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Urdu poetry

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Amir Khusrau,a 13th-century Urdu poet.

Urdu poetry(Urdu:اُردُو شاعرىUrdū šāʿirī) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the culture ofIndiaandPakistan.According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu:Mir Taqi Mir(d.1810),Mirza Ghalib(d. 1869),Mir Anees(d.1874),Muhammad Iqbal(d. 1938) andJosh Malihabadi(d.1982). The language of Urdu reached its pinnacle under theBritish Raj,and it received official status. All famous writers of Urdu language including Ghalib and Iqbal were given British scholarships.[1]Following thePartition of Indiain 1947, it found major poets and scholars were divided along the nationalistic lines. However, Urdu poetry is cherished in both the nations. Both theMuslimsandHindusfrom across the border continue the tradition.

It is fundamentally performative poetry and its recital, sometimes impromptu, is held inMushairas(poetic expositions). Although its tarannum saaz (singing aspect) has undergone major changes in recent decades, its popularity among the masses remains unaltered.Mushairasare today held in metropolitan areas worldwide because of the cultural influence of theSouth Asian diaspora.Ghazalsinging andQawwaliare also important expository forms of Urdu poetry.

Forms

The principal forms of Urdu poetry are:[2]

  • Ghazal(غزل): a set of two liner couplets, which strictly should end with the same rhyme and should be within one of the predefined meters of ghazals. There has to be a minimum of five couplets to form a ghazal. Couplets may or may not have the same thought. It is one of the most difficult forms of poetry as there are many strict parameters that one needs to abide by while writing ghazal. It is important to think about the topic as well as the theme of a ghazal before starting to write it. The first line of a ghazal must include a refrain, which is a word or a phrase that can be easily fitted into the other couplets. Each couplet of a ghazal is known as Sher (شعر ). The first Sher is calledMatla' (مطلع ).The last Sher is calledMaqta' (مقطع ),but only if the poet uses his "Takhalus (تخلص )".
  • Hamd(حمّد): a poem in praise ofGod.The word "hamd" is derived from theQur'an,itsEnglishtranslation is "Praise".
  • Manqabat(منقبت): aSufidevotional poem, in praise ofAliibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law ofMuhammad,or of any Sufi saint.
  • Marsiya(مرثیہ): anelegytypically composed about the death ofHasan,Husayn,their relatives, and their companions. Each stanza has six lines, with therhyme schemeAAAABB.[2]The famous marsia writers who inherited the tradition of Mir Anis among his successive generations are Mir Nawab Ali 'Munis', Dulaha Sahab 'Uruj', Syed Mohammed Mohsin (Jaunpuri), Mustafa Meerza urf Piyare Sahab 'Rasheed', Syed Muhammad Mirza Uns, Ali Nawab 'Qadeem', Syed Sajjad Hussain "Shadeed" Lucknavi, Allama, Dr.Syed Ali Imam Zaidi, "Gauher" Luckhnavi the great-grandson of Mir Babber Ali Anis, Syed Karrar Hyder (Jaunpuri) and Syed Yadullah Haider (son of Syed Karrar Hyder).
  • Masnavi(مثنوی): a poem written incoupletsinbacchictetrameterwith aniambusfor last foot. The topic is often romance.[2]Mir Taqi MirandSaudawrote some of this kind. The Religious Masnavi History of Islam (Tarikh-e-Islam Az Quran) written by Dr Syed Ali Imam Zaidi Gauher Lucknavi.
  • Na`at(نعت):poetrythat specifically praises theIslamic prophet Muhammad.
  • Nazm(نظم): the basic type of Urdu poetry. It can be written on any topic, and so a wide host of Nazm exist. From Nazeer Akbarabadi,Iqbal,Josh,Firaq,Akhtarul Iman to down the lineNoon Meem Rashid,Faiz,Ali Sardar JafriandKaifi Azmi,Urdu poets have covered common life, philosophical thinking, national issues and the precarious predicament of an individual human being. As a distinct form ofNazmmanyUrdupoets influenced by English and other European poets took to writing sonnets in the Urdu language.[3]Azmatullah Khan (1887–1923) is believed to have introduced this format to Urdu Literature.[4]The other renowned Urdu poets who wrote sonnets were Akhtar Junagarhi,Akhtar Sheerani,Noon Meem Rashid,Zia Fatehabadi,Salaam MachhalishahariandWazir Agha.
  • Qasida(قصیدہ): usually anodeto a benefactor, asatire,or an account of an event. It uses the same rhyme system as the ghazal, but is usually longer.[2]
  • Ruba'i(رُباعی): a poetry style, theArabicterm for "quatrain".The plural form of the word,rubāʿiyāt,often anglicisedrubaiyat,is used to describe a collection of such quatrains.
  • Tazkira(تذکرہ): abiographicalanthologyofpoetry.[2]

Collection forms

The principal collection forms of Urdu poetry are:[2]

Formation

Urdu poetry forms itself with following basic ingredients:

Genres

The major genres of poetry found in Urdu are:

Pen names

Further information:Takhallus

In the Urdu poetic tradition, most poets use apen namecalled theTakhallus(تخلص). This can be either a part of a poet's given name or something else adopted as an identity. The traditional convention in identifying Urdu poets is to mention the takhallus at the end of the name. The wordtakhallus[5]is derived from Arabic, meaning "ending". This is because in the Ghazal form, the poet would usually incorporate his or her pen name into the final couplet (Arabic:مقطع,romanized:maqta') of each poem.

Scripts used in poetry

InPakistanand Deccan region ofIndia,Urdu poetry is written in the standardNasta'liq calligraphy styleof thePerso-Arabic script.However, in north India, where Urdu poetry is very popular, thePerso-Arabicis often found transliterated into theDevanāgarī script,as an aid for thoseHindī-speakers, who can comprehend Urdu, but cannot read thePerso-Arabic script.With the dawn of the internet and globalization, this poetry is often found written inRoman Urduas well as inHindi script.

Example of Urdu ghazal

The following is a verse from an UrdughazalbySyed Khwaja Mir Dard:

Urdu:

دوستو، دیکھا تماشا یہاں کا بس
تم رہو؛ اب ہم تو اپنے گھر چلے

Roman Urdu:

Dōstō, dēkhā tamāśhā yaāhan kā bas.
Tum raho; ab hum tō apne ghar chalē

English translation:

Friends, I've seen the spectacle of this place enough
You stay here; I'm heading home.

Note Dard's use of theroyalwein this couplet, a technique characteristic of formal Urdu poetry.

See also

References

  1. ^Paul R. Brass (2005).Language, religion, and politics in North India.Lincoln, Neb.: IUniverse.ISBN978-0-595-34394-2.
  2. ^abcdefghBailey, Thomas Grahame (2008) [1932].A History of Urdu Literature(PDF).Association Press (Y.M.C.A.).ISBN978-0-19-547518-0.Retrieved15 July2012.
  3. ^Encyclopedic dictionary of Urdu literaturep. 565
  4. ^The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature(Volume Five)p. 4146
  5. ^A Brief History of Persian Literature,by the Iran Chamber Society.
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