Anjuman

تا قیامت کھلا ہے باب سخن

Asrar.blog
Kabikaj

This is a running list prepared by Riasath Ali Asrar, feel free to contribute and suggest any such resources related to language and literature.

Urdu

Urdu Script:
* Rekhta Urdu Script Guide (English) – Buy at Amazon
* Rekhta Urdu Script Guide (Devnagri) – Buy at Amazon
* Easy Urdu Learning by Khurram Murdad Bidri
* Ihya.com.au – personalised Farsi, Arabic and Urdu tutoring; reviving your connection to the language & culture.
* UrduDaan Classes at Daanfold by Aamir Azhar
* Shuruaat e Urdu course by Akshita (KalamwaliBai)

Urdu Prosody:
 (most of these are suggested in my talks/workshops on Prosody)
* Fann e Shayeri by Akhlaq Hussain Dehalvi (Urdu) – PDF download at Archive.org OR by hardcopy from UrduBazaar.org OR Syed Fazil Ashrafi Mysuri
* A Practical Handbook of Urdu Meters by Prof. F. W. Pritchett (English) –  Read Online
* Aruuz, Aahang aur Bayaan by Shamsur Rahman Farooqi (Urdu) – Buy Online at UrduBazaar
* Behr e Fasahath by Allama Najmi Rampuri (Urdu, four volumes): (currently not available online, can be ordered by contacting UrduBazaar.org OR Syed Fazil Ashrafi Mysuri)
* Aaina e Balaaghat by Mirza Askari – Rekhta e-Book
* Urdu ka Apna Aruuz by Gyan Chand Jain – Rekhta e-Book
* Aahang aur Aruuz by Kamaal Ahmed Siddiqui –
* Urdu Shayeri mei Hindi Aruuz ka iste’maal – Prof. Maqbool Farooqi
* Urdu Hindi ke jadeed mushtarik awzaan – Samiullah Ashrafi
* Aaina e Aruuz o Qaafiya by Kanahiya Lal Mathur Talib – Rekhta e-Book
* URDU PROSODY AND RHETORIC by Captain G. D. Pybus – Read Here
* Failaat (3rd Internet Edition) by Yaqoob Aasi – Read Here
* Aruuz.com – online website to check metres and find more Kalaam on a given metre; along with a compilation of all the metres.
* Sheraz Sagar’s Lectures on YouTube (link)
* Bhatnagar Shadab’s Lectures on YouTube (Rekhta Link)
* The Ode Not Taken by Stephen Fry (English, for English Prosody) – Buy Online at Amazon
* A Handbook of Rhetoric and Prosody by Sarkar & Bhattacharya – Buy Online at Amazon

Urdu Literature:

Poetry:
* Rekhta.org – compilation of Urdu Poets’ works, books, dictionary and much more.
* UrduShahkar.org – collection of Urdu Poetry, categorised by themes and index.
* Urdu Ghazals of Mirza Ghalib: translation, transliteration and exegesis by FWP
* Urdu Ghazals of Mir Taqi Mir: translation, transliteration and exegesis by FWP
* Urdu Poetry of Iqbal: translation, transliteration and other resources – https://iqbalurdu.blogspot.com/
* Vatsal Sharma’s work on Mir Taqi Mir and classical Urdu Poetry.
* Naat Kainaat – a wikipedia-like compilation of Urdu Naat-go poets and their Naatiyaa Kalaam – website: www.naatkainaat.org/

Prose:
* Illustrated Urdu Stories for Kids by StoryWeaver | Pratham Books

Translation:
* Daisy Rockewell – Works
* Rana Safvi – Works
* Shamsur Rahman Farooqi

Poetics:
* Indian Poetics by Sinha & Kumar: https://www.amazon.in/INDIAN-POETICS-Nandan-Sinha-Narendra/dp/9354421091
* Shabda Reader Languange in Classical Indian Thought by Bronkhorst & Pollock: https://www.amazon.in/Sabda-Reader-Classical-Historical-Sourcebooks/dp/0231189400

