How to write Ghazal

A Ghazal is a combination of :-

1.Beher (Meter
2.Radeef
3.Kafiya
4.Matla
5.Maktaa

1. What is Beher (Meter) ...?

Beher is the rhythm of a sheyr which compliments the connecting misra's (lines) of a ghazal...all the misra's in a sher and all the sheyrs in a ghazal has to follow the same beher. There are many different beher's and it demands serious studies to be understood.Apart from those set beher's a shayar can also creat his own beher as long as the sheyr is easy to recite and can be pronounced in rhythm n match the "wazan" of the ghazal..

2.What is Radeef...?

Radeef is the word(s) which ends the first two misra's and the second misra of every sheyr in a Ghazal.it is not necessary to use radeef in all the Ghazals...such Ghazals are called "gair-muraddaf" ghazals...but this is not what tradition allows...!!

Example of a Ghazal with radeef and kafiya :- (Abdul Hameed "adam")

phuuloN kii aarazuu meN baDe zaKhm khaaye haiN
lekin chaman ke Khaar bhii ab tak paraaye haiN

us par haraam hai Gam-e-dauraaN kii talKhiyaaN
jiske nasiib meN terii zulfoN ke saaye haiN


mahashar meN le gaii thii tabiyat kii saadagii
lekin baDe Khuluus se ham lauT aaye haiN


aayaa huuN yaad baad-e-fanaa unako bhii 'Adam'
kyaa jald mere siikh pe imaan laaye haiN


***here.."haiN" is the radeef of this Ghazal***




ai maigusaaro savere savere
Kharaabaat ke gird phere pe phere

(Abdul Hameed "adam")

here....radeef is missing...as last words of the sheyr are not same so its a "Ghair-muraddaf" ghazal...so radeef is that exact word or words that ends the first two lines and every second line of a ghazal...!!

3. What is Kafiya...?

Kafiya is that common sounding word that's used before "radeef"...for example in first ghazal mentioned above "khaaye".."paraaye"...."laaye" is the kafiya or should is say "aaye" is the kafiya because "aaye" is the sound that gives "wazan" to the radeef of the ghazal.

4.What is Matla...?

The very first sheyr or the first two misra's of a ghazal where radeef is used in both misra's is the "Matla" of a ghazal...!!

for example...

saaGar se lab lagaa ke bahut Khush hai zindagii
sahan-e-chaman meN aake bahut Khush hai zindagii


Matla is very necessary for the weight of a ghazal because the whole ghazal depends on kafiya and radeef used in the Matla.

5.What is Maktaa

Maktaa is the last sheyr of a ghazal where shayar use his "takhhallus" to leave his signature on his composition...A poet rather not have a maktaa rather than having a meaningless maktaa...its one of those finer points of shayri where shayar can express himself or his feelings or talk about anything using the rhythm of the ghazal...!!

example... ( Shakeel Badayuni ) :-

Khush huuN ki meraa husn-e-talab kaam to aayaa
Khaalii hii sahii merii taraf jaam to aayaa

log un se ye kahate haiN ki kitane haiN "Shakeel" aap
is husn ke sadaqe meN meraa naam to aayaa

.................................................


Dear friends...thsi article is far from complete as far as depth and rules of ghazal writing are concerned..each topic especially "beher" needs to be studied thoroughly if someone wants to understand this fine art of shayri.

These are just the basic points that someone needs to look at before writing or understanding a ghazal...if anyone have any questions at all..i'll be overwhelmed to answer...i have an advice for shayar's who has just begun to write and are serious about learning ghazal....you NEED to find an ustad who can guide you...find someone whom you can show your compositons...who can explain each term step by step and seek an advice..coz there's a lot more...A LOT MORE.. than you can imagine...!!

