aap ka iimaan tau gayaa
13. Bahr e Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Maqsuur
Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - laa - tun Ma - faa - i - lun Fa - i - lun
va - faa ke qau - l se ham tau mu - kar na - hiiN sa - k - te
ki dush- ma- nii meiN bhii had se gu - zar na - hiiN sa - k - te
guloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan ka kaar-o-baar chale
If this article helps you in any way, it will be my pleasure. If you are really serious about shaa’irii, find a ustad near you and be his shaagird. There is no substitute for the guidance and teaching of a ustad. Please let me know if you have anything to add to or correct in this article. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
___________article ends____________
Note: In the original article, I wrongly attributed the classic example under the first bahr to Allama Iqbal.
Those readers who would like to read similar material in Roman Urdu may refer to this article on ALUP by Sarwar Raz sb: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
More to come.
niyaazmand,

Aadaab, dosto!
Here is the second post in the series.
I want to add more bahrs to the thirteen I cited in the original post. But before I do so, let us take a look at some of the basics that will hopefully help the readers with the understanding of the structure of the bahrs. Those basics are the behavior of saakin/mutaharrik letters and ajzaa (components) of arkaan, called usuul.
First, let’s understand how saakin and mutaharrik letters behave under certain circumstances.
- If there is one saakin letter after a mutaharrik one, the saakin stays saakin. For example, the “miim” in “ham” stays saakin.
- If there are two saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin and second one behaves as mutaharrik. For example, the “alif” in” in “naam” stays saakin and the “miim” is treated as mutaharrik.
- If there are three saakin letters after a mutaharrik one, the first saakin stays saakin, the second one behaves as mutaharrik and the third one is ignored. For example, the “vaao” in “dost” stays saakin, “seen” is treated as mutaharrik and “te” is ignored.
- A mutaharrik letter can be treated as saakin if it falls at a certain place in a misra’. For example, the “noon” in “nah” in this misra’: tum ne baat nah maanii merii.
Second, let’s take a look at the usuul. These are the smallest units a bahr can be broken into (bahr into arkaan and arkaan into usuul) in taqtii’a. There are three types of usuul, as follows.
sabab: sabab is a two-letter part of a word. If the first letter is mutaharrik and second saakin, it’s called sabab-e-Khafiif, such as “dil.” If both letters are mutaharrik, it’s called sabab-e-saqiil. Sabab-e-saqiil doesn’t exist in Urdu under normal circumstances, and is created under special circumstances. For example, if there was an izaafat after “dil,” and it was pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting part of speech “dil-i” will be sabab-e-saqiil. Similarly, if the “ye” in “mirii” is pronounced with a short vowel, the resulting word “miri” will be sabab-e-saqiil.
vatad: vatad is a three-letter part of the word. If the first and second letters are mutaharrik and the third one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-majmuu’a, such as “qalam.” If the first and third letters are mutaharrik and the second one saakin, it’s called vatad-e-mafruuq. Like sabab-e-saqiil, vatad-e-mafruuq only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat, such as “naam-i,” “Khaak-i,” etc.
faasilah: faasilah is a four or five letter part of the word. The four letter part whose first three letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-suGhraa. The five letter part whose first four letters are mutaharrik and the last one saakin is called faasilah-e-kubraa. Faasilah only happens under special circumstances in Urdu like with an izaafat.
Let’s see how the eight arkaan will break down as sabab, vatad and faasilah. Let’s denote sabab-e-Khafiif as SK, sabab-e-saqiil as SS, vatad-e-majmuu’a as VM, vatad-e-mafruuq as VF and faasilah-e-suGhraa as FS (we don’t need faasilah-e-kubraa.)
‘fa-uu-lun’ -> fauu (VM) + lun (SK)
‘faa-i-lun’ -> faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-ii-lun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ii (SK) + lun (SK)
‘mus-taf-i-lun’ -> mus (SK) + taf (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘faa-i-laa-tun’ -> faa (SK) + ilaa (VM) + tun (SK)
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> mutafaa (FS) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ilatun (FS)
‘maf-uu-laat’ -> maf (SK) + uu (SK) + laat* (VF)
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.”
Some aruuz experts have opined that faasilah-e-suGhraa can be broken down into sababs, and hence, the sixth and seventh arkaan mentioned above can also be broken down as follows, eliminating the need for faasilah altogether and limiting the ajzaa to just sabab and vatad. This is acceptable.
‘mu-ta-faa-i-lun’ -> muta (SS) + faa (SK) + ilun (VM)
‘ma-faa-i-la-tun’ -> mafaa (VM) + ila (SS) + tun (SK)
Please note that sabab and vatad are the smallest units the creators of the Urdu bahrs used. If you use the short and long vowel system (or the 1-2 system) devised by Acharya Pingala known as Chhandashahstra or Pingala-sutra that is the prosody used in ancient Indic text, you can break sabab and vatad down even further. Actually in my article cited in the original post, I did break the arkaan down to short and long syllables for clarity. While Acharya Pingala had devised his more granular system around 200 BC, the creators of Urdu bahrs, which were originally mostly Arabic bahrs and were mostly devised by Khalil Ibn Ahmad, were using a relatively less granular system around 700 AD. This suggests that the latter were perhaps unaware of the work of the former.
With this understanding, let’s take a look at the original nineteen saalim bahrs. These include both mufarrid and murakkab bahrs. Some of these were cited in the article I shared in the original post. Later we will discuss how more bahrs were created by applying zihaafaat to the arkaan. As in the article shared in the original post, I am giving the break down of arkaan up to the syllable.
1. Bahr e Mutaqaarib: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun
2. Bahr e Mutadaarik: faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun faa-i-lun
3. Bahr e Hazaj: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
4. Bahr e Rijz/Rajaz: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun
5. Bahr e Ramal: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun
6. Bahr e Kaamil: mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun mu-ta-faa-i-lun
7. Bahr e Vaafar: ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun ma-faa-i-la-tun
8. Bahr e Munsarah: mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
9. Bahr e Muqtazib: maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat* mus-taf-i-lun
10. Bahr e Mazaara’: ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
11. Bahr e Basiit: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-lun
12. Bahr e Mujtas: mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
13. Bahr e Madiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun
14. Bahr e Taviil: fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
15. Bahr e Sarii’a: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-laat*
16. Bahr e Khafiif: faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun faa-i-laa-tun
17. Bahr e Jadiid: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun mus-taf-i-lun
18. Bahr e Qariib: ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-laa-tun
19. Bahr e Mashaakil: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-ii-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
*”laat” can also be written as “laa+tu.” In other words, this juz with a weight of 3 can be broken down into two pieces of weight 2 and 1, respectively.