Linguistics:
* Hindustani Lisaniyat (Indian Linguistics, Urdu) by Dr. Mohiuddin Quadri Zore – Rekhta e-Book

History:
* urdu ka ibtedaayi zamaana by Shamsur Rahman Farooqi (Urdu) – PDF download from Archive.org or Buy hardcopy from UrduBazaar.org  
  (English and Hindi/Devnagri translation is also available on FWP (English PDF) & UrduBazaar.org (Hindi)
* A History of Urdu Language & Literature by A.J. Zaidi – Buy it on Amazon
* The Naming of Urdu by Shamsur Rahman Farooqi – PDF Download
* Prof. F.W. Pritchett’s website – for south Asian studies (mostly Urdu/Hindi literature & culture).
* FWP Resources on Urdu History – http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/hu_urdu_lit.html
* Datelist of Urdu Literary Figures

Dakhni:
*  Dakan meiN Urdu by Naseeruddin Hashmi (Urdu) – PDF on Archives.org
* Dakani Language and Literature 1500 – 1700 A. D. (English) by David John Matthews (PhD Thesis 1976, University of London) {PDF}
* Chapter Six: A Phenomenon called Vali (English) by Shamsur Rahman Farooqi (also available in Urdu and Hindi in the book mentioned above){PDF}
* A Workshop by FWP
* Eighty Years of Dakani Scholarship by David Matthew {PDF}
* The varied history of Dakhni Urdu literature in south India by Zoë Woodbury High {Article}
* Dakhni Adab ke Muhaqqiqeen o Mohsineen by Dr. Mrs. Askari Safdar (Urdu) – Hardcopy Amazon
* Dakhni o Dakniyaat: Wazahati Kitaabiyaat (Explantory Bibliography on Dakhni and Dakhni Studies, Urdu) –  Rekhta e-Book
* Dakhni Ghazal ki Nash o Numa by Prof. M. A. Asar (Urdu) – Rekhta e-Book
* Dakhni Nasr ka inteKHaab by Dr. Sayyadah Ja’far – Rekhta e-book
* Dholak ke Geet (Dakhni Folk Songs) by Sameena Begum (Urdu) – Hardcopy Amazon
* List of Deccan Related Urdu Words – Rekhta Dictionary
* Dakhni Lughat compiled by Dr. Sayyadah Jafar
* Dakhni Lughat compiled by – available at Library, Iqbal Academy Hyderabad; available at my ancestral library
* Dakhni Lughat o Tazkirah e Dakhni Makhtootaat (Deccani Lexicon and Manuscripts) by Dr. Mughni Tabassum – Rekhta e-book
* https://enrouteindianhistory.com/the-gardens-of-verse-unveiling-garden-motifs-in-deccani-poetry-2/
* The Value of Deccani Lanugage and Literature – Syed Mohammed 1968 – PDF
* Languages and Literary Cultures in Hyderabad – Edited By Kousar J Azam
* Networks and fault lines in eighteenth-century Deccani literary communities: Lachmī Narāyan ‘Shafīq’ and his circle
* https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/controversies-surrounding-the-reception-of-val-dakhan-16651707-in-early-tazkirahs-of-urdu-poets/0E91CF16E64F201A1BA4E668C1BBD710
* An Introduction to the Grammar of Hindustani Language as spoken in the Carnatic Region – rare
* History of Medival Deccan V2 Mainly Cultural Aspects

Urdu Criticism:

Online Links:

Online Dictionaries:
* Rekhta Dictionary –  Application as well as website that’s based on major Urdu Dictionaries, and refers all of them at one place.
* Platts Urdu Hindi Dictionary – University of Chicago
* Klaasiki Adab ki Farhang (Classical Literature’s lexicon) – Rasheed Hasan Khan 

