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Urdu Poetry and its Types

Urdu is a national language of Pakistan. Urdu is the official and co-official language in some parts of country India. However, Urdu is also known as Lashkari. Well, Urdu is the native language of almost 66 million people and it is the 21st most spoken language in the world. Countries whose Urdu is spoken more are Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Urdu is also spoken in Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa and Guyana.

Well, Urdu started developing in 12^th century in north India near Delhi. However, Urdu is heavily contained and influenced by Turkish, Arabic, Persian and Hindi. Hindi is also called sister language of Urdu due to similarity between them. Urdu is also known as the language of Indian Subcontinent Muslims. But it’s wrong because many Hindu and Sikh writers also made contribution by writing in Urdu. After the partition, Pakistan chose Urdu as a national language. Now, Urdu is spoken in USA, middle East, England, Canada and India. Well, nevertheless Urdu speakers are more in India than Pakistan. In India Urdu speakers are from Lucknow, Delhi and Telangana.

Poetry is a language of feeling and emotions. People convert their emotion into words to form poetry. It is not easy to be a poet. Urdu poetry is loved by all Urdu understanding people. While poetry is loved all over the world in their native languages. Nowadays people mostly like 2 line Urdu poetry. Poets are very sensitive, observant and emotional. People prefer a unique style of poetry which is not very common. Because people read poetry to refresh themselves.

Urdu poetry got started written by poets and writers during the 14th and 15^th century. Urdu got recognition and success with the passage of time. Last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah zafar was also a great Urdu poet. During his era he also tried his best to preserve the Urdu poetry.

Poetry became very popular after the 18th century. People used to hire poets to listen to poetry in gatherings. Kings and Umraah also start calling and hiring poets to listen to poetry. Some Kings used to have poets in their palace.

Urdu poetry saw many great poets including Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Allam Muhammad Iqbal, Jaun Ellia, Gulzar and many more.

Types of Urdu Poetry

Types of Urdu poetry are:

· Ghazal

· Marsiya

· Musaddas

· Masnavi

· Nazm

· Naat

· Hamd

· Mattah

· Manqabat

· Qasida

· Rubaiyat

Ghazal

A ghazal is a type of poetry which comes from the Arabic poetry. While we trace it back to its origin it is almost 1300 years old. It started in Arab in the 7th century. But this form of poetry came to the Indian Subcontinent in the 12th century during the new Islamic sultanate and at the time of Sufism. A ghazal usually consists of 5 to 15 rhyming couplets (Shairs).

Usually ghazals have one concept like love, pain, sadness, loss. This type is usually understood as a poetic expression of pain and loss. Ghazal is also known as a short poem and it usually consists of 7 to 2 shairs. Ghazals should not have fewer couplets than giving a limit of five while not more than 15. If a given limit exceeds it is called Qasidas. There are five strict rules for ghazal. Includes Radeef, Qafia, Matlaa, Maqta and Beher.

Ghalib was the most famous and best ghazal writer in Urdu. Ghazals were also part of the music industry during the 20th century in Bollywood and Lollywood. Ghazals are sung by many different singers including legend Muhammad Rafi.

Example Ghazal

Koi Din Gar Zindgani Aur Hai

Apne Jee Mai Hun ne Thani Or Hai

Aatish Dozakh Mai Ye Garmi Kahan

Soze Gham Haye Nahani Or Hai

Bar’ha Dekhin Hain Un ki Ranjishein

Par Kuch Ab Ki, Sargarani Aur Hai

Dai Ke Khat Munh Dekhta Hai Nama’bar

Kuch To Paigam Zubani Aur Hai

Qate Aemar Hain Aksar Najoom

Wo Bulaye Aasmani Aur Hai

Ho Chuken Ghalib Bulayen Sab Tamam

Aik Marge Nagahani Aur Hai

Mirza Ghalib

Marsiya

It is a type of Urdu poetry or a poem which writers write to commemorate the martyrs of Karbala. It is related to the tragedy of karbala. Marsiya is a Arabic word which is derived from marthiya means tragedy. Well, this type was found in lucknow and it is mastered by Mir Babar Ali Anees.

