Radif

{{Short description|Element of Persian, Turkic, and Urdu ghazals}}

{{About|the radif in Persian, Turkic and Urdu ghazals|the radif in Iranian music theory|Radif (music)}}

{{Italic title}}

In Persian, Turkic, and Urdu ghazals, the radīf (from Arabic {{lang|ar|رديف}}; {{langx|fa|ردیف}}; {{langx|az|rədif}}; {{langx|tr|redif}}; {{langx|ur|ردیف}}; {{langx|uz|radif}}) is the word which must end each line of the first couplet and the second line of all the following couplets.{{efn|A couplet is called bayt or sher.}} It is preceded by a qafiya, which is the actual rhyme of the ghazal.{{cite book|title=The Court of Indar and the Rebirth of North Indian Drama|page=151|author=Afroz Taj|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWILAQAAMAAJ}}{{Cite news|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/164447/history-art-performance-ghazal-hindustani-sangeet/|title=The history, art and performance of ghazal in Hindustani sangeet|date=2017-12-21|website=Daily Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-18}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AXtyWoP7GzYC&dq=radif+ghazal&pg=PA2|title=Urdu Ghazals: An Anthology, from 16th to 20th Century|last=Kanda|first=K. C.|date=1995|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-81-207-1826-5|language=en}}

The following is an example of an Urdu ghazal by Daagh Dehlvi, where the radif is "mein" while the qafiya is in -aah: {{Transliteration|ur|nigaah}}, {{Transliteration|ur|jalwa-gaah}}, {{Transliteration|ur|nigaah}}, {{Transliteration|ur|raah}}, {{Transliteration|ur|haal-e-tabaah}} and {{Transliteration|ur|aah}}.

{{Poem quote|text=آفت کی شوخیاں ہیں تمھاری نگاہ میں

محشر کے فتنے کھلاتی ہیں جلوہ گاہ میں

{{Transliteration|ur|aafat kii shoKhiyaa.N hai.n tumhaarii nigaah mein|italics=no}}

{{Transliteration|ur|mehashar ke fitane khelate hai.n jalwa-gaah mein|italics=no}}

وہ دشمنی سے دیکھتے ہیں دیکھتے تو ہیں

میں شاد ہوں کہ ہوں تو کسی کی نگاہ میں

{{Transliteration|ur|wo dushmanii se dekhate hai.n dekhate to hain|italics=no}}

{{Transliteration|ur|mai.n shaad huu.N ke huu.N to kisii kii nigaah mein|italics=no}}

آتی ہے بات بات مجھے بار بار یاد

کہتا ہوں دوڑ دوڑ کے قاصد سے راہ میں

{{Transliteration|ur|aatii he baat baat mujhe yaad baar baar|italics=no}}

{{Transliteration|ur|kahataa huu.N dau.D dau.D ke qaasid se raah mein|italics=no}}

اس توبہ پر ہے ناز مجھے زاہد اس قدر

جو ٹوٹ کر شریک ہوں حالِ تباہ میں

{{Transliteration|ur|is taubaah par hai naaz mujhe zaahid is qadar|italics=no}}

{{Transliteration|ur|jo TuuT kar shariik huu.N haal-e-tabaah mein|italics=no}}

مشتاق اس ادا کے بہت درد مند تھے

اے داغ تم تو بیٹھ گئے ایک آہ میں

{{Transliteration|ur|mushtaaq is adaa ke bahot dard-ma.nd the|italics=no}}

{{Transliteration|ur|ae DaaG tum to baiTh gaye ek aah mein|italics=no}}

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In Urdu, a ghazal which has no radif is known as ghair muraddaf ghazal; if it contains radif, it is called a muraddaf ghazal.