How to Write a Ghazal

Co-authored by Anas Abdallah

Last Updated: October 19, 2024 References

Want to try your hand at writing a ghazal? Pronounced roughly like English guzzle, this centuries-old form of poetry and song hails from Persia (Iran), Pakistan, and India. ^{[1]
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Research source} In Arabic, the word "ghazal" can have two meanings: one referring to the physical act of spinning thread and the other to a more abstract concept of passionate or flirtatious conversation. Ghazal poetry is a poetic form that draws inspiration from this dual meaning. ^{[2]
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Research source} This fun and interesting poem is easy to write once you've nailed down the different rules and parts—and we're here to help you do just that! Read on for an in-depth look at how to draft your very own ghazal.

Would you like to learn to write a ghazal? We will teach you!

Though at first the rules may seem a puzzle, we will teach you!

Glossary

(These terms are from Arabic unless otherwise noted.)

Ghazal (غَزَل‎) — An ancient form of Arabic poetry, now diffused to many languages and cultures, and still actively written in our time. Read on to find out how to do this!
Bahr (بحر "sea") — Refers to the meter of the poem. In Arabic, the meter is often quite strict. In English, for our purposes, it refers to the number of syllables in a line.
Matla (مطلع "beginning") — The first sher (couplet) of a ghazal. It tells the reader the radif (refrain) and qaafiya (rhyme).
Radif (ردیف "row, order") — The refrain, discussed in Step 1. The radif is often considered a more prominent feature in Persian poetry. ^{[3]
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Qaafiya (قافیة "rhyme") — The rhyme, discussed in Step 2. The Qaafiya is often considered a more prominent feature in Arabic poetry. ^{[4]
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Sher (شعر "Poem") — Any couplet of a ghazal. (As noted below, each couplet constitutes a mini-poem.) This is the Persian term, and the one used in this article. The Arabic term is bayt (بیت "house").
Maqta (مقطع "division, part, section") — The last sher (couplet) of a ghazal. Typically it includes the poet's takhallus (pen name).
Takhallus (تخلص "liberated", hence "ending") — The poet's pen name or nom de plume, typically included in the maqta as a sort of sign-off.

1

Decide what your radif is going to be.

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Every verse ends with the same word or group of words (radif). It makes sense to choose one that can be flexible in use and meaning, so you can use it in different ways in each sher, or couplet.
- You're bound to make a few false starts, and you'll soon realise that your choice of radif is the single most important factor in determining how successful your ghazal is likely to be.

2

Consider what your qaafiya is going to be.

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The qaafiya is a rhyme that precedes the radif. Again, pick something with lots of possibilities.^{[5]
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- Qafiya, a cornerstone of Arabic poetry, serves as a rhythmic anchor, unifying the poem's structure while enhancing its melodic flow and emotional impact.
- A poet's mastery in old Arabic poems was often measured by their adeptness at using qaafiya. Like a skilled weaver crafting a tapestry, they carefully selected threads of words that not only rhymed but also enhanced the poem's meaning.

3

Choose your topic.

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Traditional topics include wine and drunkenness. When taken literally, this is quite something when you consider the time and place of origin of this poetic form! When taken metaphorically, wine represents the divine, or a connection or conduit to the divine. Drunkenness represents a meal of this food for the spirit.
- Another traditional topic is love (where it's often deliberately ambiguous whether the poet is referring to divine love or love between two people).
- At the same time, however, the key word is "traditional". As with any poetic form, you can write about any topic that works. See also for example Patricia Smith's "Hip-Hop Ghazal".

4

Get writing.

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A ghazal consists of a series of couplets (two-line verses). Each line contains the same number of syllables. Each couplet is a separate, complete mini-poem, so there's no need for any narrative progression, or any real connection between the couplets. Both lines of the first verse end with the qaafiya and radif. See down the page for an example ghazal.^{[6]
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- Remember, each couplet constitutes a separate little poem, so don't have one verse rely on a previous one to make sense.

5

Finish with a flourish.

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Try to end with something subtle yet unexpected. This will cause the reader to ponder your words, and hence will add more depth to your ghazal.
- Traditionally, the poet's pen-name was included in the last verse; this final couplet usually contains a 'turn', or change of tone, to something more personal or quirky.
- In the past, Arabic poets often included their names, titles, or family names in their poems to express pride. While you don't have to do this if you prefer a humbler approach, it can be fun to try a traditional Arabic title. For example, you could use 'Abu' (Father of) followed by your son/ daughter's name, or if you don't have kids yet, you could use a future name.
- Another option to emulate the style of ancient Arab poets is to use a descriptive adjective as a title. For example, "Al-Nabigha" (meaning "the genius") is a well-known title used by poets. You can create your own title by finding an adjective you like, translating it into Arabic, and adding "Al-" at the beginning. For example, if you like the word "wise," you could use "Al-Hakim" (the wise) as your title.

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Tips

If you write a ghazal you're proud of, why not send it to one of the Internet's many poetry sites for possible publication and peer review? The Ghazal Page is now defunct (as of 29 October 2019) but there are still many sites (not specialising in any one form) that just might take your poem.

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Example Ghazal

In this example, the radif is "I do not know", while the qaafiya (the rhyme preceding it) is -ate, as in slate, fate, depreciate, etc. In the example, each line contains 14 syllables, but any length is fine - it's up to you.