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Poetry Guide: 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