Glossary · glossary · 1 min read
Ghazal
ग़ज़ल; غزل
A ghazal is poetry built from self-contained couplets, or pairs of lines, sharing a rhythmic pattern and rhyme, usually with a repeated phrase. In Indian music, ghazal also means the sung performance of such a poem in a light classical style.
By SJN, Founder, BeatRootRaga · Reviewed by BRR · Last reviewed 27 Sept 2026
What does ghazal mean?
A ghazal is a form of poetry built from self-contained couplets, or pairs of lines. The couplets share one metre, a rhythmic pattern, and one rhyme, called the qafia. They usually also share a refrain, a repeated phrase called the radif.
Each couplet stands alone rather than continuing one story through the poem. Ghazal began in Arabic, grew in Persian and became the central form of Urdu poetry.
In music, ghazal also means the sung performance of such a poem in a light classical style. Listen for the returning melody that connects the couplets.
For the full explanation, visit BeatRootRaga’s learning page, What is a ghazal?.
A ghazal example and where to read more
BeatRootRaga’s Kitne Aish Se Rahte Honge sets a ghazal by Jaun Elia, an Urdu poet. A ghazal is a poem of self-contained couplets, or pairs of lines; the word also means its sung performance in a light classical style. This setting is composed by Alap Desai and sung by Gayatri Asokan.
For the full explanation of how those separate couplets fit together, follow the structure guide, which uses two BeatRootRaga originals as examples.
Keep going
- What is a ghazal? Structure explained with two BeatRootRaga originals · A ghazal is poetry built from self-contained couplets, or pairs of lines, joined by rhyme and a shared pattern of line length and rhythm. When sung, a returning melody connects the couplets, while repeated lines, melodic changes and pauses give listeners time to hear the meaning.
- Jaun Elia: the poet behind Kitne Aish Se Rahte Honge · Jaun Elia was an Urdu poet whose speakers argue with themselves and mock their own grief. Hear his words in BeatRootRaga’s Kitne Aish Se Rahte Honge, composed by Alap Desai and sung by Gayatri Asokan.