Out of these nineteen bahrs, Khalil Ibn Ahmad (718 – 786), an Arab is credited for devising #1 and #3 to #16 (total 15.) Bahr #2 was devised by another Arab, Abul Hasan Akhfash (? – 998). Bahr #17 was devised by a Persian, Bazar Jamhar. Bahr #18 was devised by another Persian, Yusuf Nishapuri. I couldn’t find the dates of birth and death of the last two inventors, but they are believed to have lived around the same time as the other two. The inventor of Bahr #19 is unknown, but is believed to be a Persian.
I have already mentioned the saalim form of Mutaqaarib, Mutadaarik, Hazaj and Kaamil (#1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively) in the article in the original post. Besides these, only eight other bahrs (#4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16) are used in Urdu poetry, but their usage is almost non-existent except Rijz/Rajaz. That means only twelve of these nineteen bahrs are used in Urdu poetry (these are also used in Arabic and Persian poetry.) Among the remaining, #7, 11, 13 and 14 are used generally in Arabic poetry only while #17, 18 and 19 are used generally in Persian poetry only. I will discuss the similarity, if any, of any of the nineteen saalim bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text, in the next post.
I received the above information about the bahrs, their inventors and their usage originally from Ustad “Mazaq” Charkhariwi, and later confirmed it with the book “Chriagh-e-Sukhan” by Mirza Yaas Yagana.
kal chaudhaviiN kii raat thii shab bhar rahaa charchaa tiraa
kuchh ne kahaa yih chaaNd hai kuchh ne kahaa chihraa tiraa (Ibn e Insha)
Some of this material is available in Roman Urdu in this article by Sarwar Raz sb available on ALUP: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
I was thinking I would talk about the muzaahif bahrs and then compare Urdu bahrs with those used in ancient Indic text in this post. But I realized that muzaahif bahrs need a substantial amount of space themselves. Therefore, I will restrict the next couple of posts to muzaahif bahrs, and will discuss Indic text later.
Before we look at the muzaahif bahrs, let’s briefly review the zihaafaat. I say “briefly” because discussing zihaafaat in detail is neither feasible here nor necessary. Mirza Yaas Yagana (also known as Yaas Azeemabadi) devotes more than twenty pages to zihaafaat in his excellent book on aruuz, “Chiragh-e-Sukhan,” and then says he hasn’t done justice to the subject as it would need more space for a proper coverage. Fortunately a general understanding of zihaafaat is enough to appreciate their role in creating new bahrs from the saalim ones. Zihaaf is born when a harakat aur a letter is either added or removed from a saalim rukn. Zihaafaat are given specific names based on the technique of zihaaf involved. Here is a list of the muzaahif versions of each of the saalim arkaan (source: Chiragh-e-Sukhan by Mirza Yaas Yagana.) You will notice that muzaahif forms some arkaan are the same as those of other arkaan., and some are actually the same as other saalim arkaan. When a muzaahif form is equal to a more standard rukn in weight, it’s replaced by that standard rukn.
fa-uu-lun: fa-uu-lu, faa-lun, fa-uul, fa-al, fa-uu-laan, faa-lu, fa’, faa-laan
faa-i-lun: fa-i-lun, faa-lun, fa’, faa-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-al, fa-i-laan, faa-laan
ma-faa-ii-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, maf-uu-lun, ma-faa-iil, fa-uu-lun, fa-al, ma-faa-ii-laan, maf-uu-lu, faa-i-lun, fa-uul, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laan, faa-lun, maf-uu-laan
faa-i-laa-tun: fa-i-laa-tun, faa-i-laa-tu, faa-i-laat, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-li-yaan, fa-al, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laat, faa-lun, fa-i-laan, fa-i-lun, faa-li-yaan, faa-laan, maf-uu-laan
mus-taf-i-lun: ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, maf-uu-laan, faa-laan, fa-uu-lun, fa-i-la-tun, faa’, fa’, ma-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laan, faa-i-laa-tun, fa-il-taan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
maf-uu-laat: fa-uu-laa-tu, faa-i-laa-tu, maf-uu-lu, maf-uu-laan, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, faa’, fa’, fa-i-laa-tu, fa-uu-laan, faa-i-laan, fa-i-laan, fa-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, fa-i-lun
mu-ta-faa-i-lun: mus-taf-i-lun, fa-i-laa-tun, fa-i-lun, mu-ta-faa-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-lun, mus-taf-i-laan, mus-taf-i-laa-tun, ma-faa-i-laan, ma-faa-i-laa-tun, muf-ta-i-laan, muf-ta-i-laa-tun
ma-faa-i-la-tun: ma-faa-ii-lun, muf-ta-i-lun, ma-faa-i-lun, ma-faa-ii-lu, fa-uu-lun, maf-uu-lun, faa-i-lun, maf-uu-lu
Here are some of the muzaahif bahrs. For those interested in taqtiia’ I am giving examples of ash’aar in those bahrs that are popular in Urdu shaa’irii.
1. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
Ghazab ho gayaa raaz-e-dil khul gayaa
chhupaate chhupaate Khabar ho gayii (Dagh Dehlvi)
2. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam: faa-lun fa-uu-lun faa-lun fa-uu-lun
3. Mutaqaarib Musamman Maqbuuz aslam: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun
4. Mutaqaarib Maqbuuz Aslam Solah (16) ruknii: fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun fa-uu-lu faa-lun (see example in the original post)
5. Mutaqaarib Musamman Abtar: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa’
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
7. Mutaqaarib Musaddas Maqsuud/Mahzuuf: fa-uu-lun fa-uu-lun fa-uul/fa-al
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
9. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun
10. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maskan: faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun faa-lun
11. Mutadaarik Musamman Makhbuun Maqtuua’: faa-i-lun fa-al faa-i-lun fa-al
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
13. Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz: ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
14. Hazaj Musamman Makfuuf/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
15. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lun (see example in the original post)
16. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin)
18. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu fa-uul/fa-al
19. Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Azal/Abtar: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
20. Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun ma-faa-ii-lun fa-uu-lun (see example in the original post)
21. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uu-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lun/ma-faa-ii-laan
22. Hazaj Musaddas Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-ii-lu ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
23. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-iil ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
24. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Ahtam/Majbuub: maf-uul ma-faa-iil fa-uul/fa-al
25. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Azal/Abtar: maf-uul ma-faa-ii-lun faa’/fa’
26. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Saalim/MusbaGh: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
27. Hazaj Musaddas AKhrab Maqbuuz Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uul ma-faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
28. Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: maf-uu-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-iil/fa-uu-lun
29. Rajaz Musamman Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
30. Rajaz Musamman Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
32. Rajaz Musamman Makhbuun Matvii: ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
33. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun Maqtuua’/A’raj: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun maf-uu-lun/maf-uu-laan
34. Rajaz Musaddas Maqtuua’/A’raj: mus-taf-i-lun mus-taf-i-lun maf-uu-lun
35. Rajaz Musaddas Matvii: muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/gos6NSWLAqU/AxonjuFSVKwJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/E5krYqUY3qg/Gyl7WFwTB4IJ
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/nikaat/alt.language.urdu.poetry/I98qQVkNgnM/W4BArdN33skJ
To be continued.
niyaazmand,

