written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Saturday 19 September 2020

The Ghazal

Once in a poetic while, the Dead Good Blog feels duty-bound to pay attention to a specific verse form, pantoum, tanka and villanelle being among recent examples. This time around it's the turn of the ghazal, which had its origins in Arabic culture somewhere around the 7th century.

A ghazal was written in couplets, minimum number five, maximum number fifteen, and had an AA, BA, CA, DA, EA, FA etc rhyme scheme. The root of the word غَزَل (gazal) in Arabic can suggest variously to flirt, sweet-talk or display amorous intent, a young doe (from which we derive the word gazelle), and to spin yarn. It should come as no great surprise then that ghazals were typically amatory, a poetic expression of love, desire, devotion and its frequent corollary, pain, separation, loss.


I say were, but in fact ghazals are still popular today in certain regions of the world, a living verse form often set to music. From its source, the ghazal spread gradually through the arabic-speaking world and thence to Persia (in particular) with the rise in popularity of Sufi mysticism; then more broadly to north Africa, Spain and the Indian sub-continent as the reach of the Islamic sultanates widened from the 12th century onwards. Consequently, the form of the ghazal exists today in Turkish, Uzbek, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu as well as Arabic.

The rhyme-scheme and the metre are strict, the tropes are universal (almost to the point of cliche) but the couplets themselves demonstrate thematic variety and it is the combination of ideas that lends the ghazal its intrigue and power: an ambiguity but also simultaneity of meaning.

I thought it was incumbent on me to give it a go. The ghazal's uniqueness derives from its rhyme and refrain rules. Key to the success of the whole poem is the radif or rhyming word, not only because it will appear frequently - twice in the first couplet or sher, and then at the end of every subsequent sher - but also because it will become thematic of the piece and needs to tie the meanings of disparate ideas together. Also of central importance is the qaafiyaa or rhyming pattern. I'm going for the baker's hexameter (beloved of dyscalculic versifiers everywhere). If I can conjure something as subtle but powerful as a candle burning in a window I shall be happy. To the imaginarium...


Here, then, is my first (and very possibly last?) attempt at a ghazal. I found it a constraining form and a tough assignment. I'm sure you'll let me know what you think of it.

Reflected
In morning's mirror, your fresh beauty is reflected.
In midnight's darkened pool your radiance floats reflected.

These surfaces don't lie. To those who watch you closely
your outward glow reveals a noble soul reflected

regardless of the hour. I long to clasp you to me
to see my happy eyes in your dark orbs reflected;

for one chance shy stray glance has won my heart completely, 
the turmoil in my breast in sleepless nights reflected 

when spurning of my bed I snare my thoughts in verses,
set down my hopes and fears by candlelight reflected

across poems I'll never share. Unworthy servant, I
must live content to glory in the blaze reflected

from the woman I love. I cannot speak my passion.
You'd graciously repulse me once you had reflected

and that rejection would surely hurt me worst of all.
Here's morning's mirror. Your fresh beauty shows reflected.


May I just say, in closing, that Google's updated version of Blogger - used for the first time here now they've finally made the old version unavailable - is totally sh!t to work with. It's slow, it crashed half a dozen times while I was writing this blog, it has far inferior features compared to its predecessor and I really wonder why they bothered. 
 
Thanks for reading, S ;-)

26 comments:

Pamela Winning said...

Interesting and informative blog, and a wonderful ghazal. Mine kept coming undone so I threw the towel in. Thanks for the warning on the blog site - tears and tantrums from me, then 🙃

Beth Randle said...

New to me the ghazal, so thanks for the introduction. I like what you've done with the form, a lovely poem.

Deke Hughes said...

Beautifully put together and a pleasure to read (as always). 👍👍👍

Saskia Parker said...

I love this! Amorous with more than a hint of the ambiguous. ❤️

Ben Templeton said...

These posts on esoteric poetic forms are always interesting, reminders of what a rich heritage is out there. This one looks particularly challenging, hinging on that one repeated word. It works though!

Lizzie Fentiman said...

Fascinating, Steve. I've read some Arabic poetry in translation but I don't recall thre ghazal being mentioned as a specific form. It's a bit weird, but I'm sure there's a reason for it being as it is. I enjoyed your interpretation of it. I see the little boxes to mark something funny/interesting/poetic have disappeared at the foot of the blog. Another aspect of "making blogger better" I assume :(

Anne Gaelan said...

Thanks Steve. It was great to find this brilliant post. Your poem touched a chord inside.

Binty said...

I love the line "for one chance shy stray glance has won my heart completely". I had to read it twice before I got it right - but hey, I'm guessing there's no rules against a tongue-twister in a ghazal :)

terry quinn said...

Very interesting article and congrats on writing the ghazal. you did a great job.

Mac Southey said...

Baker's hexameter made me hoot. I counted - yes, thirteen syllables in each line. And now I know what the equivalent of dyslexia is for people with number trouble. All this and a romantic ghazal thrown in. You spoil us, sir!

Nick Ball said...

An illuminating read and I like your ghazal. Thanks for sharing. 👍

Alistair Bradfield said...

From what I understood about the ghazal (not much, admittedly), I got the impression that all the couplets were complete unto themselves, but I must say I like the way you've given your ghazal something of a narrative flow. That's neat. I enjoyed it very much.

Lydia Popowich said...

A difficult form. Well done!

Brett Cooper said...

Thanks for the succinct introduction to the ghazal. I've never come across it before in 20 years of reading poetry or if I did it wasn't called out as such. You did a great job on it. I see the UK is heading into lockdown again. Where Melbourne leads, the rest of the world follows! Grim times. Stay safe.

Nigella D said...

Beautiful poem Steve.

Diana Maartens said...

Congratulations to you for this lovely poem. I have tried in the past to write a ghazal that sounded convincing but I felt I never got it right. You inspire me to make another go at it.

Kevin Sterling said...

Most informative and an impressive poem there.

Sahra Carezel said...

Lovely and moving poetry. ❤️

CI66Y said...

It's my first exposure to Arabic/Persian poetic forms and this is an interesting one. I think you've captured the elements of longing and lament very well there Steve.

Robert Harries said...

Interesting. Your ghazal works for me, very nicely done.

Grant Trescothick said...

Tremendous Steve. You're doing a good job of trying to make us erudite! I thought your poem was very cleverly worked and moving to read.👍

Martina Connors said...

Funny and sweet post. I googled baker's hexameter in vain and then the penny dropped (LOL). Clever poetry and I loved the illustrations too.

Jools said...

Lovely, Steve.

Unknown said...

Interesting to learn about ghazla and nice poem. Thanks Steve.

Harry Lennon said...

Hey Steve. I hope you are keeping well in these difficult days. I've read your Ghazal blog a couple of times in recent days without posting a comment as I've struggled with this one. Of course it's as skillfully written and informative as ever, with cleverly appropriate images to support it, but I just can't warm to the Ghazal as a poetic form. I think that technically you've done a great job and emotionally you've been inventive in loading it with creditable content and not letting it become soppy. It just strikes me as such a stilted medium - you were right about its constraining form - that as poetry I thought the ridigity got right in the way of its power to move the reader. Sorry for the long and somewhat negative commentary which is not meant to detract from my appreciation of what you've done in this blog.

Laxmiben Hirani said...

Wonderful Steve. I am Persian myself this is our roots but we changed and integrated with people of India after the invasion in Iran.🙂