Instagram Profiles:
 (in no particular order, and still needs to be updated)
* Zer Zabar Paesh: Urdu Poetic Tradition, guiding readers through curated resources, reflections and performances – @zer_zabar_paesh
* Rehmaco: Urdu language and poetry under a contemporary lens – @rehmaco
* Brown Verses: translating & presenting Urdu (along with other South Asian languages) by Rishabh – @brown_verses
* Urdu Naama: providing readers the materials to approach Urdu Poetic Traditions & Contemporary Poetics by Abdullah Ali – @urdunaama_
* Maintaabeeraa: a series of reels on pronounciation – @maintaabeeraa
* Rizwan Ahmad (Linguistics Professor at Qatar University) – @zabanwala
* Science Urdu – @scienceurdupk
* Urdu Mein: Scientific and academic concepts in Urdu through art – @urdumeinpk
* The Only Poetry Page – @theonlypoetrypage

YouTube links:
* Adbi Dunya: providing audio files of poetry and prose – https://www.youtube.com/@AdbiDuniya/
* Lehja: ghazal recitation – https://www.youtube.com/@Urdu/
* Aadhi Baat: Iqbal’s poetry recitation – https://www.youtube.com/@AadhiBaat
* Khursheed Abdullah: Rare Audios from Lutfullah Khan’s Audio Archives and other resources- https://www.youtube.com/@khursheedabdullah2261

Movies/Documentaries:
* Kahkashaan: series of Urdu Poets by Ali Sardar Jafri – YouTube
* Ghalib by Gulzar – YouTube
* Mirza Ghalib (1954) by Sohrab Modi – YouTube

Online Bookstores:
* UrduBazaar.org

Applications/Softwares:
* Rekhta
* Rekhta Dictionary
* Urdu Lughat (Playstore)
* Urdu Thesaurus (Playstore)
* Adeeb Online (Playstore)
* Matnsaz Keyboard: easiest Urdu keyboard layout ever for iOS – developed at Matnsaz by Zeerak Ahmed & team
* Urdu on Computers by Kamal Abdali – Urdu Keyboard and fonts for MacOS, Window and Linux
* InPage – Urdu Word Processor and page maker; unicode; DTP

Podcasts:
* UrduDaan
* Rekhta
* Main Shayar toh Nahi – Abdul Raoof Siddiqui
* Sarahat Ahmed

Scholars:
* Shamsur Rahman Farooqi
* Prof. Frances W. Pritchett
* Prof. Mohammed Ali Asar
* Dr. Mohiuddin Quadri Zore
* Gopi Chand Narang
* Ralph Russel
* Ahmed Javaid
* Dr. Taqi Abedi – website
* Dr. Rizwan Ahmed (Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics, Qatar University) – Writings & Research Publications

Organisations:
*

Urdu Metres/Behr

بات یہ ہے کہ آدمی شاعر 
یا تو ہوتا ہے یا نہیں ہوتا
(خزاں)

Note:
Assuming that the reader is already aware of various terms (like foot/rukn, metre/behr, variation/alteration/zihaaf, verse/misra, couplet/sher, stanza/band), scansion (taqtee’), and other conventions of Urdu poetry – as this is compiled mainly for the attendees of my workshops/talks.
This is an introductory reference rather than an introductory guide.
Since this is for beginners – I will be avoiding any details (like the nomenclatures of the metres, the ones that are not allowed or are rarely used or are not preferred, the relations between them, the possibilities of multiple variations/zihaafaat etc) and try to keep it as simple as possible.

Part ‘A’ is a simpler (and concised) list of metres that are mostly used (main as well as derivatives/branches, along with some common variations found within them – which makes the total count of metres around 40); and Part ‘B’ is the traditional (but abridged) list of 19+2 metres along with most of their derivative/branch metres (which makes the total count of metres around 70).
List A is recommended for beginners. 

The feet are represented with 1 for short/unstressed syllable & 2 for long/stressed syllable (I have also mentioned the traditional ‘afaail’ at the end – which I personally prefer and suggest).
All the metres end with 2, and in almost all of them, a ‘cheat syllable’ 1 can be attached to the last 2. The variations within a metre can interchangeably be used in one couplet/stanza.

