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Masnawi

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A Persian narrative poetic form composed of rhyming couplets, used for epic, mystical, or philosophical storytelling.

Detailed Definition
Masnawi is a Persian and Urdu narrative poetic form composed of rhyming couplets (AA, BB, CC…) that unfold philosophical, mystical, or didactic tales over thousands of lines; best exemplified by Rumi’s “Masnavi-ye Ma’navi,” it blends storytelling with Sufi allegory, using accessible language and repetitive rhythm to guide readers toward spiritual insight, making the couplet a vehicle for both entertainment and enlightenment.
Example
Example in poetry:
Rumi’s “Masnavi” teaches Sufi wisdom in rhyming couplets; Attar’s “Conference of the Birds” is a Persian masnawi; Masnawi uses AA BB rhyme scheme throughout; Contemporary masnawi in diaspora poetry blend tradition and modernity; Masnawi form allows narrative and didactic flexibility
Additional Notes
Alternative transliteration of masnavi. Related: Persian poetry, rhyming couplets. Same form as masnavi—rhyming couplet narrative. Spelling variation reflects different transliteration systems from Persian script.
Also Known As
Rhyming couplet Persian couplet Mathnawi Arabic narrative verse
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