Ranjish hi sahi

Ranjish hii sahii dil hii dukhaane ke liye aa
 aa phir se mujhe chho.d ke jaane ke liye aa 

pahale se maraasim na sahii phir bhii kabhii to
rasm-o-rahe duniyaa hii niibhaane ke liye aa 

kis kis ko bataaye.nge judaa_ii kaa sabab ham 
tuu mujh se Khafaa hai to zamaane ke liye aa 

kuchh to mere pindaar-e-muhabbat ka bharam rakh
tuu bhii to kabhii mujh ko manaane ke liye aa 

ek umr se huu.N lazzat-e-giriyaa se bhii maharuum 
ai raahat-e-jaa.N mujh ko rulaane ke liye aa  

ab tak dil-e-Khush_faham ko tujh se hai.n ummiide.n
ye aaKhirii shamme.n bhii bujhaane ke liye aa   

maanaa ki muhabbat kaa chhipaanaa hai muhabbat
chupake se kisii roz jataane ke liye aa

jaise tujhe aate hai.n na aane ke bahaane
aise hii kisii roz na jaane ke liye aa

zindagii jab bhii unke bazm me laatii hai hame
ye zami chand se behatar nazar aati hai hame.

un kii yaad, un kii tamannaa, un kaa Gam
kaT rahii hai zindagii aaraam se .

aadatan tum ne kar diye vaade - Gulzar

aadatan tum ne kar diye vaade
aadatan ham ne aitabaar kiyaa

terii raaho.n me.n baarahaa ruk kar
ham ne apanaa hii intazaar kiiyaa

ab naa maa.Nge.nge zindagii yaa rab
ye gunaah ham ne ek baar kiyaa

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aabalaapaa koi is dasht me aayaa hogaa

aabalaapaa koi is dasht me.n aayaa hogaa
varnaa aandhii me diyaa kis ne jalaayaa hogaa

zarre zarre pe jaDe honge kunvaare sajde
ek ek but ko Khudaa us ne banaayaa hogaa

pyaas jalate huye kaa.NTo.n kii bujhaa_ii hogii
risate paanii ko haathelii pe sajaayaa hogaa

mil gayaa hogaa agar ko_ii sunaharii patthar
apanaa TuuTaa huaa dil yaad to aayaa hogaa

Khuun ke chhii.nTe kahii.n pochh na le.n rehro.n se
kis ne viiraane ko gul_zaar banaayaa hogaa

- Meena Kumari "Naaz".

aadamii aadamii ko kyaa degaa
Sudarshan Faakir

aadamii aadamii ko kyaa degaa
jo bhii degaa vahii Khudaa degaa

meraa qaatil hii meraa mu.nsib hai
kyaa mere haq me.n faisalaa degaa

zindagii ko qariib se dekho
isakaa cheharaa tumhe.n rulaa degaa

hamase puuchho dostii kaa silaa
dushmano.n kaa bhii dil hilaa degaa

ishq kaa zahar pii liyaa "Faakir"
ab masiihaa bhii kyaa davaa degaa

Ghalib's apologia--or 'ma'azeratnaama'

It so happened that Bahadur Shah Zafar's favorite wife, Begum Zeenat Begum asked Ghalib to write a 'sehra' (a tribute, if you will,) for her son, Shehzada Mirza Jawan BaKhth's wedding. Complying with the Begum's wish, Ghalib wrote a 'sehra' whose maqt'a said:

'hum suKhan_fehm haiN, Ghalib ke tarafdaar nahiN
dekheN keh de koi is sehre se baRh kar sehra'
(I'm someone who appreciates poetry, am not partial to Ghalib
Let's see if there's anyone who can write a better 'sehra')

It's believed that the Emperor wasn't pleased with the maqt'a. He was told that it was a dig at ShaiKh Ibrahim Zauq, Zafar's ustaad. Taunting the 'ustaad' was tantamount to slighting the Emperor and his taste, and all the rest of it. Zafar asked Zauq to write a 'sehra' as well and Zauq's 'sehra' had a maqt'a which was something of retort to Ghalib's maqt'a:

jin ko daawa ho suKhan ka yeh sunaa do unko
dekh is taraH se kehte haiN suKhanwar sehra
(Tell those who claim to be poets
This is how poets write a maqta'a)