Examples are mostly from Ghalib, Iqbal & Faiz along with some other poets; might as well add some film-songs for reference (and for those who find it easy to understand the metres by humming), but that’s for another time.
Have also mentioned the alternatives from the developed Chhand Shaastra (‘Hindi’ Prosody) and some prosodic relations with other languages for those interested.

Good ‘Poetics’ will get you good ‘Prosody’, so focus more on reading as many as Ghazals as you can in their traditional ways.
Without ‘poetics’, poetry is just prosody, which in turn is just meaningless rhythmic patterns; no doubt fun!

Three main sources were used for this:
Behr e Fasahat Vol 1 by Allama Najm ul Ghani Rampuri, Fann e Shayeri by Akhlaq Hussain Dehlvi & Urdu Metre: A Practical Handbook (chapter six) by Prof. Pritchett; apart from these – Aruuz Aahang aur Bayaan by SRF, aruuz.com’s articles, Sheraz Sagar’s lectures and many other works are referred – for a detailed bibliography, see the ‘Prosody section‘ under ‘Urdu’.

This is a part of my forthcoming work on Prosody, hopefully!
Would also like to thank mohtaram Farhatullah Khan Farhat for introducing Aruuz to me, Ustaad e Sukhan Sardar Saleem for his timely guidance, and the above mentioned names (of the many) that are always to the rescue.

Any errors found are totally that of the computer, I know my aruuz well!
(jk, please do correct me if you find any mistakes).

محنت کی بات ہے یہ مشقّت کی بات ہے 
دن رات مشق فاعلتن  فاعلات ہے
(تاج)

Part A

  1. 1222 1222 1222 1222
  2. 221 1222 221 1222
  3. 221 1221 1221 122
  4. 212 1222 212 1222
  5. 1222 1222 122
  6. 2212 2212 2212 2212
  7. 2112 1212 2112 1212
  8. 2212 2212 2212
  9. 2112 2112 2112
  10. 2122 2122 2122 2122
  11. 2122 2122 2122 212
  12. 11212 122 11212 122
  13. 2122 1122 1122 22 (first foot 2122 can also be 1122, last foot 22 can also be 112)
  14. 2122 1122 22 (first foot 2122 can also be 1122, last foot 22 can also be 112)
  15. 122 122 122 122 (can also be used alternatively with 16th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  16. 122 122 122 12 (can also be used alternatively with 15th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  17. 21 121 121 121 121 121 121 122 (can also be used alternatively with 18th in any verse of a couplet/stanza; any two consecutive short syllables 11 can be one long syllable 2; also see 0. Behr e Meer at the end of Part B)
  18. 21 121 121 121 121 121 121 12 (can also be used alternatively with 17th in any verse of a couplet/stanza; any two consecutive short syllables 11 can be one long syllable 2; also see 0. Behr e Meer at the end of Part B)
  19. 122 122 122 (can also be used alternatively with 20th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  20. 122 122 12 (can also be used alternatively with 19th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  21. 11212 11212 11212 11212
  22. 11212 11212 11212
  23. 12112 12112 12112 12112
  24. 12112 12112 12112
  25. 212 212 212 212
  26. 212 212 212
  27. 212 212 212 2
  28. 212 212 2
  29. 22 22 22 22 (any 22 can be used as 112 in any verse of a couplet/stanza; also see 0. Behr e Meer at the end of Part B)
  30. 22 22 22 2 (any 22 can be used as 112 in any verse of a couplet/stanza; also see 0. Behr e Meer at the end of Part B)
  31. 22 22 22 (any 22 can be used as 112 in any verse of a couplet/stanza; also see 0. Behr e Meer at the end of Part B)
  32. 2112 212 2112 212
  33. 221 2122 221 2122
  34. 221 2122 221 212 (can also be used alternatively with 35th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  35. 221 2121 1221 212 (can also be used alternatively with 34th in any verse of a couplet/stanza)
  36. 2122 1212 22 (first foot 2122 can also be 1122, and last foot 22 can also be 112)
  37. 1212 1122 1212 22 (last foot 22 can also be 112)
  38. 122 1222 122 1222
  39. 122 1212 122 1212 
  40. 2122 212 2122 212
  41. 2212 212 2212 212
  42. 12122 12122 12122 12122
  43. 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 (any 22 can also be 112; also see Behr e Meer at the end of Part B list) 

