Urdunama

By 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 o... more

· Arts

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How many episodes does Urdunama have?

The podcast currently has 281 episodes available.

Best of Urdunama

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Firaq Gorakhpuri: The Poet of Love, Longing and Pain in Urdu Poetry
Firaq Gorakhpuri was born on 28 August 1896 as Raghupati Sahaay Firaq. On his birth anniversary, we return to a poet who changed how love could be written about in Urdu. Firaq writes of ishq, but also of what accompanies it: desire, qurbat, longing, loneliness, memory and dard. What sets him apart is the attention he pays to these emotions. He doesn’t just describe them; he looks closely at what they do to us. In this episode, we follow some of his best-known verses and his deeply personal nazm “Jugnu” to grasp a sense of Firaq’s world, his life and the many shades of love that run through his poetry. Perhaps, along the way, we will better understand how he revolutionized Urdu poetry by blending classical Urdu romance with modern psychology and Eastern philosophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 29, 202625min
Number 2: Marz: A Word for Guilt, Longing, Pain and More
In Urdu poetry, “marz” does not always mean an illness. It can be the weight of guilt, a restless heart, someone else’s manipulation, or even the problems affecting an entire society. In this episode of Urdunama, we look at verses by Ameer Minai, Rahat Indori, Akbar Allahabadi and Hali to explore how each poet gives “marz” a different meaning, and how the idea of a cure changes with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 22, 202613min
Number 3: From Fever to Fire: Exploring Haraarat in Urdu Poetry
As another summer pushes temperatures to record highs, darja-e-haraarat , meaning 'degree of heat', has become part of our daily vocabulary. We hear it in weather reports, worry about it when a child feels warm, and increasingly experience it in a world shaped by climate change. On this week's Urdunama, we explore the Urdu word haraarat. While it literally means heat or temperature, poetry gives the word a far richer and tender life. it can signify warmth, affection, vitality, conviction, and even the spark of resistance. Through verses by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Muztar Khairabadi and Majaz Lakhnavi, Fabeha Syed traces the many shades of haraarat in Urdu poetry and reflects on how a word associated with heat can also illuminate the warmth that binds, heals and moves us to action. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 13, 202615min
Number 4: Zehn and Jazbātiyat: Heart vs Mind in Urdu Poetry
This week in UIrdunama, we explore poems that live inside our zehn, meaning our mind. But this internal world of the zehn keeps colliding with the one that belongs to the heart and its jazbātiyat (emotion driven clarity) that won’t be silenced. From Barelvi’s guiding light in confusion, to Jazib’s heart triumphing over intellect, to Javed Akhtar’s inner world in flames where only one surviving corner remains, these ashaar show how thoughts and feelings collide, break, and endure in every human experience. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
December 13, 202512min
Number 5: Brain Rot: How to Survive This 'Zavaal'
The Oxford Word of the Year, 'Brain Rot,' captures a world consumed by endless scrolling, digital fatigue, and mental burnout. In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed connects the Urdu word 'Zavaal'—meaning decline or downfall—to this modern malaise. Through the poetic imagery of setting suns and philosophical insights on life’s inevitable cycles, 'Zavaal' helps us make sense of the cultural and personal effects of our collective 'Brain Rot.' With timeless poetry and contemporary parallels, we delve into how every decline carries the promise of renewal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
December 07, 202421min