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Radif verse

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

Verse characterized by the radif, a recurrent end-word or phrase in each line.

Detailed Definition
Radif verse refers to poetry structured around the radif, a recurring suffix or phrase that follows the rhyme in each line of a stanza or ghazal; originating in Persian lyric tradition, it enhances musicality and meditative depth, enabling poets to explore nuanced shifts in perspective while maintaining formal unity through repetition.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Har ek baat pe kehte ho tum / ke ‘tū kyā hai?’” (Ghalib) — radif “kyā hai?”; “Yeh jo halkā halkā suroor hai / yehi to hai junūn kā pataa” — radif “hai”; modern radif verse using “again” or “still” as refrain; Persian radif verse ending each line with “mikonad”.
Additional Notes
Radif verse employs end-refrain (radif) with consistent rhyme before it. Memorize structure: …X, …YX, …YX—key in Persian and Urdu ghazals.
Also Known As
Radif stanza refrain verse rhymed suffix poem Persian couplet form Ghāzal Ghazal
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