Farewell
The act of saying goodbye leaves a void in our lives, as those who were with us yesterday now seem distant. Farewells are moments we experience across various settings, be it at home, school, or university. These goodbyes might be directed towards a cherished person or beloved, or even to a place where we enjoyed our finest moments. Sometimes, it is a farewell to our youth as we transition into adulthood. The pain of parting is compounded by longing and nostalgia, often leaving us yearning for reunions that may never come. In this article, we will share some of the most poignant quotes about farewells.
Notable Quotes About Farewell
- I despise farewell ceremonies; we do not truly part from those we love, as real separation is reserved for strangers, not for loved ones.
- Even the moments of farewell should not linger excessively.
- Life withers in our hearts when we lose the ability to love those we cherished.
- We curse farewell a thousand times in every moment, showering it with blame and reproach, for it prevents us from staying with those we hold dear. But have we ever thought to blame the coming together?
- During moments of farewell, express your feelings without hesitation, fear, or embarrassment; you may not get another chance to voice your thoughts.
- Farewell is in vain, my friend, for it only leads to separation.
- Every farewell, in one way or another, bleeds; it hurts and aches, but with time, it is forgotten.
- Those who leave us leave behind a torrent of tears that can drown us with every drop.
- No one relishes the idea of saying goodbye; it comes upon us unbidden, and we are left with no choice but to accept it.
- Goodbye only exists for those who love with their eyes; for those who love with their hearts and souls, there is no true separation.
- Separation is the first death in life.
- We meet with joy and part with sorrow.
Reflections on Farewell
Reflection One:
I wished to tell you that the years of separation have not affected my heart as they have yours. They have not changed me as they have transformed you; I have not allowed them to leave me pale and frail nor to relocate me into a world of pretense and deceit. I remain that wild, wandering child who loved you and wagered my life for this love. I am still the lost soul who made you a dream, even if unfulfilled, a beautiful home even if never inhabited, and an eternal poem, even if you now view it merely as a fleeting memory in your stressful life.
Reflection Two:
Your cruelty was your fault, and my pride was mine. When these two faults collided, separation was born of their disastrous union. I had resolved that when we parted, I would silence your voice, chaining the memory of you to a marble pillar and setting it aflame. Yet today, as we’ve separated, I reflect upon you with tenderness and a sadness as serene as the whisper of the desert to a mirage. Whether apart or together, I declare my love for you, my longing, and my forgiveness. I do not regret the body and spirit I spent on you.
Reflection Three:
If you believe that parting is inevitable, then take your time; it is a sharp pain. Ease it upon your heart with slow steps, and affirm it in your mind with hesitance at each move. Experience the solitude of the path with every step and embrace the loneliness that accompanies each stride. If you can’t endure it, return to where you began. Bear the restless ache of connection and the difficulties of bonding, for some separations offer no escape.
Reflection Four:
The long winter nights seem endless, oh distant one! A winter of solitude, a winter of parting—too lengthy to endure without you. I have pondered numerous ways to pass the time. Perhaps I’ll set fire to the curtains and let the smoke carry my longing to you. Or I’ll create tales like ours, choosing happier endings for their heroes. I thought about sleeping, but the absence of you in my dreams would tire me with waiting, and I would awaken only to find you gone. I might watch a film depicting lovers who reunite after what they believed was eternal separation, or read a book that offers me reasons to despise you. Yet I do not wish to hate you; I only wish to forget. Why does your presence invade my nights in both your absence and presence? I resolved to write about you, and I found myself unwittingly putting pen to paper. Why do I write to or about you when you are so far away, farther than the dawn of this long night?
A Farewell Poem and Complaint
The poet Elia Abu Madi, known as Elia bin Zahir Abu Madi, is one of the most prominent poets of the émigré community. Born in the village of Al-Muheidithah in Lebanon, he later moved to Alexandria and sold cigarettes before migrating to America. He settled in Cincinnati for five years before moving to New York, where he worked for a newspaper called “Mirror of the West.” He also published a weekly newspaper called “Al-Sameer.” He composed a poem titled “Farewell and Complaint,” which includes the following lines:
Time for parting has come, and we must separate,
So farewell, dear friend, until we meet again.
