Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida: Song Lyrics English Translation

The speaker has loved so deeply and been so wounded that he decides to abandon love itself. However, the beauty of Qateel Shifai’s poetry lies in the contradiction: by saying "goodbye" so many times, he proves he is still in love with love. The repetition of "Alvida" (goodbye) becomes a desperate mantra, trying to convince himself of something his heart refuses to accept.

Here is the full English translation and lyrical interpretation of the classic Pakistani ghazal (محبت تجھے الوداع) — famously sung by Sajjad Ali and written by the renowned poet Qateel Shifai . mohabbat tujhe alvida song lyrics english translation

This ghazal is a masterpiece of heartbreak, where the speaker is not just saying goodbye to a person, but to the very emotion of "love" itself, personified as a beautiful but painful entity. Verse 1 (The Final Goodbye) Urdu (Nastaliq): Mohabbat tujhe alvida, mohabbat tujhe alvida Tere dard se aashna tha magar ab nahi, ab nahi English Translation: Love, goodbye to you. Love, goodbye to you. I was familiar with your pain, but not anymore, not anymore. Breakdown: The speaker directly addresses "Love" (Mohabbat) as a person. He acknowledges that he once knew the pain of love intimately—he was its companion. But now, he is severing that connection. The repetition of "ab nahi" (not anymore) signals a definitive, exhausted end. Verse 2 (The Burning of Memories) Urdu: Mere paas aansu, duaayein nahi Mere haath mein ab wafaayein nahi Jo jalte diye thhe bhuja diye Jo tasveer thi woh mita di maine English Translation: I have no tears left, no prayers left. I have no more loyalties left in my hands. Whatever lamps were burning, I have extinguished them. Whatever picture there was, I have erased it. Breakdown: This is the verse of emotional bankruptcy. He hasn’t just run out of tears; he has also run out of duaayein (prayers/blessings) and wafaayein (faithfulness). He actively destroyed the symbols of love—the burning lamps (hope) and the picture (memory). This isn't passive grief; it's a deliberate act of erasure. Verse 3 (The Unanswered Complaint) Urdu: Mujhe ye bata de kaun hai woh Jise tujhse koi shikayat nahi Main karta raha aur tu marti rahi Tera zikr kyun dil se jaata nahi English Translation: Tell me, who is that person? Who has no complaint against you? I kept loving, and you kept dying. Why won't your mention leave my heart? Breakdown: A moment of bitter contradiction. He asks a rhetorical question: is there anyone in the world who hasn't been hurt by love? Then, a haunting paradox: "Main karta raha aur tu marti rahi" (I kept loving, and you kept dying). This implies that his love was so intense or ill-fated that it consumed the very essence of love itself. Yet, despite all this, he cannot forget "her" (or the concept of love). Verse 4 (The Final Address) Urdu: Tujhe chor kar main kahaan jaaunga Mere saath tu hai to kya paaunga Jo tu ne diya woh sahi ya ghalat Tera har sitam to bhula di maine English Translation: Where will I go after leaving you? If you are with me, what will I even gain? Whether what you gave was right or wrong, I have forgiven every one of your tyrannies. Breakdown: The ultimate confusion of a broken heart. He realizes that without "love" (even painful love), he is directionless. He questions the point of having love as a companion if it only brings suffering. But then, he does something remarkable: he doesn't hold a grudge. He has forgotten (meaning forgiven/erased) every cruelty ( sitam ) that love inflicted on him. Chorus (Refrain) Urdu: Mohabbat tujhe alvida, mohabbat tujhe alvida Tere dard se aashna tha magar ab nahi, ab nahi English Translation: Love, goodbye to you. Love, goodbye to you. I was familiar with your pain, but not anymore, not anymore. The Deeper Meaning This song is not a breakup song with a person. It is a divorce from an emotion . The speaker has loved so deeply and been

Sajjad Ali’s soulful, slightly weary voice captures this perfectly—the exhaustion of a warrior who has finally put down his sword, not because he won, but because he is too tired to fight anymore. Here is the full English translation and lyrical