Beyond Illness: The Many Meanings of ‘Marz’ in Urdu Poetry

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.