qafaya

Qafiya, written قافية in Arabic, refers to the rhyme or end rhyme that unifies a poem. In classical Arabic poetics it is the recurring sound at the end of each line, shaping the work’s auditory identity. The qasida, a dominant long-form ode, is typically composed with a single qafiya across all lines, a practice known as monorhyme. The rhyming ending is usually formed by the final long vowel and following consonants, and its precise shape is analyzed within the system of Arabic prosody (arud).

The concept has been influential beyond Arabic, with related uses in Persian, Urdu, Turkish and other literatures influenced by Arabic poetic theory. In these traditions the term qaafiya or qafiya is used to describe the rhyme pattern that governs the endings of lines or couplets. In some forms, the qafiya interacts with other structural devices, such as refrains or repeated elements, but its core function remains the unifying end rhyme.

Scholars distinguish qafiya from other formal features such as the radif (refrain) and the metrical pattern (bahr) that underlie line length. Together, these elements define a poem’s formal architecture. The term derives from the Arabic root q-f-y and the letter qāf, reflecting the central role of the final sound in the poem’s structure and its study within Arabic linguistic and literary tradition.