ASAD - 67

Originally posted on rec.music.indian.misc in 1997

Radeef

Let's move on to a little more influential Radeef. This is also the most famous Radeef of all time ! Can you guess it ? There are many GHazals with this Radeef. The ultra-super- mega-famous "aahista aahista".

The following shers are in Amir Minai's GHazal sung by Jagjit Singh. Let me mention this. The lines he sings before and which begins like "mazaar-e-Qais par jab ruh-e-Laila ...." is most certainly not a part of the actual GHazal by Amir Minai. Such lines are a topic of future articles. Same about the sher which ends like "udhar aahista aahista", where the Qaafiya just doesn't match. This again, will be discussed later. Let's talk about Radeef today.

It's interesting to note how Amir Minai uses this seemingly restrictive Radeef in two totally different Shers. They happen to be Matla & Maqta.

ruKH = chehra
naqaab = parda
aaftaab = suraj (contrast this to maahtaab [Moon] another usual simile )

sarakati jaaye hai, ruKH se naqaab, aahista aahista
nikalata aa rahaa hai, aaftaab, aahista aahista

wo bedardi_se sar kaate, 'Amir', aur maiN kahuN use
"Huzur, aahista aahista ! Janaab, aahista aahista"

A marvel ! Who on this earth won't say "Wah wah" to the last sher?? So you see, Radeef doesn't force any restrictions on a good poet. But it has some influence on the character of the GHazal. In fact this GHazal is known by it's Radeef ! A sure sign of influence !

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