The Matla is the first sher

Sher

Sher can have a variety of meanings:* Sher , the common word for couplet in Persian and Urdu* Sher , a form of dance in Eastern European folk music, notably Russian and Klezmer music*Sher , Ahmedabad district...

, or couplet, of a ghazal

Ghazal

The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...

, a collection of poems in Urdu or Persian poetry.It is possible, although extremely rare, for there to be more than one matla in a ghazal; in this case the second is referred to as matla-e-sani, literally the second matla. It is important part because it establishes the overall form and mood of the entire ghazal.

The defining feature of the matla is that both verses of the couplet rhyme, or expressed in technical terminology, both verses end with the qaafiyaa

Qaafiyaa

Qaafiyaa is a device employed in a form of Urdu poetry known as Ghazal . The Qaafiyaa is the rhyming pattern of words that must directly proceed the Ghazal's Radif...

 and radif

Radif

Radif is a rule in Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry which states that, in the form of poetry known as a Ghazal, the second line of all the couplets must end with the same word/s. This repeating of common words is the "Radif" of the Ghazal...

of the ghazal. In fact, the purpose of the matla is to define the qaafiya and radif for the rest of the ghazal.