aadaab, dosto!
guzishta kuchh roz kayii masruufiyaat meN guzre. idhar kuchh vaqt milaa hai to sochaa is silsile ko aage baRhaayaa jaaye. is qist meN mazeed muzaahif bahuur pesh kar rahaa huuN. vaqt kii qillat ke baais is martaba sirf vuh mazaahif bahuur darj kar rahaa huuN jo Urdu shaa’irii meN musta’mil haiN. agar baqiya tamaam mazaahif bahuur kaa zikr kartaa to is qist meN tabreeban 75 bahuur shaamil hotiiN.
36. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
37. Ramal Musamman Maqsuur/Makhbuun/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laan/faa-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-lun
Gham-e-hastii kaa “Asad” kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
sham’a har rang meN jaltii hai sahar hone tak (Ghalib)
38. Ramal Musamman Mashkuul: fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tu faa-i-laa-tun
yih na thii hamaarii qismat ki visaal-e-yaar hotaa
agar aur jeete rahte yahii intizaar hotaa (Ghalib)
39. Ramal Musaddas Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-laa-tun faa-i-lun/faa-i-laan (see example in the original post.)
40. Ramal Musaddas MaKhbuun/Maskan Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun/fa-i-laa-tun fa-i-laa-tun faa-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun
koii veeraanii sii veeraanii hai
dasht ko dekh ke ghar yaad aayaa (Ghalib)
41. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tun (see example in the original post.)
42. Mazaara’ Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Maqsuur: maf-uu-lu faa-i-laa-tu ma-faa-ii-lu faa-i-laan/faa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
43. Mujtas Makhbuun: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun
bahisht meN bhii na be yaar ke lagegii tabee’at
mizaaj pher sakegaa na husn-e-huur hamaaraa (Atish)
44. Mujtas Musamman Makhbuub Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun faa-laan/fa-i-laan/faa-lun/fa-i-lun (see example in the original post.)
45. Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Maqsuur/Mahzuuf: faa-i-laa-tun ma-faa-i-lun fa-i-laan/fa-i-lun/faa-laan/faa-lun
kyaa kaheN uR ke jaa nahiiN sakte
vuh chaman hai, vuh aashiyaanaa hai (Yaas Azeemabadi)
yahaaN Urdu bahuur kaa silsilaa Khatm hotaa hai. ummeed hai is laRii meN pesh-kardah mavaad qaaraiin ke liye mufeed saabit hogaa. ek mauzuua’ par tazkirah abhii baaqii hai aur vuh hai in bahuur kaa ancient Indic text se ta’alluq. zindagii aur fursat rahii to is par kabhii aainda guftuguu hogii.
niyaazmand,

Irfan sahib,
Thank you very much for taking the time to continue this series despite your very busy schedule. These articles are a goldmine of information for the current and future Alup students of the craft. I have personally benefited a lot by studying these. In your absence, Nagesh sahib and I have been practicing scansion under the expert advice of RK sahib. My sincere thanks to RK sahib and you for your generosity, patience and guidance.
I am eagerly looking forward to the very interesting next chapter on the topic of connection between ancient Indic texts and Urdu prosody. Whenever you get time for it, no rush.
With appreciation and gratitude,
_______Zoya

Irfan Sahib:
Thanks so much for your efforts! I had tried reading Prof Pritchett's handbook earlier, and just couldn't make progress. Your posts were much clearer to me, and I have a better appreciation for meter.
I am most grateful to you for your patience, and for my education on a topic that has confounded me for years.
I do hope you will continue to grace this forum.
Regards,
Nagesh

[[e-mail]]

Irfan sahib,

I am very grateful to you for these invaluable articles on Urdu meters. After my first brief, and very painful, introduction to meters a lifetime ago, I had always avoided all places where this arcane and bewildering subject was discussed. However after having mustered some courage I decided to take a peek at what you had written and found it very approachable, even enjoyable.

