Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
; fa, مقطع; az, məqtə; tr, makta; uz, maqta; ur, مقطع) is the first '' bayt'', or couplet, of a ''
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
''. In this sense, it is the opposite of the ''
matla'
In Persian, Turkic and Urdu poetry, the matla (from Arabic ; fa, مطلع; az, mətlə; tr, matla; uz, matla; ur, مطلع) is the first '' bayt'', or couplet, of a ''ghazal''. In this sense, it is the opposite of the '' maqta. It is possi ...
''. The poet's '' takhallus'', or pen name, is usually employed in the ''maqta'', often in very creative ways.
A '' shayar'' can use the ''maqta'' in a variety of interesting ways. He can "talk to himself", "to somebody else", "refer to something" etc. For example ''Firaq'' Gorakhpuri, whose ''takhallus'' is the word for the common theme in Urdu poetry of the state of pining for the beloved, plays on his pen name and the word ''firaq'':
Roman Urdu
Roman Urdu ( ur, ) is the name used for the Urdu language written with the Latin script, also known as the Roman script.
According to the Urdu scholar Habib R. Sulemani: "Roman Urdu is strongly opposed by the traditional Arabic script lovers. ...
:
:''Tu yeh na samajh ke Firaq teri Firaq mein hai''
:''Firaq uski Firaq mein hai jo teri Firaq mein hai''
English Translation:
:Don't think that Firaq pines for you
:Firaq pines for the one who pines for you
Examples
A sher by
Mir Taqi Mir
Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal era in the Subcontinent and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language it ...
:
''Mir'' in neem baaz aankhon mein
Saari masti sharaab ki see hai
Another by Mirza Ghalib:
*
Kaba kis munh se jaaoge ''Ghalib''
sharm tum ko magar nahiN aati
Ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
*
Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghalib ...
*
Matla'
In Persian, Turkic and Urdu poetry, the matla (from Arabic ; fa, مطلع; az, mətlə; tr, matla; uz, matla; ur, مطلع) is the first '' bayt'', or couplet, of a ''ghazal''. In this sense, it is the opposite of the '' maqta. It is possi ...