Doha (poetry)
Encyclopedia
namshka
:For the town in Kuwait
, see Doha and For the city in Qatar
, see Doha
Doha (Hindi
: दोहा, Urdu
: دوہا ) is a form of self-contained rhyming couplet in poetry
. This genre of poetry first became common in Apabhramsha
and was commonly used in Hindi
and Urdu
poetry.
Among the most famous dohas are those of Sarahpa, Kabir
, Rahim
, Tulsidas
, Jamiluddin Aali
and Surdas
.
Doha is identified by a syllable count 13/11 or 11/13, counted with a value of 1 in case of Hrasva(Short sounding letter) and 2 in case of Dhirga(long sounding letter)
Here is a doha by Rahim:
जो रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का कर सकत कुसंग |
2 121 121 111/ 2 11 111 112> 13/11
> 13/11
Says Rahim, one who is of inherently noble nature, will remain unaffected even when he associates with bad people. The sandalwood plant does not absorb poison when the snakes wind around it.
Many Hindi poets have created several books which explain whole stories and epics in the form of dohas. The most popular is Tulasidas'
Ramcharitmanas, a popular rendition of the Sanskrit
epic, Ramayana
.
:For the town in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, see Doha and For the city in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, see Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
Doha (Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: दोहा, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: دوہا ) is a form of self-contained rhyming couplet in poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. This genre of poetry first became common in Apabhramsha
Apabhramsha
Apabhraṃśa is a term used by Sanskrit grammarians since Patañjali to refer to dialects that deviate from the norm of Sanskrit grammar. The term in Sanskrit literally means "corrupt" or "non-grammatical language". It is used as a cover term for the dialects forming the transition between the late...
and was commonly used in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poetry.
Among the most famous dohas are those of Sarahpa, Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
, Rahim
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana , also known as Rahim was a composer in the times of Mughal emperor Akbar, and one of his main nine ministers in his court, also known as the Navaratnas; he is most known for his Hindi couplets and his books on Astrology...
, Tulsidas
Tulsidas
Tulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
, Jamiluddin Aali
Jamiluddin Aali
Nawabzada Mirza Jamiluddin Ahmed Khan better known as Jamiluddin Aali , PP, HI, is a noted Urdu poet, critic, playwright, essayist, columnist, and scholar of Pakistan...
and Surdas
Surdas
Surdas, the 15th century sightless saint, poet and musician, is known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. Surdas is said to have written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his magnum opus the 'Sur Sagar' , out of which only about 8,000 are extant...
.
Doha is identified by a syllable count 13/11 or 11/13, counted with a value of 1 in case of Hrasva(Short sounding letter) and 2 in case of Dhirga(long sounding letter)
Here is a doha by Rahim:
जो रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का कर सकत कुसंग |
2 121 121 111/ 2 11 111 112
> 13/11
चन्दन विष व्यापत नहीं, लपटे रहत भुजंग ||
211 11 1211 12/ 112 111 112
> 13/11Says Rahim, one who is of inherently noble nature, will remain unaffected even when he associates with bad people. The sandalwood plant does not absorb poison when the snakes wind around it.
Many Hindi poets have created several books which explain whole stories and epics in the form of dohas. The most popular is Tulasidas'
Tulsidas
Tulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
Ramcharitmanas, a popular rendition of the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
epic, Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
Links
- http://forum.urdujahaan.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1963 Tanwir PhoolTanwir PhoolTanwir Phool is the pen name of Tanwiruddin Ahmad Siddiqui, a Pakistani author and poet, writing in Urdu and English.-Education and career:...