Basīṭ or al-basīṭ (البسيط), is a compound meter

Meter (poetry)

In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...

 used in classical Arabic poetry

Arabic poetry

Arabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed, or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter...

. The word literally means "extender" in Arabic. The metrical form is as follows (the letter L representing a long syllable and S representing a short syllable):

L L S L | L S L | L L S L | L S L |

L L S L | L S L | L L S L | L S L |

It is often used alongside another meter called ṭawīl

Tawil

Tawil , or al-tawil , is a compound meter used in classical Arabic poetry.Its form is as follows :...

(طويل).

The term is also used in a musical context; in the Andalusi nubah

Andalusi nubah

Andalusi nubah is a musical genre found in the North African Maghrib states of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya but, as the name indicates, it has its origins in the Arabo-Andalusian music...

, or classical suites, of Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

, each nubah, or suite, is divided into five main movements (called mīzān (ميزان; plural: mawāzīn, موازين)) each of which uses a different rhythm, as follows:

1. Basīṭ (6/4)
2. Qāim wa nusf (8/4)
3. Btāyhī (8/4)
4. Darj (4/4)
5. Quddām (3/4 or 6/8)http://membres.lycos.fr/duhri/andalusian-music.htm