*Taqti — Scansion of Verse*


_Taqti_ is the process of weighing the parts of a _sher_ against the _arkaan_ [metrical feet] of the _bahr_.[couplet][meter]


_Taqti_ literally means “to break into pieces.” To make a _sher_ equal in weight to the _arkaan_, it is divided into pieces — hence this process is called _taqti_. In _taqti_, a _mutaharrik_ [voweled letter] is matched with a _mutaharrik_, and a _sakin_ [unvoweled letter] with a _sakin_.


A _mutaharrik_ is a letter that carries a vowel sign — i.e., any one of _zabar_, _zer_, or _pesh_. A _sakin_ is a letter that has no vowel sign. For example, in _maktabi_: _meem_, _te_, and _be_ are _mutaharrik_, while _kaaf_, _wow_, and _ye_ are _sakin_.


In _taqti_, only those letters are counted that are pronounced, even if they are not written. For instance, _Muhammad_ is written with four letters but five are pronounced — because of the _tashdeed_ on _meem_, it is uttered twice. So it is counted as five letters. An _alif-madd_ is counted as two letters.


In Urdu, there are five _huroof-e-illat_ [weak letters]: _alif_, _wow_, _chhoti ye_, _badi ye_, and _chhoti he_. Prosodists have discussed their elision at length — which _harf-e-illat_ may be dropped and which may not. Dropping a Hindi _harf-e-illat_ is permissible, whereas dropping an Arabic or Persian _harf-e-illat_ is not allowed, etc.


As for letters other than _huroof-e-illat_ that come at the end of Arabic or Persian words, they should be pronounced clearly and not forced or suppressed on the tongue. But there is no harm in doing so with Hindi words. Scholars have declared the dropping of Hindi _huroof-e-illat_ to be correct.


Under the influence of Lucknow poets in Rampur and Hyderabad, Daagh Dehlvi also adopted this practice in this manner.


A simple principle to understand is: wherever a _harf-e-illat_ is dropped in speech, it can also be dropped in poetry, regardless of the language. Persian speakers often drop _he_ and _ye_. In Arabic, _huroof-e-illat_ are not elided, but in Urdu speech, the _huroof-e-illat_ of Arabic words are sometimes pronounced fully and sometimes lightly — and the same can happen in poetry.


However, it should be kept in mind that the elision of a _harf-e-illat_ must not disturb the flow of the _sher_. The natural rhythm of the language should remain intact. If the flow is affected, then even dropping a Hindi _harf-e-illat_ is not desirable.


*Source:* _Ilm-e-Urooz_, Junaid Akram Faruqi

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