Collection Of Rubayees

A brief history of what is a rubayi. The word "rubayi" (ru-baa-ee) has Arabic origins and is derived from the word "arbaa" meaning four. This is indicative of the structure of a rubayi. A rubayi is an independent 4 line poem rhyming a,a,b,a. Each line of the quatrain conforms to a specific poetic metre called the hazaj, consisting of four metrical units, represented in prosodic terms by the Persian notation: mufailun, mufailun, mufailun, mufailun. There are 24 variants of this basic 'metre'. But most stick to the basic metre.

Though the rubayi originated in the 10th century Iran, it attained popularity only from the 11th century onwards. This was mainly due to the work of three famous poets of that era: Omar Khayyam, Sarmad and Abu ul Khair. The rubayi was transplanted in India along with other forms of Urdu poetry like the qasida and the masnavi and the ghazal in the 13th century. However, it did not get as much importance as the other forms of Urdu poetry. Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah wrote about 50,000 couplets in his entire life, out of which merely 41 are rubayis. Other poets of the the Deccan School also tried their hand at it but without much success or enthusiasm.

The poets of the Delhi school had better success with it. Of the first three main poets of Delhi, Khwaja Mir Dard, Meer Taqi Meer and Mirza Sauda are worth mentioning in this regard. Of the next three main poets of the Delhi school - Ghalib, Zauq and Momin - only Momin paid any significant attention to this poetry form. However, the rubayi really blossomed under the aegis of two poets from Lucknow - Babar Ali Anees and Salamat Ali Dabir. Both were renowned writers of marsiyas (elegies). The simplicity of diction and rhythmic flow of their marsiyas was reflected in their rubayis. Their rubayis also possess a seriousness of purpose and sobriety of style which is charateristic of marsiyas.

Babar Ali Anees started the practice of introducing his longer poems with the recitation of a rubayi. This became a very popular practice and was emulated by many. After Dabir and Anees, the poets who made notable contributions to the growth and popularity of the rubayi are Hali, Akbar Allahabadi and Shad Azeemabadi. Shad Azeemabadi stuck to the devotional themes while Hali and Akbar Allahabadi used it as a vehicle of reform. Hali stuck to religious reform while Akbar Allahabadi used his considerable weaponry of wit and humour to achieve his social reformistic goals.

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Poet -Meer

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jin jin ko thaa ye ishq kaa aazaar mar gaye
aksar hamaare saath ke biimaar mar gaye
sad kaaravaan-e-vafaa hai ko_ii puuchhataa nahii.n
goyaa mitaa-e-dil ke Kharidaar mar gaye

Khwaja Meer Derd

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Gam khaate hain aur aaNsuu roz piite hain
din raat hamen ajab tarah biite hain
guzare hai jo kuchh ke guzare hai, kyaa kahiye
par tuhfagii ye ke ab talak jiite hain

aadam ko ajab Khudaa ne rutbaa baKhshaa
adanaa ke liye maqaam-e-aalaa baKhshaa
aqal-o-hunar-o-tamiiz-o-jaan-o-imaan
is ek kaf-e-Khaak ko kyaa kyaa baKhshaa

kis muuNh se kahuuN laayaq-e-tahsiin main huuN
kyaa lutf jo gul kahe rangiin main huuN
hotii hai halaavat-e-suKhan Khud zaahir
kahatii hai kahiin shakkar ke shiriin main huuN

duniyaa bhii ajab saraaye faanii dekhii
har chiiz yahaaN kii aanii-jaanii dekhii
jo aake na jaaye vo buDaapaa dekhaa
jo jaa ke na aaye vo javaanii dekhii

Akbar Allahbadi

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chho.D 'literature' ko apanii, 'history' ko bhuul jaa
sheKh-o-masjid se ta'alluq tark kar, 'school' jaa
chaar din kii zi.ndagii hai, koft se kyaa faayadaa
khaa 'double-roti', 'clerky' kar, Khushii se phuul jaa

ham urduu ko arbii kyon na karen, hindii ko vo bhaashaa kyon na karen
jagaDe ke liye aKhbaaron men, mazamuuN taraashaa kyon na karen
aapas men adaavat kuchh bhii nahiin, lekin ik akhaaraa qaayam hai
jab is se falak kaa dil bahale, ham log tamaashaa kyon na Karen

Josh Malihabadi

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har subah hai ik ajiib saudaa mujhako
har shaam hai ik-tarafaa taqaazaa mujhako
jug biit gayaa magar ye ab tak na khulaa
aaKhir kis shay kii hai tamannaa mujahko

tujhase jo phiregii to kidhar jaayegii
le jaayegaa jis simt udhar jaayegii
duniyaa ke havaadis se na ghabaraa ki ye umr
jis tarah guzaaregaa guzar jaayegii

jannat ke mazon pe jaan dene vaalo
gande paanii men naav khene vaalo
har Khair pe chaahate ho sattar huuren
ai apane Khudaa se suud maa.Nganae vaalo

ik umr tasavvuf ne mujhako chakaraayaa
is bahar men ek bhii na motii paayaa
har martabaa jab ki jaal khiiNchaa main ne
to ik-na-ik vaham aTak kar aayaa

Amjad Hydrabadi

kab tak hai baqaa-e-tan fanaa ko maaluum
kab tak hai ye zindagii qazaa ko maaluum
har saaNs ye kah rahii hai jaate jaate
jaatii to huuN vaapasii Khudaa ko maaluum

koshish hai tamaam apanii sitaa_ish ke liye
kyaa kyaa karate hain ek Khvaahish ke liye
har ek namuud pe miTaa jaataa hai
putale miTTii ke hain numaa_ish ke liye

mar mar ke main ne lahad men jaa paa_ii hai
yaaN tak mujhe terii hii kashish laa_ii hai
aa, ai mere muuNh chhupaane vaale aajaa
Khilavat hai shab-e-taar hai tanahaa_ii hai