8 popular, beautiful Urdu words and their meanings
Gulzar's timeless poetry and lyrics need no introduction. His captivating compositions and profound expressions in Urdu make you fall in love with them over and over again. In fact, Urdu is one of the sweetest languages and has a unique charm that can teleport us to dreamland. In this article, let us explore some beautiful Urdu words and decode their meanings.
Urdu and its effect
Often described as the most beautiful language in the world, Urdu is spoken by over 200 million people globally. An official language in six Indian states, Urdu has inspired many creative persons with its decent and elegant sounds. Urdu poetry has a soul-stirring effect on the listener and appears to delve deeper into the depths of your feelings you never knew you had.
Some popular Urdu words used in ghazals
-Muntazir - One who is expecting, one who awaits. Lyrics from Muneer Niyazi's ghazal say it all: "Ab kaun muntazir hai hamāre liye vahan... shaam aa gai hai laut ke ghar jaaen ham to kya..." -Ranjish - Indignation, strained relations, estrangement. This word immediately reminds us of the popular ghazal: "Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhane ke liye aa..."
Love and elegance
-Uns - Love, attachment, affection. Need we say more? Here's Jaleel Manikpuri's ghazal to make you go weak in your knees: "Aine se unhen kuchh uns nahin baat ye hai...chahte hain koi dekha kare surat meri..." -Nazaakat - Elegance, softness, neatness, delicateness. Here's Mirza Ghalib's sher: "Is nazaakat ka bura ho vo bhale hain to kya... haath aaven to unhen haath lagae na bane."
Legend and devotion
-Rivaayat - Legend, narrative, tradition, history, tale. With roots in Arabic, it is often used in Bollywood lyrics. Remember Arijit Singh's Aayat? "Tujhe yaad kar liya hai, aayat ki tarah... Kaayam tu ho gayi hai, rivaayat ki tarah..." -Riyazat - Spiritual exercise, devotion, abstinence, discipline. Here's an example from Khwaja Meer Dard's sher: "Ek iman hai bisat apni, na ibadat na kuchh riyazat hai..."
Union and ruin
-Vasl - Meeting, connection, intercourse, union. The beauty of this word can be felt in the following lyrics, "Vasl ki raat mein, haath hai haath mein" from Umrao Jaan's Pehel Pehel. -Viiraan - Ruined, deserted, waste, desolate place, sad. Dil Ayub's ghazal captures the essence of the word: "Lamha lamha mujhe viran kiye deta hai bas gaya mere tasavvur men ye chehra kis ka..."
