A Nowheh, Nohay or Noha (Persian: نوحهnowheh, Urdu: نوحہ; translit. nūḥa/nawḥa; Azerbaijani: Növhə/Нөвһә/نؤوحه[1]), when interpreted in light of Shia views, is an elegy about the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali and his family and companions in the Battle of Karbala.[2]
Marsiya and Nowheh have the historical and social milieu of pre-Islamic Arabic and Persian culture.[3] The sub-parts of Marsiya are called Nowheh and Soaz, which means lamentation. It is usually a poem of mourning.[4] Lamentation has a central part in the literature of the followers and devotees of the Shia sect and its offshoots. The tradition of elegizing Hussain and the tragedy of Karbala is not limited to Arabic or Persian speaking poets. Poets from different languages have also contributed significant poetic literature in their language. Poets who recite nowheh are called nohakhawan.[5]
In Urdu language, a number of poets like, Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer have contributed much to Marsiya and its sub-branch, Nowheh. In like manner, English-speaking poets, whether Muslim, Christian, have also made significant contributions to produce elegies for Imam Hussain and the tragic incidents of Karbala.[6]
^"Нөвһә." Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia: Volume VII: Egypt - Prado. Baku: General Editorship of the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia. Editor: J. V. Guliyev. 1983. p. 300.