Now I have gone through the wholethread, having pondered questions and answers among other friends. Your writing has gotten me interested and removed that initial fear and loathing of this subject. Thank you very much.

I am really hoping that you will continue this series for as long as possible.

[Zoya]

Post by Zoya
Irfan sahib,
I am very grateful to you for these invaluable articles on Urdu meters. After my first brief, and very painful, introduction to meters a lifetime ago, I had always avoided all places where this arcane and bewildering subject was discussed. However after having mustered some courage I decided to take a peek at what you had written and found it very approachable, even enjoyable.
Now I have gone through the wholethread, having pondered questions and answers among other friends. Your writing has gotten me interested and removed that initial fear and loathing of this subject. Thank you very much.
I am really hoping that you will continue this series for as long as possible.

Shoaib sahib,

I agree wholeheartedly. Irfan sahib has reignited my interest in this subject also. Even though I've always had an intuitive feel for Urdu meters, I never formally understood or practiced the intricacies of bahuur and taqtii'a. This is something I too had been putting off for a long time.

Thanks to Irfan sahib, I feel like I have made a lot of progress this summer, and had fun along the way. His expertise in this field combined with his patience and willingness to teach us is indeed a true gift.

You are most welcome to join our study group, the more the merrier. Now hurry up and catch up! :)

_________Zoya

[Zoya]

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

I have studied Lesson 3 and am finished scanning the five asha'ar that you posted as examples of the common Urdu meters.

I am presenting my scans here for your blessing and feedback.

6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)

2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 1 /1 2 2
aa ti/ sh baa zii/ chhuT t/e de khii
muf t/ ki dau lat/ luT t /e de khii

A very special note of thanks: Having worked on this example really helped me scan Prof RK's bonus assignment on Nasir Kazmi's pehlii baarish.

8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)

2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r-ke*/dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puChh te/kya ho /un ne /to
qash qaa /kheN chaa/dair meiN/baiThh aa/kab kaa /tar k-is*/laa m-ki*/yaa

(* Any second 2 in the first 7 feet may be broken as 1-1)

12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)

1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2
taa* ahd/e ja vaa/nii* tham/naa* daaN/be* vaq/t ka mar/kyuN* kas/taa hai
has* tii/se a dam/ke D aaN /De* tak /ik* raa/t ba se / kaa* ras/taa hai

(* Any 1-1 may be replaced by a 2)


17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin

2 1 2 /1 2 2 2 /2 1 2 /1 2 2 2
dekh i ye/Khu daa kab tak/phir voh din/di khaa taa hai
yaa r ko /in aaN khoN se /ghai r par /Kha faa de kheN

31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)

2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2 /2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2
ges u u e /t aab d aar /ko au r bhii /tab daa r kar
aql o Khi rad/shi kaa r kar/qal bo na zar/shi kaa r kar

All Done! :-)

Irfan sahib, if you are pleased with my progress, I want to emphasize that a lot of credit goes to your expert guidance and motivation in a very gentle manner.

Thank you for being you,

______Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya
Irfan sahib,
aadaab,
I have studied Lesson 3 and am finished scanning the five asha'ar that you posted as examples of the common Urdu meters.
I am presenting my scans here for your blessing and feedback.

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

You have done a good job overall. Congrats! Here are my comments.

Post by Zoya
6. Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Maqbuuz/Maqsuur: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun)
aatish-baazii chhuTte dekhii
muft kii daulat luTte dekhii (Akbar Allahabadi)
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 1 /1 2 2
aa ti/ sh baa zii/ chhuT t/e de khii
muf t / ki dau lat / luT t / e de khii

You almost got it. The only problem is how you did the taqtiia’ of the words “ChhutTe” and “luTte.” Remember that if there is only one saakin after a mutaharrik letter, it stays saakin. Here you have treated the saakin “T” as mutaharrik, which is not correct. The correct taqtiia’ of this sher is:

2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
aa tish / baa zii / chhuT te / de khii
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
muf t /kii dau lat / luT te / de khii

Please note that the 21/122 part in the second misra’ can be broken as 22/22 as well. The taqtiia’ will be muf tak / dau lat. Here the mutarrik “ki”, which will remain after dropping the “ye,” is treated as saakin.

Post by Zoya
A very special note of thanks: Having worked on this example really helped me scan Prof RK's bonus assignment on Nasir Kazmi's pehlii baarish.
8. Mutaqaarib Asram Solah (16) ruknii: faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun faa-lu fa-uu-lun/fa-al (each faa-lu fa-uu-lun can also be faa-lun faa-lun, and ast two arkaan can also be faa-lun fa’)
Meer ke diin-o-mazhab ko ab puuchhte kyaa ho un ne to
qashqa kheNchaa, dair meN baiThaa, kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa (Meer)
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r-ke*/dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puChh te/kya ho /un ne /to
qash qaa /kheN chaa/dair meiN/baiThh aa/kab kaa /tar k-is*/laa m-ki*/yaa
(* Any second 2 in the first 7 feet may be broken as 1-1)

Again, you almost got it. It’s perfectly alright to break the misra’s of this sher as 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2, as you have done, but the breakdown will be as follows.

