Glossary · glossary · 1 min read
Sher
शेर; شعر; plural ashaar
A sher is a pair of lines in a ghazal, a poem of self-contained pairs linked by rhyme and a shared rhythmic pattern. The first line sets up a thought, and the second completes or turns it.
By SJN, Founder, BeatRootRaga · Reviewed by BRR · Last reviewed 27 Sept 2026
What does sher mean?
A sher is one couplet, or pair of lines, in a ghazal. A ghazal is a poem of self-contained couplets that share rhyme and a pattern of line length and rhythm.
The two lines of a sher hold a complete thought together. The first sets something up. The second completes that thought or turns it in another direction.
Each sher is complete in itself, even though it shares the poem’s pattern. This is why reciters and singers can choose which couplets to perform.
An example of sher and where to read more
Take the opening pair of lines in a ghazal, a poem built from self-contained couplets linked by rhyme and a shared rhythmic pattern. That pair is a sher, two lines holding one complete thought. The opening sher is called the matla.
In this opening couplet, the first line sets something up; the second completes it or turns it. It shares the poem’s metre, its pattern of line length and rhythm, and rhyme, while holding a complete thought of its own.
This is one example, not the full explanation. BeatRootRaga’s What is a ghazal? explains the structure through two originals, including how melody and pauses give listeners time to hear the meaning.
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.