Welcome to andaaz-e-bayaaN – a selection of Urdu couplets with translations and notes. The phrase andaaz-e-bayaaN means “style of expression”, and is borrowed from a famous sher (couplet).

The Urdu language developed in India, and is currently spoken by over 200 million people throughout the world. The pinnacle of Urdu is shaayari – its poetry. It is enchanting. For those who develop a taste, it becomes a lifelong source of pleasure.

Translating Urdu shaayari to English is not hard – it is impossible. Often, there are many nuances and phrases and allusions in the original that simply do not map onto a different language. Also, like a good joke, to explain it is to spoil it.

Still, I shall make a valiant attempt to present it to the reader through English. So here are some selected gems from the ocean of Urdu poetry. I will select high quality ashaar (plural of sher), with a variety of poets, time periods, and subjects. They are in no particular order. If a sher strikes your fancy, you can usually find the entire Ghazal or nazm on Rekhta.

Hope you enjoy the posts.

Your comments and thoughts about urdu shaayari are welcome. Please email to goodurdu.poetry at gmail dot com

Cheers!

– Vasmi Abidi