Mee rak / dee no / maz hab / kaa ab / puu chat / kyaa ho / un ne / to
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai ram / bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

Alternatively, you can use (21/122) in place of some of the (22/22)’s, as follows.

2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r / ke dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puu chh / te kyaa ho /un ne / to
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai r / meiN bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

Post by Zoya
12. Mutadaarik Makhbuun Solah (16) ruknii: fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun fa-i-lun (any fa-i-lun can be replaced with a faa-lun)
taa ahd-e-javaanii tham naadaaN, be-vaqt kamar kyoN kastaa hai
hastii se adam ke DaaNDe tak ik raat base kaa rastaa hai (Arzoo Lakhnavi)
1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2 /1 1 2
taa* ahd/e ja vaa/nii* tham/naa* daaN/be* vaq/t ka mar/kyuN* kas/taa hai
has* tii/se a dam/ke D aaN /De* tak /ik* raa/t ba se / kaa* ras/taa hai
(* Any 1-1 may be replaced by a 2)

Again, a couple minor tweaks, as follows.

2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 /1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
taa ah / de ja vaa / nii tham / naa* daaN / be* vaq / t ka mar / kyuN* kas / taa hai
has tii / se a dam / ke DaaN / De tak / ik raa / t ba se / kaa ras / taa hai

Post by Zoya
17. Hazaj Musaman Ashtar: faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun faa-i-lun ma-faa-ii-lun
dekhiye Khudaa kab tak phir vuh din dikhaataa hai
yaar ko in aaNkhoN se Ghair par Khafaa dekheN (Momin
2 1 2 /1 2 2 2 /2 1 2 /1 2 2 2
dekh i ye/Khu daa kab tak/phir voh din/di khaa taa hai
yaa r ko /in aaN khoN se /ghai r par /Kha faa de kheN

This is near perfect. The only thing I would change is “dekh i ye” to “de khi ye.”

Post by Zoya
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2 /2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2
ges u u e /t aab d aar /ko au r bhii /tab daa r kar
aql o Khi rad/shi kaa r kar/qal bo na zar/shi kaa r kar

This, too, is well done. The only change I will make is in the first misra’, which should be as follows.
ge su e taa / b daa r ko / au r bhii taa / b daa r kar

Post by Zoya
All Done! :-)
Irfan sahib, if you are pleased with my progress, I want to emphasize that a lot of credit goes to your expert guidance and motivation in a very gentle manner.
Thank you for being you,
______Zoya

Hope this helps.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
You have done a good job overall. Congrats! Here are my comments.

aadaab, Irfan sahib.

Your detailed comments are very helpful. I can see that I need a lot more practice to fine tune things.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
6.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 1 /1 2 2
aa ti/ sh baa zii/ chhuT t/e de khii
muf t / ki dau lat / luT t / e de khii

2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
aa tish / baa zii / chhuT te / de khii
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
muf t /kii dau lat / luT te / de khii

Now it makes better sense. I was pushing the e to the last foot to create the first 1 there.

Post by Irfan Abid
Please note that the 21/122 part in the second misra’ can be broken as 22/22 as well. The taqtiia’ will be muf tak / dau lat. Here the mutarrik “ki”, which will remain after dropping the “ye,” is treated as saakin.

Here is the root of my confusion and my most important follow up question:

Q 1: When you break the second 2 as 1-1 in any foot, do you keep the 1-1 in same foot, or push the second 1 to the next foot, or sometimes you do and sometimes you don't? Is this decision bahr dependent?

i.e. 2 2/ 2 2 is 2 1 1/2 2 or 2 1/1 2 2 or either??

Getting this cleared up will hopefully help me a lot in future.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
8.
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r-ke*/dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puChh te/kya ho /un ne /to
qash qaa /kheN chaa/dair meiN/baiThh aa/kab kaa /tar k-is*/laa m-ki*/yaa
(* Any second 2 in the first 7 feet may be broken as 1-1)

Again, you almost got it. It’s perfectly alright to break the misra’s of this sher as 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2, as you have done, but the breakdown will be as follows.
Mee rak / dee no / maz hab / kaa ab / puu chat** / kyaa ho / un ne / to
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai ram** / bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

** Q 2: This part I don't understand, I mean regarding 'chhat' and 'ram'. What does the middle a notate here? Isn't it 'chhte', with an e at the end, and r-meiN? If yes, can 'chhte' be weight 2? And exactly what happened to the e and eiN so they got dropped?

Post by Irfan Abid
Alternatively, you can use (21/122) in place of some of the (22/22)’s, as follows.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r / ke dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puu chh / te kyaa ho /un ne / to
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai r / meiN bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

This again takes me back to Q 1. Such breakdown would not have occurred to me, i.e. moving the second 1 of 1-1 to the next foot.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
12.
taa* ahd/e ja vaa/nii* tham/naa* daaN/be* vaq/t ka mar/kyuN* kas/taa hai
has* tii/se a dam/ke D aaN /De* tak /ik* raa/t ba se / kaa* ras/taa hai
(* Any 1-1 may be replaced by a 2)

Again, a couple minor tweaks, as follows.
2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 /1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
taa ah / de ja vaa / nii tham / naa* daaN / be* vaq / t ka mar / kyuN* kas / taa hai
has tii / se a dam / ke DaaN / De tak / ik raa / t ba se / kaa ras / taa hai

Yes. The tweaks make it better.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
17.
2 1 2 /1 2 2 2 /2 1 2 /1 2 2 2
dekh i ye/Khu daa kab tak/phir voh din/di khaa taa hai
yaa r ko /in aaN khoN se /ghai r par /Kha faa de kheN

This is near perfect. The only thing I would change is “dekh i ye” to “de khi ye.”

