ASAD - 20

Originally posted on rec.music.indian.misc in 1995

If you have noticed the selection of the Shers in this series, then you may be wondering why there is no Sher of "long metre" included. Well, I am not biased. But good Shers of long meter are not so common.

Why, you may ask. Why is it difficult to write a good Sher using long metre ie. more words ? Well, the "fluidity" may suffer if the Shayar is not imaginative, and it will sound like prose. This is just one of the many reasons.

Here is one example of a long metre Sher, which I like for its superb fluidity and rhythm.

muztarib = betaab/bechain

unhe KHat me likha tha ke, "dil muztarib hai",
jawaab unka aayaa - "muhabbat na karate,
"tumhe dil lagaane ko, kis ne kaha tha?
behal jaayega dil, behalate behalte"

- Abhay.
ASAD _also_ stands for "A Sher A Day" !