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 .
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. 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 . Here is the full English translation and lyrical
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. The repetition of "Alvida" (goodbye) becomes a desperate