Taqti, step by step
Level 2: Ilm-ul-Aruz: Prosody and Scansion · about 20 minutes
Step 1: write the line as it is spoken
Mark izafat, nasal vowels and doubled consonants. Ghalib's koii ummiid bar nahiiñ aatii.
Step 2: divide into syllables and weigh them
ko · ii · um · mii · d · bar · na · hiiñ · aa · tii. The d of ummiid is left over after a long syllable, so it is a short.
Step 3: find the feet
Taqti
koii ummiid bar nahiiñ aatii
fā'ilātun
ko
=
ii
-
um
=
mii
=
mafā'ilun
d
-
bar
=
na
-
hiiñ
=
fa'lun
aa
=
tii
=
- final long vowel of “ii” read short (giraana)
= – = = | – = – = | = =: fā'ilātun mafā'ilun fa'lun, the Khafif metre. The final ii of koii is read short (giraana).
Step 4: check the second line in the same metre
Taqti
koii suurat nazar nahiiñ aatii
fā'ilātun
ko
=
ii
-
suu
=
rat
=
mafā'ilun
na
-
zar
=
na
-
hiiñ
=
fa'lun
aa
=
tii
=
- final long vowel of “ii” read short (giraana)
Your turn
Taqti
kab vo suntaa hai kahaanii merii
fā'ilātun
kab
=
vo
-
sun
=
taa
=
fa'ilātun
hai
-
ka
-
haa
=
nii
=
fa'lun
me
=
rii
=
- final long vowel of “vo” read short (giraana)
- final long vowel of “hai” read short (giraana)
Practice
Name the bahr: 6 questions, built fresh each time from the couplets.