Poetry Kaleidoscope: Guide to Poetry

Qaafiyaa

Qaafiyaa is a device employed in a form of Urdu poetry known as Ghazal (a poetic form consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain). The Qaafiyaa is the rhyming pattern of words that must directly proceed the Ghazal's Radif. The example below is of a Ghazal below by Daag Dehelvi.

In this case the Qaafiyaa is the following pattern of words: jalwa-gaah, nigaah, raah, haale-tabaah and aah. The Radif is mein.

aafat kii shoKhiyaa.N hai.n tumhaarii nigaah mein

mehashar ke fitane khelate hai.n jalwa-gaah mein

wo dushmanii se dekhate hai.n dekhate to hain

mai.n shaad huu.N ke huu.N to kisii kii nigaah mein

aatii baat baat mujhe yaad baar baar

kahataa huu.N dau.D dau.D ke qaasid se raah mein

is taubaah par hai naaz mujhe zaahid is qadar

jo TuuT kar shariik huu.N haal-e-tabaah mein

mushtaaq is adaa ke bahot dard-ma.nd the

ae DaaG tum to baiTh gaye ek aah mein

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