Urdu & Poetry
زبان، ادبThe language, and what people have made with it.
Urdu carries one of the great poetic traditions — the ghazal, the nazm, the couplet that turns on a single word. Here is some of what we read together.
If you are just starting
- 01
Come to a mushaira
Every piece is introduced in English before it is read. You do not need a word of Urdu to enjoy an evening of it.
- 02
Learn the script
We run beginner sessions on the Nastaliq alphabet each Michaelmas — the letters first, then joining them, then your own name.
- 03
Read alongside
We pair each verse we study with a transliteration and a translation, so you can follow the sound and the sense together.