The common bahrs

Four identical feet of mafā'īlun. Broad and stately; a favourite of Ghalib and Iqbal.

Three feet, the last shortened to fa'ūlun. The classic metre of the masnavi.

maf'ūlu mafā'īlu mafā'īlu fa'ūlun. A flowing metre used for many radif-heavy ghazals.

maf'ūlu mafā'īlun maf'ūlu mafā'īlun: the line falls into two matching halves.

Three feet of mafā'īlun.

Three mafā'īlun and a closing fa'ūlun.

Maf'ūlu mafā'ilun fa'ūlun: the short, quick metre of many masnavis (Gulzar-e-Nasim).

Fā'ilun mafā'īlun twice, as in Ghalib's 'zikr us parii-vash kaa aur phir bayaañ apnaa'.

fā'ilātun ×3 + fā'ilun. The metre of the first ghazal of Diwan-e-Ghalib.

fā'ilātun fa'ilātun fa'ilātun fa'ilun. The first foot may be fa'ilātun and the last fa'lun. Perhaps the most used metre in the Urdu ghazal.

fā'ilātun fā'ilātun fā'ilun. A short, singing metre.

fā'ilātun fa'ilātun fa'ilun (or fa'lun). Conversational and quick.

fa'ilātu fā'ilātun fa'ilātu fā'ilātun: two matching halves with a lilting swing.

Four feet of fā'ilātun.

Three feet of fā'ilātun.

Four feet of mustaf'ilun.

Mustaf'ilun with its zihaafaat: muftaʻilun (tayy) and mafāʻilun (khabn), alternating. A swinging, buoyant metre, as in Ghalib's 'dil hii to hai na sang-o-khisht'.

Three feet of mustaf'ilun.

Four feet of mufta'ilun (mustaf'ilun with tayy).

Four feet of mafā'ilun (mustaf'ilun with khabn).

fā'ilātun mafā'ilun fa'ilun. The first foot may be fa'ilātun and the last fa'lun. Short, intimate, beloved of Mir.

Four feet of fa'ūlun. A marching, energetic metre (Iqbal, Hali's Musaddas).

fa'ūlun ×3 + fa'al. The epic metre of the Shahnama.

Two fa'ūlun and fa'al.

Fa'lu fa'ūlun twice.

Four feet of fā'ilun.

Fa'ilun or fa'lun in each foot, counted in beats like the Hindi metre.

maf'ūlu fā'ilātu mafā'īlu fā'ilun. Rich and rhetorical; Dard, Zauq and Dagh used it often.

maf'ūlu fā'ilātun maf'ūlu fā'ilātun: two singable halves (Iqbal's Tarana-e-Hind).

mafā'ilun fa'ilātun mafā'ilun fa'ilun (or fa'lun).

Four feet of mutafā'ilun (= = − = −, opening with two shorts): rare in Urdu, used memorably by Iqbal.

Four feet of mufā'alatun: an Arabic metre; Bahr-ul-Fasahat says it is not used in Urdu, and quotes a single couplet by Talib.

Two feet of mufā'alatun: the short form of Wāfir that Urdu naats use.

Mufta'ilun fā'ilun twice.

Mufta'ilun fā'ilātu mufta'ilun fa', as in Ghalib's 'aa ki mirii jaan ko qaraar nahiiñ hai'.

Mufta'ilun mufta'ilun fā'ilun: a masnavi metre.

Fā'ilātu mufta'ilun twice (salim: maf'ūlātu mustaf'ilun). Its maqtū' form fā'ilātu maf'ūlun has the same weights as Hazaj ashtar, so Ghalib's 'zikr us parii-vash kaa' is read in either.

Fa'ūlun mafā'īlun twice: the great Arabic metre. Bahr-ul-Fasahat says no Urdu poem had been written in it and quotes two lone couplets made as specimens.

Fā'ilātun fā'ilun twice: common in Arabic, almost never used in Urdu; Bahr-ul-Fasahat quotes only a few specimen couplets.

Mustaf'ilun fā'ilun twice: Arabic, not used in Urdu except for specimen couplets. Its matvī form (mufta'ilun fā'ilun) has the same weights as Munsarih matvī makshūf.

Fā'ilātun fā'ilātun mustaf'ilun, a Persian addition, usually makhbūn (fa'ilātun fa'ilātun mafā'ilun). Bahr-ul-Fasahat says later poets abandoned it, and gives the author's own Urdu specimens.

Mafā'īlu mafā'īlu fā'ilātun (salim: mafā'īlun mafā'īlun fā'ilātun), a Persian addition, rare in Urdu. Bahr-ul-Fasahat scans pyaare as pi-yaa-re here.

Fā'ilātu mafā'īlu mafā'īlu, and in Urdu most often makfūf akhram mahzūf: fā'ilātu mafā'īlu fa'lun, a favourite metre of naats.

Fifteen beats of fa'lun-style weight in which any long may be replaced by two shorts (fa'lun ×7 + fa'). Built on Hindi rhythm rather than Arabic feet; Mir made it his own.