Ghalib wrote his celebrated apology, 'qat'a-e-ma'azerat' in response to the Emperor's reaction, clarifying his position. The most interesting part is that the great master laced every single 'shayr' with veiled irony in his inimitable style and didn't leave a single opportunity to take a dig at 'Zauq':

manzoor hai guzaarish-e-ahvaal-e-waaqa'aii
apna bayaan-e-Husn-e-tabii'yat nahiN mujhe

sau pusht se, hai pesha-e-aaba sipahgari
kuchh shayari, zari'ye-e-izzat nahiN mujhe

aazaadah rau huN, aur mira maslak hai sulH-e-kul
hargiz kabhi kisi se adaawat nahiN mujhe

kya kam hai yeh sharaf ke Zafar ka Ghulaam huN
maana ke jaah-o-mansab-o-sarwat nahiN mujhe

ustaad-e-shah se ho mujhe parKhaash ka Khayaal
yeh taab, yeh majaal, yeh taaqat nahiN mujhe

jaam-e-jahaaN_numa hai shahenshaah ka zameer
saugand aur gawaah ki Haajat nahiN mujhe

maiN kaun, aur reKhta, haaN is se mudda'a
juz inbisaat-e-Khaatir-e-Hazrat nahiN mujhe

sehraa likhaa gaya ze_rah-e-imtiSaal-e-amr
dekhaa ke chaarah Ghair ita'at nahiN mujhe

maqt'e meiN aa paRi hai suKhan gustaraana baat
maqsood is se qat'a-e-moHabbat nahiN mujhe

ruu-e-suKhan kisi taraf ho, tau ruu_siyaah
sauda nahiN, junooN nahiN, veHshat nahiN mujhe

qismat buri sahii, pa tabii'yat buri nahiN
hai shukr ki jagah, ke shikaayat nahiN mujhe

saadiq huN apne qaul meiN Ghalib Khuda_gawaah
kehta huN sach ke jhooT ki a'adat nahiN mujhe

Rahat Indori

यूँ न सब पे उँगलियाँ उठाया करो , खर्च करने से पहले थोड़ा कमाया करो ।
जिंदगी क्या है ख़ुद ही समझ जाओगे , कभी बारिश में पतंगे उड़ाया करो ॥ - राहत इन्दोरी

रोज़ तारों की नुमाइश में खलल पड़ता है , चाँद पागल है, अंधेरे में निकल पड़ता है।
उनकी याद आई है सांसो, ज़रा आहिस्ता चलो , धडकनों से भी इबादत में खलल पड़ता है॥ - रहत इन्दोरी

हिन्दी Ghazal

ग़ज़लों के बादशाह कहे जाने वाले मिर्जा गालिब बिना साज़ संगीत के अनायास हीछोड़ देते थे उसे आजकल के गायक आधुनिक साजों से लैस होकर भी ग़ज़ल के नाम पर मखौल भर कर बैठते है।ग़ज़ल गायिकी के फनकार बहुत है, पर जब ग़ज़ल में जान ही न हो तो गायिकी बेअसर रहती है। गायक उसे श्रोता के कान तक तो पहुँचा सकताहै पर ज़हन तक नहीं।

ग़ज़लों के एक दौर में लिखी गई हर कामयाब ग़ज़ल दिल से लिखी जाती थी और दिल तक पहुँचती थी।ग़ज़ल एक भाव है जो तब तक दिल तक नहीं पहुंचेगा जब तक दिल से नहीं निकलेगा।

मैंने इस ब्लॉगके माध्यम से यह कौशिश की गई है की ऐसी ही सच्ची ग़ज़लों की खोज इतिहास के पन्नो में की जाए । ऐसी कईमहान कृतियाँ जिनपर समय की धूल चढ़ बैठी है उन्हें ढूँढना होगा । इस ब्लॉग में मेरी यह कोशिस रहेगी की ऐसीग़ज़लें ढूंढी जाए और उनका फ़िर से लुत्फ उठाया जाए ।
यह एक श्रधांजलि होगी हर एक शायर को जिनकी ग़ज़लें जीने से पहले ही गर्त हो गई. मुझे विश्वास है वोह फ़िर से जी उठेगी । आप से अनुरोध है इन ग़ज़लों के दौर में मेरे साथ चलें ।कोई ग़ज़ल आप को पसंद हो तो उसे मुझे भेजें ताकि मैं उसे यहाँ शामिल कर लाखों लोगो तक पहुँचा सकूं।