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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

In poetry, “Sannata” isn’t just silence but the stillness where everything stops. It is the absence of sound, of presence, of movement, yet it carries a strange weight. Poets like Gulzar, Ameer Qazalbash, Abbas Tabish and Manmohan Shukla ‘Talkh’ have turned this silence into a living emotion. For Gulzar, sannata comes sneakily, filled with the fear of losing someone. Ameer Qazalbash writes of a silence that feels like the aftermath of a tragedy. Abbas Tabish’s interpretation of sannata shows emotional distance between two people, And in Talkh’s verse, sannata becomes deeply personal, its the kind that takes away the sense of self.Tune in to explore how sannata speaks louder than words.
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Sannata - The Sound Between Words

In Urdu, chain means comfort, meaning when the heart finally feels at ease. Bechaini is the opposite. It is the restlessness that keeps you awake, searching for something more, something else.Poets like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq, and Josh Malihabadi wrote from this space between calm and chaos. Maybe that’s what it is. Not choosing between comfort and restlessness, but learning to live with both and to let chain and bechaini speak to each other inside of us. Tune in as Fabeha Syed reads works of these masters among others. 
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Chain and Bechaini: The Space Between Rest and Restlessness

Roshni, meaning 'light', in Urdu poetry is never alone. It gains meaning only when contrasted with darkness, whether that’s doubt, loneliness, or the moments that challenge our hearts. Poets show us that hope isn’t about perfection; it’s about courage, resilience, and the quiet moments when even a small glimmer can guide us.From Shakeel Badayuni’s faith tested by doubt, to Bashir Badr’s morning breeze reminding us of small joys, and Waseem Barelvi’s light that moves and spreads wherever it can — roshni is alive and shared. In Urdu poetry, roshni is more than illumination. It is hope, presence, and the courage to shine even through the shadows of lurking tareeki meaning darkness. This Diwali, may we all try to stop looking for light outside, and become roshni ourselves. Tune in. 
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In the Glow of ‘Roshni’, Every Poem Finds Clarity

In this episode, we explore Urdu word Ranj, sorrow, grief, and the small heartbreaks that shape our lives. From Sahir to Dagh, Shakeel, and Irfan, each poet has experienced, expressed, and understood Ranj in their own way. Sometimes it becomes empathy, sometimes resilience, and sometimes a quiet irony.We unpack these layers through poetry and reflection, showing how Ranj is not just about pain but also about how we feel, endure, and even find meaning in it. Tune in.
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Ranj: The Quiet Ache Beneath Every Verse

In this episode, we explore the word Hazir — a simple word that means “present,” but in Urdu poetry it holds much deeper weight. With verses from Parveen Shakir and Ahmad Faraz, we look at how hazir shifts in its context and scope. the couplets curated in this episode reminds us that being hazir is never just about attendance. It’s about presence with all its complexity — love, loss, surrender, resistance — and it asks us what it really means to show up fully in front of another person, or in front of the truth. Tune in.
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‘Haazir’ - More Than Just Being Present

In this episode, we dive into the idea of ghaib — that mysterious, hidden side of life that we can’t fully see or grasp. We move from the mystical inspiration in Ghalib’s poetry, to the revolutionary energy in Chakbast’s ghazal, and the creative intinacy that echoes in Ahmad Salman’s verses, discovering how poets have drawn from the unseen to fuel creativity, emotion, and reflection.But ghaib isn’t just a poetic idea. In real life, it’s a gentle reminder that we don’t have control over everything. We can’t always know what others are thinking, what the right outcome of our choices will be, or why certain things happen. And that’s okay. Understanding this allows us to focus on what we can control, while letting go of what we can’t.Through poetry, reflection, and real-life lessons, this episode shows how embracing the hidden can bring clarity, patience, and a deeper sense of peace.
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Whispers From the Unseen: The World of 'Ghaib'

What does it mean to 'dance' in Urdu poetry? 

In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed explores Raqs, the movements, the madness, and the magic behind it. It's the kind that moves your heart, your soul, even the world around you. 

We look at the ashaar of Majrooh Sultanpuri, Saghar Khayyami, and Abbas Tabish, and see how they turn dance into metaphor: the joy of little steps, the madness that takes over, the wild energy that can’t be contained. From playful, innocent moments to powerful, overwhelming ones, raqs shows us how poetry captures life in motion. 

Tune in, and feel the rhythm of 'Raqs' through Urdu poetry.
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Every Step of Raqs Is a Verse Untold

In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed explores the word Fursat, those rare moments of time when you can pause, breathe, and just be. What does it mean in Urdu poetry? We look at the ashaar of Ghalib, Faiz, and Sahir, tracing how each poet reflects on these small luxuries: the freedom to imagine, the quiet spaces that let life breathe, and the way even fleeting moments can feel enormous. From daydreaming about the beloved to feeling the weight of solitude and the world’s relentless pace, fursat becomes more than just leisure, it’s a window into the soul. Tune in. 
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The Gift of 'Fursat' in a World That Never Pauses

This week on Urdunama, we talk about manzar, a word that means a view, a scene, a spectacle. In Urdu poetry, though, it’s more than just scenery; it’s like a theatre of the mind where words create pictures and feelings at the same time. With the verses of Gulzar, Nida Fazli, and Bashir Badr, we look at how one simple manzar can open up entire worlds of silence, dreams, and reflection.
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Between Silence and Sight, 'Manzar' Lives

For centuries, Urdu has been part of a shared cultural space, shaped by people from diverse communities and traditions. Yet this fact is often forgotten or pushed aside. That’s why the new anthology Whose Urdu Is It Anyway? feels so important.

Edited and translated into English by writer, literary historian, and translator Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil, the book brings together 16 Urdu short stories written by non-Muslim writers. The collection features powerful voices such as Krishan Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor, and Gulzar, among others. Together, their stories challenge the stereotype that Urdu belongs to a single identity, reminding us instead that it has always been a language of many, reflecting universal themes of love, loss, displacement, and belonging.

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Whose Urdu Is It Anyway? Exploring Urdu’s Shared Heritage with Rakhshanda Jalil

Holi is a social festival which has been written a lot about in Urdu poetry from the spectrum of India's ganga-jamuni tehzeeb. 

Although there are many poets who have expressed their love for the festival, Wali Muhammad, who wrote using nom de plume, 'Nazeer', wrote almost a dozen nazms on Holi. 

In this episode we not only look at some of Nazeer Akbarabaadi's works, we also read Azhar Iqbal, Bhartendu Harishchandra, among others.

Tune in.

Host, Script, Sound Edit: Fabeha Syed
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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Holi 2022: A Look at What Does Holi Stand For in Urdu Poetry

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