Qasida (also spelled qasidah) in Arabic "قصيدة", in Persian قصیده, is a form of poetry from pre-Islamic Arabia. It typically runs more than 50 lines, and sometimes more than 100. It was later inherited by the Persians, where it became sometimes longer than 100 lines and was used and developed immensely. Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... Persian (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ« ) is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Chinese poem Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong (Song Dynasty) Poetry (from the Greek , poiesis, making or creating) is a form of art in which language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ...

Qasida is often panegyric written in praise of a king or a nobleman. This kind of qasidah is known as a madih meaning praise. Qasidas have a single presiding subject, logically developed and concluded. A Panegyric is a formal public speech delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally high studied and undiscriminating eulogy. ...

Often, either all the lines rhyme in couplets, or in the Persian format, second parts of each couplet rhymes with the other lines. A rhyme is a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words and is most often used in poetry. ... A couplet is a pair of lines of verse that form a unit. ...

The classic form of qasida maintains a single elaborate meter throughout the poem, and every line rhymes. These poems are considered some of the most elaborate in the world. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

In his 9th century Kitab al-shi'r wa-al-shu'ara' (Book of Poetry and Poets) the Arabic writer ibn Qutaybah says that (Arabic) qasida are formed of three parts: - They start, he says, with a nostalgic opening in which the poets reflects on what has passed, known as nasib. A common concept is the pursuit of the poet of the caravan of his love; by the time he reaches their campsite they have already moved on. - The nasib is usually followed by the takhallus - a release or disengagement. The poet often achieved this disengagement by describing his transition from the nostalgia of the nasib to the next portion of the poem. The second section is rahil (travel section) in which the poet contemplates the harshness of nature and life away from the tribe. - Finally there is the message of the poem, which can take several forms: praise of the tribe, fakhr; jokes about other tribes, hija; or some moral maxims, hikam. As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... Abd-Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Qutayba, Abū Muhammad al-Dīnawarī al-Marwazī (213-276) was viewd by sunnis as a hadīth Master, foremost philologist, linguist, and man of letters. ...

While a lot of poets have intentionally or unintentionally deviated from this plan in their qasida it is recognisable in many.

One of the most popular and well known qasidas is the Qasida Burda ("Poem of the Mantle") by Imam al-Busiri, which is based on the quintessential classical qasida by Ka'b ibn Zuhayr. Ibn Zuhayr's classical qasida was composed at the dawn of Islam, and as a token of his conversion. In exchange for his poem, the Prophet Muhammad awarded Ibn Zuhayr his burda, or mantle. The Qasida Burda (Poem of the Mantle) is one of the most famous poems in the qasida form. ... Būsīrī (Abū Abdallāh Muhammad ibn Saīd ul-Būsīrī) (1211–1294), Egyptian poet, lived in Egypt, where he wrote under the patronage of Ibn Hinna, the vizier. ...

Persian Variation of Qasideh

As mentioned above, after the 10th century, Iranians developed qasideh immensely and used it for very different purposes other than praise or nostalgia as did Arabs originally for the tribal and nomadic life. For example, Naser Khosro used qasideh extensively for philosophical, theological, and ethical purposes. Even Avicenna has some philosophical qasidehs. Nasir Khusraw Abu Mo’in Hamid al-Din Nasir ibn Khusraw (1004 - 1088 CE) was a scholar, traveller, Persian poet and an Ismaili Dai or theologian, who was especially well-known in the northern areas of Pakistan, parts of China, Afghanistan and Central Asia. ... Avicenna (latinized from Arab Ibn Sina; full name Abū ‘Alī al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā al-Balkhī; Persian: ‎ ; arabicized ; born 980, dead 1037) was a Persian [2][3] physician, philosopher, and scientist. ...

In the Persian format, the opening is usually description of a natural event like seasons (spring, fall, etc) or a natural landscape, or an imaginary sweetheart. If it's about the spring it's called 'baharieh' (in Persian: بهاريه or Spring Poem), if it's about the fall it's called 'khazanieh' (in Persian: خزانيه, or Automn Poem). Then there is the 'takhallos' (disengagement or escape or the main purpose) where the poets usually addresses themselves by using their pen name. Then the last section is the main purpose of the poet in writing the poem. Because, after all, 'qasideh' literally means intention and it was used to ask for support from a patron or state a petition.

In Persian the best qasidehs are those by Persian (local name: Fārsī or Pārsī ) is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

• Farrokhi Sistani, the court poet of Mahmoud Ghaznavi (11th century), especially his 'Hunting Scene' (in Persian: qasideh shekargah),
• Masud Sa'd Salman (12th century) who was wrongfully prisoned on the suspicion of treason
• Anvari Abiverdi, (12th century) especially his petition for help against the invasion of Mongols
• Khaghani Shervani (12th century)
• and in the 20th century, Mohammad Taghi Bahar with his innovations in using qasideh for political purposes.

After the Mongol invasion and starting in the 14th century, Persian poets became more interested in ghazal and the qasideh declined in the status. Ghazal was originally developed from the first part of qasideh where the poets praised their sweethearts. The mystic poets and sufis used ghazal for mystical purposes. Abul Hasan Ali ibn Julugh Farrukhi Sistani was a 10-11th century royal poet of Ghaznavid Persia. ... Mahmud of Ghazni (971-April 30, 1030), also know as Yamin ul-Dawlah Mahmud (in full: Yamin ul-Dawlah Abd ul-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Sebük Tigin) was the ruler of Ghazni from 997 until his death. ... Masud-i Sad-i Salmān was an 11th century Persian poet of Ghaznavid empire. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Sclupture of Khaqani in Tabriz. ... Bahars tomb in Darband, Shemiran, Tehran. ... This article is about the poetic form. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ...

External links

• Persian poetry
• Urdu poetic forms