Urdunama cover art

Urdunama

Urdunama

Written by: The Quint
Listen for free

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!2024 The Quint Art
Episodes
  • Gumraah: Urdu Poetry on Being Lost, Misled and Finding the Way

    Gumraah: Urdu Poetry on Being Lost, Misled and Finding the Way
    Aug 8 2026
    We usually think of gumraah as someone who has been led astray. But is that all the word means? In this episode of Urdunama, we unpack the word, 'gum-raah', through the poetry of Khumar Barabankvi and Muneer Niazi among others. Along the way, we discover that gumraahi isn't always about taking the wrong path. Sometimes it begins with trust. Sometimes with love. Sometimes with a destination that opens into countless new roads. And sometimes, what looks like losing your way turns out to be finding a completely different one.Tune in to discover why one simple Urdu word can hold so many different journeys and paths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Gumshuda: When What's Lost Isn't Just a Person

    Gumshuda: When What's Lost Isn't Just a Person
    Aug 1 2026
    Most of us hear the word 'gumshuda' and think of a missing person. Urdu poetry has other ideas.In this episode of Urdunama, we explore how this simple word takes on many different meanings in poetry. Through these ashaar by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmad Mushtaq, and others, 'gumshuda' becomes much more than someone who has disappeared. It can be a lost voice, an unfinished song, an incomplete project, a wandering mind, a forgotten childhood, or even a part of ourselves that slowly disappears with time. It can also be that elusive creative spark, or an idea that catches you unawares, only to disappear before it has the chance to become a poem, a story or even a single sentence.Join us as we unpack one of Urdu's most layered words and discover how poetry uses gumshuda to make sense of absence, memory and the quiet search for what we've lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Gumnaam: The Urdu Word That Means More Than ‘Anonymous’

    Gumnaam: The Urdu Word That Means More Than ‘Anonymous’
    Jul 25 2026
    What does it really mean to be gumnaam?Often translated as "anonymous" or "unknown," the Urdu word carries a much deeper meaning. In this episode of Urdunama, we explore how gumnaam is used in Urdu poetry to reflect on forgotten contributors, invisible lives, fame, love and the underlying tension between recognition and obscurity. Through verses by Nida Fazli, Qateel Shifai, Ahmed Faraz and Meena Kumari Naaz, the episode asks a timeless question: Is being unknown always a misfortune, or can anonymity sometimes be its own kind of freedom? Tune in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
Easy listening, flowed well between hindustani, urdu and hindi. always keeps the audience engaged.

Interesting definitely

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beautiful rendition of this beautiful language.
Fabiya nicely explains difficult words with modern context. The background music gels with the poetry. The selection of poetry is also very interesting.

Beautifully presented

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
it's sweet and beautiful. Also a place to learn a few popular Urdu words. I have been listening to it since episode 1.

Love the content, and the delivery.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.