Part B

i. Hazaj
1. 1222 1222 1222 1222
2. 221 1222 221 1222
3. 221 1221 1221 122
4. 212 1222 212 1222
5. 1221 1221 1221 122
6. 1222 1222 122
7. 221 1222 1222
8. 221 1212 1222
9. 221 1212 122
10. 222 212 122
(9th and 10th – these two metres can be used alternatively in any verse of a couplet/stanza)

ii. Rajaz
1. 2212 2212 2212 2212
2. 2112 1212 2112 1212
3. 2112 2112 2112 2112
4. 2212 2212 2212
5. 2112 2112 2112

iii. Ramal
1. 2122 2122 2122 2122
2. 2122 2122 2122 212
3. 1121 2122 1121 2122 / 11212 122 11212 122
4. 2122 1122 1122 22
5. 2122 1122 1122 1122
6. 2122 1122 22
(The first foot 2122 in 4th, 5th & 6th metres can also be 1122; the last foot 22 in 4th & 6th metres can also be 112)

iv. Mutaqaarib
1. 122 122 122 122
2. 122 122 122 12
3. 21 121 121 122
4. 21 121 121 12
5. 21 121 121 121 121 121 121 122
6. 21 121 121 121 121 121 121 12
7. 122 122 122
8. 122 122 12
9. 22 122
(In the 5th & 6th metre – any two short syllables 11 can be used one long syllable 2. The 6th metre is particularly where the Behr e Meer/Hindi comes into picture. See Behr e Meer/Hindi at the end of this list.)

v. Kaamil
1. 11212 11212 11212 11212
2. 11212 2212 11212 2212
2. 11212 11212 11212
4. 11212 2212 2212

vi. Waafir
1. 12112 12112 12112 12112
2. 12112 12112 12112
(any of the 12112 can also be 1222, but not all the feet at once; this metre is rare, very rare.)

vii. Mutadaarik
1. 212 212 212 212
2. 2121 212 2121 212
3. 212 212 212 2
4. 22 22 22 22
5. 22 22 22 2
7. 212 212 2
8. 22 22 22
9. 212 212 212
(the foot 22 in 4th, 5th and 7th metres can also be 112 in any place in any verse of a couplet/stanza. Also see Behr e Meer/Hindi at the end of this list.)

viii. Munsarih
1. 2212 2221 2212 2221
2. 2112 212 2112 212
3. 2112 212 2112 2
4. 2112 2121 222

ix. Muzaare’
1. 1221 2121 1221 212
2. 221 2122 221 2122
3. 221 2121 1221 212
4. 221 2122 221 212
5. 221 2121 1222
6. 221 1221 2122
(3rd & 4th – these two metres can be used alternatively in any verse of a couplet/stanza)

x. Saree’
1. 2212 2212 222
2. 2112 2112 212
3. 2112 2112 122
(The first metre is not used.)

xi. KHafeef
1. 2122 2212 2122 2212
2. 2122 2212 2122
3. 1122 1212 1122
4. 2122 1212 22
(In the 4th metre – the first foot 2122 can also be 1122 and the last foot 22 can also be 112 in any verse of a couplet/stanza; this is also said to be the most used metre in Urdu)

xii. Mujtas
1. 1212 1122 1212 1122
2. 1212 1122 1212 222
3. 1212 1122 1212 22
4. 1212 222 1212 22
5. 1212 1122 1212
(The 1st & 2nd – these two metres can be used alternatively in any verse of a couplet/stanza; the 3rd & 4th – these two metres can be used alternatively in any verse of a couplet/stanza; the last foot 22 in 3rd & 4th metres can also be 112.)

