Alisher Navoiy’s qit‘as

The qit‘a is a genre close to the ghazal in form; the difference is in the freedom of the first bayt’s rhyme: the rhyme order is a : a, d : a, e : a … Its smallest size is two bayts; it mostly treats philosophical, social-political and moral themes and can be written in any aruz metre. In one of the qit‘as in the textbook, people’s ingratitude and vain greed are condemned. The qit‘a “Saxo va buxl” is about generosity and stinginess: keeping one’s word is manly, giving without being asked is higher still; one who gives while making a show of it is rated lower, and one who promises but does not give lower still. The qit‘a “Jahon ahli bevafodur” advises the wise to keep away from disloyal people; the tazod “loyalty – cruelty” and the tajnis “Khito – xato” appear there. In another qit‘a, a person who has humility, forgiveness and gives without reproach is described as the “perfect human” (insoni komil). In the qit‘a “Shohni ajdahoga nisbat qilib” the ruler is likened to a dragon, both a source of hope and of danger. In a boasting qit‘a the poet says his ghazals have nine, eleven or thirteen bayts and none has fewer than seven, so their rank never falls below the seven heavens.