Hyderabad: The Urdu language is celebrated for its poetic richness and diversity. From the romantic ghazal and lyrical geet to the devotional naat and marsiya, it offers a genre for every human emotion and circumstance. Yet among its many treasures lies a forgotten form — Shahr Ashob, the city’s lament — a poignant poetic genre that once gave voice to grief over societal upheavals, political decay, and collective despair.

This lesser-known but historically significant genre took center stage recently at the Urdu Asnafe Suqan programme held at the Maulana Azad Oriental Research Institute in Hyderabad. The gathering of poets and scholars rekindled interest in the Shahr Ashob, reminding listeners of its emotional depth and historical resonance.

“Poets never lived in isolation from their sur

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