Word Meaning
रदीफ़
radif
Meaning
The refrain; a repeated word or phrase following the rhyme (qafiya) in poetry.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian prosody, the radif is the invariable word or sequence of words that concludes both lines of the opening couplet (matla) and the second line of every subsequent couplet, placed directly after the rhyming word (qafiya). In this verse, Ghalib playfully admires his own composition because the constant repetition (takraar) of the word 'dost' (beloved/friend) in its radif endears it to his heart.
Etymology
Arabic (ردیف - radīf), literally meaning one who rides behind another on the same mount; adapted into poetics for the word trailing the rhyme.
Usage
A ghazal featuring a radif is designated as 'muraddaf', lending the form its signature rhythmic pulse and semantic cohesion.
Examples
The poem's musicality relies entirely on an evocative radif.
She maintained the strict radif across all couplets.