xiii. Muqtazab
1. 2221 2212 2221 2212
2. 2121 2112 2121 2112
3. 2121 222 2121 222

xiv. Taweel
1. 122 1222 122 1222
2. 122 1212 122 1212

xv. Madeed
1. 2122 212 2122 212
2. 2122 112 2122 112
3. 222 112 222 112
(There are not used in Urdu)

xvi. Baseet
1. 2212 212 2212 212
2. 1212 112 1212 112
(In the 2nd metre – either of the second or the fourth/last foot 112 can also be 22; these metres are also not used in Urdu)

xvii. Jadeed
1. 2122 2122 2212
2. 1122 1122 1212
(In the 2nd metre – either of the first or second foot 1122 can also be 222)

xviii. Qareeb
1. 1222 1222 2122
2. 1221 1221 2122
3. 1221 1221 212

xix. Mashaakil
1. 2122 1222 1222
2. 2121 1221 122

xx. Jameel
1. 12122 12122 12122 12122
(Although this metre comes under the variations of the IV metre Mutaqaarib, some Prosodists have considered it as a 20th metre. So mentioning it here, as well as under Mutaqaarib.)

0. Behr e Hindi/Behr e Meer:
22 22 22 22   22 22 22 22

1. 22 22 22 22
2. 22 22 21 122
3. 22 21 122 22
4. 22 21 121 122
5.  21 122 22 22
6. 21 122 21 122
7. 21 121 122 22
8. 21 121 121 122
These 8 variations are found in the first half (i.e. the first four feet of the eight feet metre), and can alternatively be used in any verse of a couplet/stanza.
Prof. Frances W. Pritchett has provided these variations from Mir’s Ghazals, and this is also found in ghazals of other poets like Ali Adil Shah II Shahi, Ja’far Zatalli, Imaduddin Phulwari, Fani Badayuni, Raghupat Sahay Firaq, Shehreyaar etc.

There are mainly three different opinions amongst Prosodists regarding this metre. One group considers this to be from Chhand Shaastra (Hindi Prosody), the other considers this to be a variation of IV. Mutaqaarib (6th) and VII. Mutadaarik (4th, 5th & 7th). However, Shamsur Rahman Farouqi considers this to be neither of these, but a different metre born out of the combinations. I personally follow SRF in this case, and would prefer to call this metre as Behr e Meer because of the influence Meer had on this metre. This one’s a different one than Mutaqaarib or Mutadaarik – although very close that if someone considers them to be same, wouldn’t be an issue. Although, I need to study more on this and feel like there isn’t much work done on this metre by our Prosodists. I am also waiting for Vatsal Sharma’s work on Mir’s six diwaans to get a good look at the 180+ ghazals of Mir composed in this metre.

Ruba’i Metres:

Rubai (Quatrains written in the rhyming scheme AABA or AAAA) in Urdu follow 12 variations of Hazaj metre (see I Hazaj in Part B), and any four of these twelve can be used in the four verses of a quatrain. Listing them here.

  1. 221 1221 1221 12
  2. 221 1221 1222 2
  3. 221 1212 1222 2
  4. 221 1212 1221 12
  5. 222 212 1221 12
  6. 222 212 1222 2
  7. 221 1222 222 2
  8. 221 1222 221 12
  9. 222 222 221 12
  10. 222 222 222 2
  11. 222 221 1222 2
  12. 222 221 1221 12

Amjad Hyderabadi, Akbar Ilahbadi, Shad Azimabadi, Shamsur Rahman Faroqui, Tilok Chand Mahroom, Raghupati Sahay Firaq Gorakhpuri, George Puech Shor, Chaudhari Jagat Mohan Lal Ravan Lakhnawi, Josh Malihabadi, Mehr Lal Soni Zia, Naresh Kumar Shad, Syed Waheed Ashraf, and ofcourse Meer o Ghalib — in no particular order, can be read for exploring Rubaiyaat.

Sanskrit Learning

YouTube Channels:

baShukriya: Mrinal Kumar, Rishabh

Persian Learning

Books:

Youtube Links:

Links: