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The Quint

Bollywood songs turn us all into Grammy award-winning bathroom singers! But wait, do you know the meaning of every word you sing? Especially the ones in Urdu? On Urdunama, our host Fabeha Syed takes one word at a time and breaks it down for you.

Be it the protest poetry of Faiz, or Sameer's 90s nostalgia, we have it all. If you like Urdu and poetry, this podcast is for you!

Urdunama

Khaak means dust, humble, weightless, and ever-returning to the earth. It is where all journeys end and where every beginning quietly stirs. Khaak carries the memory of everything it has touched, walls once standing, feet once wandering, lives once lived. In Urdu poetry, khaak becomes a reminder of impermanence, of the fragility of glory, and of the beauty in humility. It speaks of both finality and renewal, of endings that feed beginnings.

In this episode of Urdunama, we walk with khaak through the verses of poets who have found in it life’s deepest truths. 
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Where 'Khaak' Rests, All Roads Meet

Zakhm means wound, but in poetry, it is more than just pain. It is memory stitched into skin, heartbreak carried in silence, and love that once cut deep. A zakhm can be raw or hidden, healing or haunting. In Urdu verse, it becomes a canvas, where sorrow turns into metaphor, and suffering into something almost beautiful. Zakhm isn’t just what breaks us; it’s what shapes us.

In this episode of Urdunama, we explore the many meanings of zakhm through the verses of poets who transformed pain into poetry. Join us as we reflect on how wounds, seen and unseen, leave marks that often speak louder than words.
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The Art of Living with Zakhm

Hassaas means sensitive, a word that lives in the pauses, in the glances that linger a little longer, in the hearts that feel too much, too deeply. To be hassaas is to notice what others miss, to carry invisible weight, to be moved by the slightest shift in the air. It is a gift of awareness, but also a quiet ache—a constant hum beneath the noise of the world. In Urdu poetry, hassaas becomes the soul of expression, where pain, love, and truth are felt in their purest forms.

In this episode of Urdunama, we explore the delicate world of hassaas through verses that honour vulnerability, emotional intensity, and the quiet power of those who feel deeply. Join us as we reflect on sensitivity, not as fragility, but as a different kind of strength.
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In a World Too Loud, Hassaas Feels Everything

Beyhis means numb—an absence of feeling that grows not from peace, but from exhaustion. It is the quiet void after too much pain, the stillness that follows when even sorrow becomes heavy to carry. Beyhis is not indifference; it is the body and soul’s final defense, a silence that shields, a pause that protects. In Urdu poetry, it becomes a haunting space—where once there was fire, now only cold remains.

In this episode of Urdunama, we explore the layered meaning of beyhis through verses that reflect emotional withdrawal, inner fatigue, and the ache of feeling too much, for too long. Join us as we uncover the poetry in numbness—and the quiet truths it tries to hide.
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When ‘Beyhis’ Took Over, Even Tears Forgot Their Way

Malaal means regret, a soft ache that lives in silence, in the pause between what was and what could’ve been. It is not always loud or visible, but it lingers in missed chances, in unsent letters, in goodbyes that never found their words. Malaal doesn’t ask to be resolved; it asks to be remembered. In Urdu poetry, it becomes the quiet thread that ties together loss, longing, and lessons not yet learned.

In this episode of Urdunama, we sit with malaal, not to escape it, but to understand it. Through verses soaked in memory and emotion, we explore how poets have turned regret into reflection and sorrow into something beautifully human.
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'Malaal' Sat Where Words Once Lived

Yaqeen means belief, an unshaken trust, a light that holds steady even in the darkest hour. It is the quiet strength behind every decision, the invisible thread that pulls us forward when everything else falters. Yaqeen doesn’t always roar; sometimes, it’s a whisper that refuses to fade. In poetry, it becomes a force, of faith, of love, of conviction, that anchors the soul in a world of doubt.

In this episode of Urdunama, we explore the depth of yaqeen through verses that speak of courage, clarity, and quiet confidence. Join us as we trace how poets have held on to belief, not as blind certainty, but as a powerful act of hope.
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In the Heart of Doubt, 'Yaqeen' Stood Still

Saaneha means tragedy, a moment that splits time into before and after. It arrives uninvited, heavy and abrupt, leaving behind silence louder than words. A saaneha isn’t just an event, it’s an emotional landscape, marked by loss, disbelief, and the slow rebuilding that follows. In Urdu poetry, saaneha becomes a language of grief, but also of resilience, how pain is remembered, carried, and sometimes, turned into verse.

In this episode of Urdunama, we dwell on saaneha through the eyes of poets who have captured sorrow with grace. Join us as we explore how poetry gives shape to what feels unspeakable, and how even tragedy can hold the faint outline of beauty.
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In the Ashes of 'Saaneha', a Poem Remained

Mutma’een means content, an inner stillness that cannot be shaken, a quiet trust in the rhythm of things. It is not the absence of longing, but the soft presence of peace amidst it. To be mutma’een is to rest in the heart’s own knowing, to breathe without needing answers, and to carry calm like a companion. In a world built on urgency, mutma’een arrives like dusk—unhurried, whole, and luminous.

In this episode of Urdunama, we sit with the word mutma’een, tracing how poets have expressed calm, surrender, and soulful contentment in their verses. Join us as we explore how poetry teaches us to be still, even when the world won’t.

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When ‘Mutma’een’ Took Root, The Storm Passed

Chashma means spring—a quiet source where life begins, hidden beneath the surface until it chooses to rise. It is not loud like a storm, but steady like hope. In Urdu poetry, chashma becomes a symbol of purity, emotional release, and quiet resilience. It is the moment the heart overflows, the tear before it falls, the breath before a beginning. A chashma doesn’t just quench—it reveals. It reminds us that from the deepest stillness, something sacred can flow.

In this episode of Urdunama, we trace the gentle path of chashma through verses that speak of renewal, longing, and the beauty of emergence. Join us as we explore how poetry captures the grace of what quietly begins, yet never truly ends.
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'Chashma' Flowed from the Heart’s Deepest Place

Nagpur Police have filed sedition charges against Pushpa Sathidar — wife of late Ambedkarite activist and actor Vira Sathidar, and two unnamed individuals for the recital of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Hum Dekhenge at Vira’s annual memorial on 13 May. But what is it about this poem that repeatedly stirs controversy? What history shaped its creation, and why does it still resonate and rattle - decades later? In this episode of Urdunama, The Quint’s Fabeha Syed unpacks the verses of Hum Dekhenge and explores the enduring power of Faiz’s words.
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Faiz's 'Hum Dekhenge' Explained: Why This Poem Keeps Landing People In Trouble

In this episode, we delve into the depths of 'zindaan' – the Urdu word for prison. But our exploration goes beyond the literal confines of bars and walls. Join us as we examine the various forms of prisons that can trap the human spirit. From the physical cells of incarceration to the intangible chains of fear, regret, and societal expectations, we discuss how these 'zindaans' impact our lives and shape our experiences.
Listen till the end as Fabeha Syed reads poetry by Aitbar Sajid, Habib Jalib, and others.
Check out other episodes on poets like Josh Malihabadi and Faiz Ahmad Faiz here: https://www.thequint.com/podcast/urdunama-celebrating-josh-malihabadis-life-and-his-resistance-poetry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLTAgbn5EuY
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Free Yourself from the 'Zindaan' of this World

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