This line speaks of profound romantic loss and emotional captivity. The speaker's heart is left rootless, deeply ensnared by love, indicating a powerful and unyielding emotional bond that cannot be bought or freed by anything worldly.
Quote by Ka'b ibn Zuhayr: “She left my heart with longing, no home. It is enslaved, not ransomed for the world.”
She left my heart with longing, no home. It is enslaved, not ransomed for the world.
Insight
Historical Context
These are opening lines from *Bānat Suʿād*, lamenting the departure of his beloved Su'ad before Ka'b turns to praise the Prophet. It sets a melancholic tone of lost love.
About the Author
Arab poet from the pre-Islamic and early Islamic period, born in Arabia in the late 6th century, son of the famous poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma. His celebrated ode Banat Su'ad, recited before the Prophet Muhammad as a plea for forgiveness, is one of the most famous poems in classical Arabic literature.
View all quotes by Ka'b ibn Zuhayr