For the purpose of this series, I am matching love words with their English equivalents, but the reality is not as neat as that: each Arabic word has a whole range of meanings and possible translations. Wamq is actually exceptional in that it solely and specifically means “tender love”.
Tender Love ومق
“I was dead, then alive.
Weeping, then laughing.
The power of love came into me,
and I became fierce like a lion,
then tender like the evening star.”
— Rumi
Watercolour and metal leaf on Fabriano Artistico paper. 50x50 cm.