Marsiya Example

Boli Bano Pyare Asghar Sham Bhai Ghar Ao

Raat Akele Daro Ge Sham Bhai Ghar Ao

Beta Shaam Bhai Ghar Ao

Pani Peene Gaye Ho Asghar Jiya Mora Ghabaraye

Koi Nahi Hai Ghar Mai Beta Lene Tujh Ko Aye

Beta Sham Bhai Ghar Ao

Musaddas

Musaddas is a type of Urdu poetry meaning Chay Misron ka Band or Six Verses. In English it’s meaning is Sextain. Dabeer, Waheed Akhtar and Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali are great poets of this genre.

Musaddas Example

Kare Gair Gurbat Ki Pooja TO Kaafir

Gire Aag Par Beher Sajda To Kaafir

Jo Theraye Beta Khuda Ka to Kaafir

Kuwakib Mai Mane Karishma To Kaafir

Magar Momino Par Kushada Hai Raahien

Pursatish Karen Shoq Se Jis Ki Chahyen

Nabi Ko Jo Chahyen Khuda Kar Dikhaye

Mazaron Pe Din Raat Nazren Charahiyen

Imamo Ka Rutba Nabi Se Barhayein

Shaheedon Se Ja Ja ke Maange Duayen

Na Toheed Mai Kuch Khalal Is Se Aye

Na Islam Bigre Na Imaan Jaye

Musaddas MadoJazar Islam

Masnavi

Masnavi is a large and extensive series of poems. It is written in Persian. Writer of it was Jalaluddin Balkhi. He is also known as Rumi. This poem is also called “The Quran in Persian”. Masnavi is the most influential Sufism work. The purpose of masnavi is how to truly love God. It almost contains 25000 verses.

Nazm

Nazm is a type of poem. It is relatively similar to ghazal but it has no restrictions and rules. Writers can write according to their thoughts. In nazm you can cover a wide range of topics while in ghazal you can focus on only one topic. It also has no rules for length. It can be short or can be long. It all depends upon the poet.

Nazm has a common theme. Nazm is usually written in Urdu language. It is not written only in Pakistan but also Northern India.

Naat

Naat is a Islamic Poetry in which we praise our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W). In Naat we describe and write the deeds and Sunnah of our Prophet. Naat practice is usually found in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. In Arab world, it is known as Madhi Nabawi.

Example Naat

Ya Nabi nazre karam farmana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Zahra paak ke sadqe humko

Taiba me bulana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Aap ke dar ka mai hu bhikari

Aap hai mere daata

Saare rishte naato se hai

Pyaara apna naata

Aap to hai aata hai jinko

sabki laaj nibhana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Be saaya hai lekin woh

Jag par hai aapka saaya

Arshe moh`alla bana mohalla

Deed ko Rab ne bulaya

Hasr tak na hoga kisika

Aisa aana jana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Sajh gayi hai meelad ki mehfil

Kya hai khoob nazara

Kaifo masti me dooba hai

Dekho aalam saara

Dhund rahi aap ki rehmat

Bakshish ka bahaana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Nisbat ka faizan hai dekho

Khadim e Gaus e Jali hu

Karta hai mujh pe naaz zamana

Mai Ausaat e Ali hu

Aap ki aal ke dar ka sag hu

Aur saahil hu purana

Ya Nabi nazre karam farmana

Aye Hasnain ke nana

Hamd

Hamd is a type of poem in which Muslims praise Allah. Well, the Arabic word means praise of God alone. Well, these poems are written in Urdu, Arabic, hindi and Turkish. These poems are recited by Muslims All over the world. Muslim write these poem to praise Allah that they were born Muslim. Also praise Allah that they were born healthy.

Madah

Madah is a type of poem and poetry in which poets praise patrons and royalty among others. It is an Arabic word which means praise. Madah is a part of Urdu Culture that got its peak in British Raj.

Manqabat

Manqabats are devotional poems. These are written to praise sufi saints and religious personalities. Manqabats are sung known as Qawwali. “Mann Kunto Maula” is one of the famous Manqabat Qawwali. It is written by Aamir Khusrau in praise of Ali.

Qasida

Qasida is the famous form of Arabic poetry. It was expand to the other parts of the world during Arab Muslim expansion. Qasida follows all the rules of poetry and ghazal. But it is much longer than the ghazal. It can consist of fifteen to hundred lines. It is popular among Arabs even before the rise of Islam. It is a long form of ghazals. Qasida is usually written to praise someone. Arabs write qasidas to praise Kings which help others. Qasida does not have to be spiritual.

Rubaiyat

Rubaiyat is a type of poem in which quatrains are used to express their feelings in poetry. Quatrains mean four. Rubaiyat poetry consists of four lines.