Yes of course. I should have caught this on my own.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2 /2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2
ges u u e /t aab d aar /ko au r bhii /tab daa r kar
aql o Khi rad/shi kaa r kar/qal bo na zar/shi kaa r kar

This, too, is well done. The only change I will make is in the first misra’, which should be as follows.
ge su e taa / b daa r ko / au r bhii taa / b daa r kar

I think what threw me off here is that you had typed the second 'taabdaar' as 'tabdaar' in the original she'r. I did think about it, accepted it at face value, perhaps should have realized it had to be 'taabdaar'.

Post by Irfan Abid
Hope this helps.

It really helps Irfan sahib. I think in future, I should double check my work more carefully, and perhaps cross check with Nagesh sahib also before submission.

You can tell as a student, I am pretty hard on myself. :)

Will you assign some more practice examples soon? Or should I just pick some random asha'ar to work on my own? Whatever is easier for you, I realize you are taking time out of your busy schedule to help us and do not want to sound too demanding.

Thank you.

______Zoya

[nageshsahib]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
You have done a good job overall. Congrats! Here are my comments.

aadaab, Irfan sahib.
Your detailed comments are very helpful. I can see that I need a lot more practice to fine tune things.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
6.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 1 /1 2 2
aa ti/ sh baa zii/ chhuT t/e de khii
muf t / ki dau lat / luT t / e de khii

2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
aa tish / baa zii / chhuT te / de khii
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
muf t /kii dau lat / luT te / de khii

Now it makes better sense. I was pushing the e to the last foot to create the first 1 there.

Post by Irfan Abid
Please note that the 21/122 part in the second misra’ can be broken as 22/22 as well. The taqtiia’ will be muf tak / dau lat. Here the mutarrik “ki”, which will remain after dropping the “ye,” is treated as saakin.

Q 1: When you break the second 2 as 1-1 in any foot, do you keep the 1-1 in same foot, or push the second 1 to the next foot, or sometimes you do and sometimes you don't? Is this decision bahr dependent?
i.e. 2 2/ 2 2 is 2 1 1/2 2 or 2 1/1 2 2 or either??
Getting this cleared up will hopefully help me a lot in future.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
8.
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r-ke*/dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puChh te/kya ho /un ne /to
qash qaa /kheN chaa/dair meiN/baiThh aa/kab kaa /tar k-is*/laa m-ki*/yaa
(* Any second 2 in the first 7 feet may be broken as 1-1)

Again, you almost got it. It’s perfectly alright to break the misra’s of this sher as 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2, as you have done, but the breakdown will be as follows.
Mee rak / dee no / maz hab / kaa ab / puu chat** / kyaa ho / un ne / to
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai ram** / bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

** Q 2: This part I don't understand, I mean regarding 'chhat' and 'ram'. What does the middle a notate here? Isn't it 'chhte', with an e at the end, and r-meiN? If yes, can 'chhte' be weight 2? And exactly what happened to the e and eiN so they got dropped?

Post by Irfan Abid
Alternatively, you can use (21/122) in place of some of the (22/22)’s, as follows.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r / ke dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puu chh / te kyaa ho /un ne / to
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai r / meiN bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

This again takes me back to Q 1. Such breakdown would not have occurred to me, i.e. moving the second 1 of 1-1 to the next foot.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
12.
taa* ahd/e ja vaa/nii* tham/naa* daaN/be* vaq/t ka mar/kyuN* kas/taa hai
has* tii/se a dam/ke D aaN /De* tak /ik* raa/t ba se / kaa* ras/taa hai
(* Any 1-1 may be replaced by a 2)

Again, a couple minor tweaks, as follows.
2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 /1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
taa ah / de ja vaa / nii tham / naa* daaN / be* vaq / t ka mar / kyuN* kas / taa hai
has tii / se a dam / ke DaaN / De tak / ik raa / t ba se / kaa ras / taa hai

Yes. The tweaks make it better.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
17.
2 1 2 /1 2 2 2 /2 1 2 /1 2 2 2
dekh i ye/Khu daa kab tak/phir voh din/di khaa taa hai
yaa r ko /in aaN khoN se /ghai r par /Kha faa de kheN

This is near perfect. The only thing I would change is “dekh i ye” to “de khi ye.”

Yes of course. I should have caught this on my own.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2 /2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2
ges u u e /t aab d aar /ko au r bhii /tab daa r kar
aql o Khi rad/shi kaa r kar/qal bo na zar/shi kaa r kar

This, too, is well done. The only change I will make is in the first misra’, which should be as follows.
ge su e taa / b daa r ko / au r bhii taa / b daa r kar

I think what threw me off here is that you had typed the second 'taabdaar' as 'tabdaar' in the original she'r. I did think about it, accepted it at face value, perhaps should have realized it had to be 'taabdaar'.

Post by Irfan Abid
Hope this helps.

It really helps Irfan sahib. I think in future, I should double check my work more carefully, and perhaps cross check with Nagesh sahib also before submission.
You can tell as a student, I am pretty hard on myself. :)
Will you assign some more practice examples soon? Or should I just pick some random asha'ar to work on my own? Whatever is easier for you, I realize you are taking time out of your busy schedule to help us and do not want to sound too demanding.
Thank you.
______Zoya

Zoya Sahiba:
I have been a little distracted lately but I promise to catch up with you on these exercises. I don't know the answers to your questions and look forward to seeing them on this thread.
Your Q2 bears a resemblance to the scansion of the NK ghazal in another thread. In Q2 you notice the omission of a long vowel from the scansion (r-meiN). I wonder if this is what happened to one of the long vowels in the NJ ghazal - perhaps it should be dropped for the same reason?
Regards,
Nagesh

[Zoya]

Post by nageshsahib
I have been a little distracted lately but I promise to catch up with you on these exercises. I don't know the answers to your questions and look forward to seeing them on this thread.

