Abbas Tabish on Fear, His Mother & the Soul of Urdu Ghazal | Rekhta Rubaru

In this deeply moving episode of Rekhta Rubaru, host Rehman Faris sits down with legendary poet Abbas Tabish, celebrated as one of the most powerful voices of the modern Urdu ghazal.From childhood memories and poverty to the emotional force of a mother’s love, Tabish reflects on the fears, wounds, and turning points that shaped both his life and poetry. He shares the story behind one of his most iconic lines, “Ek Muddat Se Meri Maa Nahi Soi Tabish”, and opens up about how fear has remained a recurring presence in his creative journey.The conversation also explores his early poetic influences, his father’s role in introducing him to spiritual and romantic imagination through Tafsir Surah Yusuf, and the insult at a newspaper office that pushed him toward education and a lifelong commitment to poetry.Abbas Tabish also speaks about the craft of the ghazal, the need for poets to unlearn, the importance of lineage in poetry, the legacy of Mir and Sauda, mushaira culture, poetic ego, audience connection, and the digital future of Urdu literature through Rekhta.The episode closes with powerful recitations by Abbas Tabish, including his unforgettable verses on motherhood, longing, thirst, and the human condition.A soulful conversation on fear, memory, love, Urdu poetry, and the timeless world of the ghazal.