In the name of full disclosure, I am not an expert on Hindi, India, or literature. The explanations you find here are the compilation of what I can find on a given term or a phrase. If you see a mistake or if you would like to contribute, please let me know by posting a comment. Thank you.
Showing posts with label ghazal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ghazal. Show all posts

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Ghalib

Some of the early editions of Ghalib can't be traced now; ... (p. 22)

Ghalib was a classical poet of India, who lived in the 19th century and wrote in Persian and Urdu. The poet's real name was Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, while "Ghalib" is the penname he adopted following the tradition of classical Urdu poets. Ghalib is most famous for his ghazals, which he wrote in Urdu, supposedly before the age of 19.

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Monday, January 26, 2009

Ghazal

Maan quoted a couplet from an Urdu ghazal to the effect that the hunter could turn into the hunted, ... (p. 21)

A ghazal is a form of poetry that consists of five or more rhyming couplets and a refrain. This poetic form originated in the pre-Islamic Arabic verse, and became prominent in the 13th and 14th century partially due to the Persian poets Rufi and Hafiz.

Traditionally a ghazal deals with unattainable love, both physical and spiritual. Although, it is mostly a form of Urdu poetry, the ghazal today can be found in poetry of many languages.

In India and Pakistan, classical ghazals were set to music and sung.

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