Nagesh sahib,

By now, you must have seen Irfan sahib's clear cut answers to my questions, it should help us a lot going forward.

Post by nageshsahib
Your Q2 bears a resemblance to the scansion of the NK ghazal in another thread. In Q2 you notice the omission of a long vowel from the scansion (r-meiN). I wonder if this is what happened to one of the long vowels in the NJ ghazal - perhaps it should be dropped for the same reason?
Regards,
Nagesh

You are absolutely on the right track here, Irfan sahib's post in the pehlii baarish thread confirms it. I definitely need to work more on this issue in order to get comfortable with it.

Looking forward to work with you on more exercises,

_______Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
You have done a good job overall. Congrats! Here are my comments.

aadaab, Irfan sahib.
Your detailed comments are very helpful. I can see that I need a lot more practice to fine tune things.

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Here you go.

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
6.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 1 /1 2 2
aa ti/ sh baa zii/ chhuT t/e de khii
muf t / ki dau lat / luT t / e de khii

2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
aa tish / baa zii / chhuT te / de khii
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
muf t /kii dau lat / luT te / de khii

Now it makes better sense. I was pushing the e to the last foot to create the first 1 there.

Post by Irfan Abid
Please note that the 21/122 part in the second misra’ can be broken as 22/22 as well. The taqtiia’ will be muf tak / dau lat. Here the mutarrik “ki”, which will remain after dropping the “ye,” is treated as saakin.

Q 1: When you break the second 2 as 1-1 in any foot, do you keep the 1-1 in same foot, or push the second 1 to the next foot, or sometimes you do and sometimes you don't? Is this decision bahr dependent?
i.e. 2 2/ 2 2 is 2 1 1/2 2 or 2 1/1 2 2 or either??
Getting this cleared up will hopefully help me a lot in future.

Its's the latter i.e. 2 1/1 2 2. In fact, if you follow the 1-2 system, it doesn't matter, but when it comes to Urdu arkaan, it's unequivocally 2 1/1 2 2 so let's say that's the way to go.

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
8.
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r-ke*/dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puChh te/kya ho /un ne /to
qash qaa /kheN chaa/dair meiN/baiThh aa/kab kaa /tar k-is*/laa m-ki*/yaa
(* Any second 2 in the first 7 feet may be broken as 1-1)

Again, you almost got it. It’s perfectly alright to break the misra’s of this sher as 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2, as you have done, but the breakdown will be as follows.
Mee rak / dee no / maz hab / kaa ab / puu chat** / kyaa ho / un ne / to
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai ram** / bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

** Q 2: This part I don't understand, I mean regarding 'chhat' and 'ram'. What does the middle a notate here? Isn't it 'chhte', with an e at the end, and r-meiN? If yes, can 'chhte' be weight 2? And exactly what happened to the e and eiN so they got dropped?

Please recall my earlier statement about mutaharrik letters being treated as saakin. That rule is at play here. Please note that both "chha" and "te" are mutaharrik here and "te' is being treated as saakin for the purpose of taqtiia'.

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Alternatively, you can use (21/122) in place of some of the (22/22)’s, as follows.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r / ke dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puu chh / te kyaa ho /un ne / to
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai r / meiN bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

This again takes me back to Q 1. Such breakdown would not have occurred to me, i.e. moving the second 1 of 1-1 to the next foot.

Please see the answer to Q1.

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
12.
taa* ahd/e ja vaa/nii* tham/naa* daaN/be* vaq/t ka mar/kyuN* kas/taa hai
has* tii/se a dam/ke D aaN /De* tak /ik* raa/t ba se / kaa* ras/taa hai
(* Any 1-1 may be replaced by a 2)

Again, a couple minor tweaks, as follows.
2 2 / 1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 /1 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 2
taa ah / de ja vaa / nii tham / naa* daaN / be* vaq / t ka mar / kyuN* kas / taa hai
has tii / se a dam / ke DaaN / De tak / ik raa / t ba se / kaa ras / taa hai

Yes. The tweaks make it better.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
17.
2 1 2 /1 2 2 2 /2 1 2 /1 2 2 2
dekh i ye/Khu daa kab tak/phir voh din/di khaa taa hai
yaa r ko /in aaN khoN se /ghai r par /Kha faa de kheN

This is near perfect. The only thing I would change is “dekh i ye” to “de khi ye.”

Yes of course. I should have caught this on my own.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
31. Rajaz Musamman Matvii Makhbuun: muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun muf-ta-i-lun ma-faa-i-lun
gesuu-e-taab.daar ko aur bhii tab.daar kar
aql-o-Khirad shikaar kar qalb-o-nazar shikaar kar (Iqbal)
2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2 /2 1 1 2 /1 2 1 2
ges u u e /t aab d aar /ko au r bhii /tab daa r kar
aql o Khi rad/shi kaa r kar/qal bo na zar/shi kaa r kar

This, too, is well done. The only change I will make is in the first misra’, which should be as follows.
ge su e taa / b daa r ko / au r bhii taa / b daa r kar

I think what threw me off here is that you had typed the second 'taabdaar' as 'tabdaar' in the original she'r. I did think about it, accepted it at face value, perhaps should have realized it had to be 'taabdaar'.

Sorry for the confusion.

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Hope this helps.

It really helps Irfan sahib. I think in future, I should double check my work more carefully, and perhaps cross check with Nagesh sahib also before submission.
You can tell as a student, I am pretty hard on myself. :)
Will you assign some more practice examples soon? Or should I just pick some random asha'ar to work on my own? Whatever is easier for you, I realize you are taking time out of your busy schedule to help us and do not want to sound too demanding.

