▁sources , ▁folk ▁tradition , ▁and ▁other ▁relig ions ▁and ▁philosoph ies . ▁The ▁m adr ā š ê ▁are ▁written ▁in ▁st anz as ▁of ▁sy ll ab ic ▁verse ▁and ▁employ ▁over ▁fifty ▁different ▁met rical ▁schemes . ▁Each ▁m adr ā š â ▁had ▁its ▁q ā l â ▁( ), ▁a ▁traditional ▁t une ▁identified ▁by ▁its ▁opening ▁line . ▁All ▁of ▁these ▁q ā l ê ▁are ▁now ▁lost . ▁It ▁seems ▁that ▁B ard ais an ▁and ▁Man i ▁composed ▁m adr ā š ê , ▁and ▁E ph rem ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁medium ▁was ▁a ▁suitable ▁tool ▁to ▁use ▁against ▁their ▁claims . ▁ ▁The ▁m adr ā š ê ▁are ▁gathered ▁into ▁various ▁h ymn ▁cycles . ▁Each ▁group ▁has ▁a ▁title ▁— ▁Car mina ▁N is ib ena , ▁On ▁Fa ith , ▁On ▁Parad ise , ▁On ▁Virgin ity , ▁Again st ▁Her es ies ▁— ▁but ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁titles ▁do ▁not ▁do ▁justice ▁to ▁the ▁entire ty ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁( for ▁instance , ▁only ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁Car mina ▁N is ib ena ▁is ▁about ▁N is ib is ). ▁Each ▁m adr ā š â ▁usually ▁had ▁a ▁ref rain ▁( , ▁‘ û n î ṯ â ), ▁which ▁was ▁repeated ▁after ▁each ▁st anza . ▁Later ▁writers ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁m adr ā š ê ▁were ▁s ung ▁by ▁all - w omen ▁cho irs ▁with ▁an ▁accomp any ing ▁ly re . ▁