ASAD - 68

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

Allow me to take a diversion from Radeef and write something important related to "aahista aahista" here. It's such a great choice for a Radeef. Almost assures the "nazaakat" for which Urdu poetry is famous. Naturally, there are many GHazals with this Radeef. Which is the first ?

I doubt whether we can be sure. But the following is the oldest sher I could dig up with this same Radeef. It, IMHO, may be from the first one. Why ? It's by a poet who lived before many other famous poets, and his contribution to GHazal is incomparable to anyone else.

He is considered to be the Father of Urdu Poetry ! And here is a sher by him with the same Radeef ...

lutf = mazaa
shab-e-KHalwat = milan ki raat [ actually KHalwat = privacy, solitude ]

ajab kuchh lutf rakhataa hai, shab-e-KHalwat me dilbar se,
sawaal aahistaa aahistaa, jawaab aahistaa aahistaa !

- Wali Dakhani

Milan ki raat ko, dheere_se sawaal puchhane me aur dheere_se jawaab paane me, kuchh aur hi mazaa aataa hai ! I know this prose is so far away from the effect the sher creates, but hey, I am no poet :-).

Wali lived from 1668 till 1742 in Aurangabad. During his lifetime he visited Delhi twice. His visits to Delhi, his poetry and his influence on the character of the GHazal are going to pop up many times in this series. For now, let me say just this, whatever we generally think of GHazal is mainly due to him !

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