Bahoor Used in Urdu Poetry: A Research and Critical Review

Abstract

Urdu has its own metrical system like all other languages of the world which determines the structure, quality and pertinence of the verse. Urdu has benefited from Arabic and Persian languages as it is a compound and absorbent language; even there are some poetical forms that have been included in Urdu language and they are originally from the mentioned other two languages; especially the science of metrical structure of the poetry has been adopted in pursuance of Arabic and Persian languages, which is called “Ilm-e-Urooz”. There are seven “Mufrad Buhoor” while twelve “Murakkab Buhoor” out of total nineteen “Buhoor” prevailing in Arabic and non-Arabic metrical structures. But there is no “Bahr” out of these twelve “Murakkab Buhoor” that is in common  absolute use in Urdu poetry, however, there have been poetic works that adopt the “Zuhaf Awzan” of these “Buhoor”. About six of these “Buhoor” have been in common use in poetic works out of those twelve and the other six have been abandoned as they were not according to the style of Urdu language.