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Persian couplet

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 rhyming couplet form prominent in Persian poetry, especially in the masnavi and ghazal traditions

Detailed Definition
Persian couplet (masnavi) is a rhyming pair (AA BB CC…) used for narrative or didactic poetry in Persian, Turkish, and Urdu traditions; unlike the monorhyme of the ghazal, its couplet-based structure allows for extended storytelling, as exemplified in Rumi’s “Masnavi-ye Ma’navi,” blending mysticism, parable, and philosophical discourse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Classical Persian couplet (masnavi): “The nightingale sings to the rose, / Love’s thorn pierces the heart’s repose.”; Rumi’s rhymed pairs: “Come, come, whoever you are. / Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.”; Hafez’s wine-themed couplets: “Pour the wine, for dawn approaches fast— / This moment’s joy won’t ever last.”; Modern adaptation: “Your voice, a river through my desert days, / Quenches thirst in countless ways.”
Additional Notes
Persian couplet (masnavi) uses rhyming pairs (AA BB CC…) for narrative or didactic poetry; differs from ghazal’s monorhyme—key in works like Rumi’s Masnavi.
Also Known As
masnavi couplet rhyming distich Persian distich narrative bayt bayat Masnawi bayt
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