Basit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basīṭ (Arabic: بسيط), or al-basīṭ (البسيط), is a compound meter used in classical Arabic poetry. The word literally means "simple" or "ordinary" in Arabic.
Its form is as follows (the letter L representing a long syllable and S representing a short syllable):
- L L S L | L S L | L L S L | L S L |
- L L S L | L S L | L L S L | L S L |
It is often used alongside another meter called ṭawīl (طويل).
The term is also used in a musical context; in the Andalusi nubah, or classical suites, of Morocco, each nubah, or suite, is divided into five main movements, called mīzān (ميزان; plural: mawāzīn, موازين), each of which uses a different rhythm. These mawāzīn are as follows:
- Basīṭ (6/4)
- Qāim wa nusf (8/4)
- Btāyhī (8/4)
- Darj (4/4)
- Quddām (3/4 or 6/8)[1]