I will cover more bahrs and provide ash'aar on them shortly. Actually it's quite a painstaking exercise and requires a lot of time, which is not always available. :) I would say go ahead and do the taqtiia' of your favorite ash'aar. That should help solidify what you have learned so far. Of course I will be there to help in any way I can. Good luck!

Post by Zoya
Thank you.
______Zoya

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Post by Irfan Abid
Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
Here you go.

Great. Thanks.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
Q 1: When you break the second 2 as 1-1 in any foot, do you keep the 1-1 in same foot, or push the second 1 to the next foot, or sometimes you do and sometimes you don't? Is this decision bahr dependent?
i.e. 2 2/ 2 2 is 2 1 1/2 2 or 2 1/1 2 2 or either??

Its's the latter i.e. 2 1/1 2 2. In fact, if you follow the 1-2 system, it doesn't matter, but when it comes to Urdu arkaan, it's unequivocally 2 1/1 2 2 so let's say that's the way to go.

I love definitive answers, this should help me a lot. In future, before converting to the binary system, I will also pay closer attention to how you indicate the allowances using the Urdu arkaan .

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Again, you almost got it. It’s perfectly alright to break the misra’s of this sher as 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2, as you have done, but the breakdown will be as follows.
Mee rak / dee no / maz hab / kaa ab / puu chat** / kyaa ho / un ne / to
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai ram** / bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

** Q 2: This part I don't understand, I mean regarding 'chhat' and 'ram'. What does the middle a notate here? Isn't it 'chhte', with an e at the end, and r-meiN? If yes, can 'chhte' be weight 2? And exactly what happened to the e and eiN so they got dropped?

Please recall my earlier statement about mutaharrik letters being treated as saakin. That rule is at play here. Please note that both "chha" and "te" are mutaharrik here and "te' is being treated as saakin for the purpose of taqtiia'.

Yes, I am starting to realize this is the weakest link that usually trips me. I need to study and practice this a lot more.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya

Post by Irfan Abid
Alternatively, you can use (21/122) in place of some of the (22/22)’s, as follows.
2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
Mee r / ke dii no /maz hab /kaa ab /puu chh / te kyaa ho /un ne / to
2 2 / 2 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 2 / 2
qash qaa / kheN chaa / dai r / meiN bai Thaa / kab kaa / tar kis / laa mak / yaa

This again takes me back to Q 1. Such breakdown would not have occurred to me, i.e. moving the second 1 of 1-1 to the next foot.

Please see the answer to Q1.

Got it. I already feel a lot more comfortable with this.

Post by Irfan Abid

Post by Zoya
Will you assign some more practice examples soon? Or should I just pick some random asha'ar to work on my own? Whatever is easier for you, I realize you are taking time out of your busy schedule to help us and do not want to sound too demanding.

I will cover more bahrs and provide ash'aar on them shortly. Actually it's quite a painstaking exercise and requires a lot of time, which is not always available. :)

I totally understand how time consuming this task must be, and am very grateful to you for doing it for us. This information is a gold mine for current and future students of the subject.

I would say go ahead and do the taqtiia' of your favorite ash'aar. That should help solidify what you have learned so far. Of course I will be there to help in any way I can. Good luck!

Sounds like a good plan. I will pick some asha'ar and start practicing, will submit my work for your feedback when done. But no rush, you can look at it whenever time permits. Meantime, we may discuss it in the study group also.

Post by Irfan Abid
niyaazmand,

Thank you,

________Zoya

[Irfan Abid]

Post by Zoya
Irfan sahib,
I am very grateful to you for these invaluable articles on Urdu meters. After my first brief, and very painful, introduction to meters a lifetime ago, I had always avoided all places where this arcane and bewildering subject was discussed. However after having mustered some courage I decided to take a peek at what you had written and found it very approachable, even enjoyable.
Now I have gone through the wholethread, having pondered questions and answers among other friends. Your writing has gotten me interested and removed that initial fear and loathing of this subject. Thank you very much.
I am really hoping that you will continue this series for as long as possible.

Shoaib sb, aadaab arz hai!

I am honored to have received your words of appreciation. I consider myself fortunate to have something of value that I can share with friends. I know it's a somewhat dry and sometimes complex subject, but knowledge of aruuz gives you a tool to make your poetry better. I will share more material on this subject as time permits.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

[Zoya]

Irfan sahib,

I just wanted to let you know that I have not slacked off and have been working hard on my assignments. In additions to your three articles in this thread, I have also carefully studied the first five chapters of Nikaat-e-SuKhan series written by Sarwar sahib. I feel more comfortable with the bahr nomenclature and arkaan modifications now.

I have scanned all the asha'ar that Sarwar sahib posted as examples in his lessons, and cross checked my work against his. Still not perfect, but getting better.

Between Sarwar sahib, RK sahib and you, we have the best teachers anywhere on this topic. I am truly grateful to all of you and couldn't ask for better guidance and inspiration.

Thank you.

________Zoya

[Zoya]

Irfan sahib,

I just wanted to let you know that I have not slacked off and have been working hard on my assignments. In addition to your three articles in this thread, I have also carefully studied the first five chapters of Nikaat-e-SuKhan series written by Sarwar sahib. I have started feeling more comfortable with the bahr nomenclature and arkaan modifications now.

I have scanned all the asha'ar that Sarwar sahib posted as examples in his lessons, and cross checked my work against his. Still not perfect, but getting better.

Between Sarwar sahib, RK sahib and you, we have the best teachers anywhere on this topic. I am truly grateful to all of you and couldn't ask for better guidance and inspiration.

Thank you.

________Zoya