The nights of separation are as long as tresses and the day of union is as brief as life. O friend, if I do not see my beloved, how will I pass these dark nights?

Amir Khusrau weaves a spellbinding contrast here by blending Persian with folk Hindavi to capture the eternal paradox of time in love. The agonizing nights of separation feel endlessly stretched out, like dark trailing tresses, while the rare moments of union vanish as swiftly as a fleeting lifetime. In raw and tender vulnerability, the lover confides in a close friend, wondering how she can possibly survive this heavy, endless darkness without a glimpse of her beloved.