Sher, Misra and Matla: The Parts of a Couplet Explained

A lot of shayari is built from small units, and learning their names helps you read and enjoy it.

Sher (शेर)

A sher is a couplet of two lines. In a ghazal, each sher is meant to express a complete thought on its own.

Misra (मिसरा)

Each line of a sher is called a misra. The first is the misra-e-oola, and the second is the misra-e-saani. The second line often delivers the twist or the punch of the verse.

Matla (मतला)

The matla is the opening sher of a ghazal. In it, both lines end with the same rhyming pattern, which sets the pattern for the poem.

Maqta (मक़्ता)

The maqta is the closing sher. It usually includes the poet's pen name, the takhallus (तख़ल्लुस), such as Ghalib or Mir.

Qafiya and radif

• क़ाफ़िया (qaafiya) is the rhyming word or sound.
• रदीफ़ (radeef) is a word or phrase repeated after the rhyme.

For example, in a refrain ending "...ho gaya", the repeated "ho gaya" is the radif, and the word before it is the qafiya.

Reading a sher

When you read or hear a sher:

1. Take in the first line as the setup.
2. Wait for the second line, where the meaning often lands.
3. Savour the pause between the two.

An original example

दिल की बात ज़ुबाँ पे आई नहीं, और वो समझ गए, हमें बताई नहीं।

Dil kee baat zubaan pe aayee nahin, aur wo samajh gaye, hamein bataayee nahin. The heart's words never reached my tongue, and yet they understood without being told.

An original couplet for illustration only, and not metrically strict.

Tips

1. Learn sher, misra, matla and maqta.
2. Read the second line with care.
3. Enjoy single couplets in the app one at a time.

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