Ghazel
/ˈɡɑː.zəl/noun
A variant spelling of ghazal, a short lyric poem, especially one expressing love or longing.
Did you know?Ghazals were famously used by Sufi poets to let earthly love imagery suggest mystical longing for union with the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Early Arabic
Arabic
ġazal
“Love poetry or amorous conversation”
Medieval Period
Persian
ġazal
“A formal lyric-poetry genre centered on love, separation, and longing”
13th–14th Century
Persian
غزل
“A highly developed poetic form associated with poets such as Saʿdī and Ḥāfiẓ”
18th Century
English
ghazal
“A borrowed term for the Persian and Arabic lyric form”
19th Century
English
ghazel
“An English variant spelling of ghazal”
Modern English
English
ghazel
“A rare alternative spelling for a ghazal, a lyric poem of love or longing”