In Persian, Turkic and Urdu poetry, the maqta' (from Arabic مقطع maqṭaʿ; Persian: مقطع; Azerbaijani: məqtə; Turkish: makta; Uzbek: maqta; Urdu: مقطع) is the final bayt, or couplet, of a ghazal. In this sense, it is the opposite of the matla'. The poet's takhallus, or pen name, is usually employed in the maqta', often in very creative ways.[1]
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:
Urdu:
تو یہ نہ سمجھنا کے فِراق تیری فِراق میں ہیں
فِراق اُسکی فِراق میں ہہ جو تیری فِراق میں ہہ
Roman Urdu:
- 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 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
Another by Nasir kazmi:
Itefaqaat zamaana bhi ajab hai Nasir
Aaj woh dekh rahe hai, ko suna karte the
See also
References