If tears fall, it is because I have wept in sorrow,
Until my tears nearly drowned me.
As I feel the fire of farewell burning in my veins,
I fear I will burn from its heat.
I have long feared the separation before it even occurred,
But here I am facing a parting I cannot escape.
Oh day of separation! How harsh is the departure,
If not for separation, my soul would not loathe remaining.
We left in a confused silence, as if we trembled in horror,
Afraid to say a word in the face of such anguish.
Our hearts raced, our eyes unable to hold back the tears,
As we struggled to breathe, lest they cease.
Without a promise of reunion to comfort us,
We nearly let our tears flow unchecked.
My friend, be patient, for perhaps we shall return,
And our gatherings will be even more beautiful.
If the days have not treated us kindly,
Then it rests in our souls to treat each other with kindness.
The one who decreed our separation and parting,
He holds the power to reunite those who are apart!
And I have sailed the angry sea,
Like a lion separated from its cub.
My soul is restless, and I cannot blame it,
For the sea is the greatest fear therefore I flee.
If I have witnessed wisdom and reason,
Then I have also seen foolishness and folly.
Shall I remain at the mercy of the waves,
As we recklessly wander through the sea?
While the eye perceived a wall standing tall,
It soon became a pitfall.
The ship sailing through its tumultuous waters,
Rips through it as one rends ancient cloth.
Rising, we thought it guided us toward fresh breezes,
Yet soon discovered death closing in around us.
As the horizon became shrouded in mist,
It was as if we were immersed in black ink.
Neither the sun shines in the morning, nor do we see,
Rather a long night extends like a brilliant moon.
For twenty days or more was I stranded,
How I averted my gaze from the flowing waters!
“Oh New York, daughter of steam, set your sights on us,
Perhaps we will forget the dawn through your Western shores.
A homeland we sought for a love of greatness,
Yet we find it has surrendered to misery.
Like a servant who fears that after youth wanes,
His masters will abandon him for another.
When each time time presents a reformer,
His people accuse him of tyranny and rebellion.
As if the mistakes of the past did not define him,
And oblivion did not hinder his progress.
This is the fate of the wise in a nation,
Frozen in inertia, bound in chains.
A homeland that stifles freedom,
And yet embraces its oppressors.
I have never seen there a prosperous author,
Nor a foolish one in plenty.
Ignorance saunters on, dragging its tail,
While knowledge wanders beneath a heavy heart.
His people remain in a state of lethargy,
Resting assured that the inanimate will surely care.
Should the people of such a nation awaken,
It would not end well for those plunderers.
Such a weak nation, whose resolve is scattered,
As if it cannot hold together, risking further collapse.
If it does not embrace the divine truth,
Then it shall continue to thrive in mediocrity.
Charged with the duties of devotion and love,
The depths between these two wings are tethered.
The oppressed, if not already subjugated,
Will eventually see the truth unfold.
One day, those who pandered to the powerful will fade,
Just as the truth holds steadfast to what is right.
Yet we may still hope against hope, it could change,
For the stubbornness of the past is hard to bear.
A government unwilling to budge, will seek revenge,
Chasing away all who dare to speak.
This feeling of enmity lingers on as if we came,
Only to face their wrath and escape unscathed.
As the beloved dance playfully amidst the beauty,
Amidst the blossoming wind, we will be left unheard.
(Baghdad) faces danger, (Egypt) held captive,
And we will see the hands of greed advance upon (Jallaqa).
Weak were its stature, yet it would not stall,
Even if only to vanish and redeem itself.
They said to love it, I replied, we have lost our hearts,
If love is not shared then how can we be blessed.
If it is a homeland full of benevolence,
Tell me, would one find a heart that cares?
As it stands now, a soul no longer fears harm,
Ever where the mind grows unbounded.
Let my soul thrive and abandon yearning,
For it is ignorance that blinds the day.
This is the “New World,” behold,
And within its light, how knowledge shines bright.
I guarantee you a life of delight,
Among its people, and a blooming existence.