Radif


Radif is a rule in Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry which states that, in the form of poetry known as a Ghazal, the second line of all the couplets must end with the same word/s. This repeating of common words is the "Radif" of the Ghazal. It is preceded by a Qaafiyaa, which is a repeating pattern of words.
The following is an example of a Ghazal by Daag Dehelvi. In this example the Radif is mein. The Qaafiyaa is the following pattern of words: nigaah, jalwa-gaah, nigaah, raah, haale-tabaah and aah.
aafat kii shoKhiyaa.N hai.n tumhaarii nigaah mein

mehashar ke fitane khelate hai.n jalwa-gaah mein
wo dushmanii se dekhate hai.n dekhate to hain

mai.n shaad huu.N ke huu.N to kisii kii nigaah mein
aatii baat baat mujhe yaad baar baar

kahataa huu.N dau.D dau.D ke qaasid se raah mein
is taubaah par hai naaz mujhe zaahid is qadar

jo TuuT kar shariik huu.N haal-e-tabaah mein
mushtaaq is adaa ke bahot dard-ma.nd the

ae DaaG tum to baiTh gaye ek aah mein