Learn Farsi: من از شما کینه ندارم، بلکه اسم شما یادم رفت. - I do not hold a grudge against you, but rather I forgot your name.

بلکه means "but rather" or "on the contrary." It is used specifically after a negative statement (like کینه ندارم here) to correct it and introduce the actual truth. If you used ولی, it would sound like you are just adding an unrelated contrasting thought, rather than replacing the first idea with the real reason.

Why is the preposition از used for "against you"?

In Farsi, the expression for holding a grudge is کینه داشتن از کسی, which literally translates to "to have a grudge from someone." While English uses "against," Farsi views the person as the source or origin of the feeling, so it takes از.

How exactly does یادم رفت translate to "I forgot"?

The word یاد means "memory" or "mind." When you attach the "my" suffix ـَم to get یادم and add the verb رفت (it went), the phrase literally translates to "my memory went."

Why is the verb رفت in the third-person singular "it" form instead of the "I" form?

In the structure یادم رفت, the grammatical subject of the clause is not "I", but rather "my memory" (یادم). Because "memory" is a third-person singular noun, the verb must match it, becoming رفت (it went).