Kalima-e-Bahaar: Beautiful Urdu Words Related to Spring

We are almost reaching the end of chilly winters and the wait for spring has filled many hearts with excitement already. Colourful flowers, soothing winds and the hustle-bustle of spring bring about a wave of warmth and joy. And for this very essence of spring, or bahaar as it is called in Urdu, we have a flourishing Urdu vocabulary. Beautiful and poetic words that are as melodious as a bird’s song on a bright spring morning. 

So, tag along as we take you through this very vibrant vocabulary and learn some new words to praise the upcoming bahaar!

mausam-e-bahaar

mausam means season, and by now you already know what bahaar means. The word mausam-e-bahaar refers to the season of spring. 

chaman

chaman is a Persian word which translates to a flower garden. Often associated with beautiful gardens blossoming with colourful flowers, chaman is a word extensively used when talking about spring.

gul

Another Persian word in our list today is gul, which means a flower. The word gul is commonly used by poets to describe the beauty of spring or to co-relate it with the beauty of their beloved. Have a look at this sher by Meer Taqi Meer where he has used the word gul in a metaphorical way to refer to his beloved:

pattaa pattaa buuTaa buuTaa haal hamaaraa jaane hai
jaane na jaane gul hii na jaane baaG to saaraa jaane hai

baaG

baaG means a garden or an orchard. You may have heard the term baaG-o-bahaar when someone talks about spring. It is often used to describe the prosperity of spring, as gardens and groves are filled with blooming flowers. 

gulshan

Another word for garden in Urdu is gulshan. But unlike a plain garden, gulshan is specifically used to refer to a garden filled with flowers. In a denotative sense, gulshan also refers to a place or state of happiness and joy. One of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s most famous sher uses the word gulshan in a very beautiful manner:

gulo.n me.n ra.ng bhare baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aa.o ki gulshan kaa kaarobaar chale

kaante

The word kaante (plural for kaanta) means thorns. You might be thinking as to why a prickly word like this is included in this soft and delicate list of words. But, to the surprise of many, Urdu poets have extensively used the words kaanta/kaante when talking about spring because spring will be incomplete without these thorns.
This sher by Umeed Fazli sheds light on the importance of thorns which are mostly overlooked when discussing about spring:

chaman me.n rakhte hai.n kaa.nTe bhii ik maqaam ai dost
faqat gulo.n se hii gulshan kii aabruu to nahii.n

tabassum

The Arabic word tabassum means a flower or a bud. So delicate and lyrical in pronunciation, this word is a common name for females in South Asia. Also used in the meaning for a smile, tabassum is one word which finds a place in many couplets where the shaayar is talking about the glory of bahaar. 

KHushbuu

KHushbuu is a Persian word that translates to fragrance. Since spring brings the blossoming of various flowers, the atmosphere is spread with a pleasant fragrance. So the word KHushbuu is perfect fit for this list.
Parveen Shakir has used the word KHushbuu in one of her most famous sher:

vo to KHush-buu hai havaa.o.n me.n bikhar jaa.egaa
mas.ala phuul kaa hai phuul kidhar jaa.egaa

kalii

kalii, which means a flower bud, is a word which is often used when talking about spring. It is also used to describe a tender and delicate young woman. The word kalii has been used in many couplets and poems related to the theme of spring.

bulbul

Just like the splendour of spring is incomplete without the beautiful songs of the bulbul (nightingale), our list will be incomplete too. The praises of spring have included the melodious bulbul in many Urdu couplets. 
Bahadur Shah Zafar writes of his agony of having forced to spend his prime age in prison as a metaphor in this sher. He talks about how the spring of his life has been reduced to imprisonment:

bulbul ko baaGbaa.n se na sayyaad se gila
qismat me.n qaid likkhii thii fasl-e-bahaar me.n

This was our list of the most beautiful and commonly used words related to spring. We hope you learnt a thing or two and enjoyed this colourful vocabulary!