Ranjish Hi Sahi is one of Urdu poetry’s most iconic ghazals, written by Ahmed Faraz and immortalized by legendary singers like Mehdi Hassan and Iqbal Bano. This masterpiece delves deep into the complexities of love, longing, heartache, and vulnerability. The poet pleads for his estranged beloved to return, not necessarily for reconciliation, but even if it’s just to wound his heart again. The poem’s beauty lies in its acceptance of pain as an expression of ongoing love, suggesting that emptiness is more unbearable than heartbreak.
The lyrics express the ache of separation, the weight of unfulfilled hope, and the dignity that still remains in loving truly, even when love isn’t reciprocated. Faraz’s words encapsulate the paradox of human emotions: sometimes, even a lover’s harshness is preferable to total absence. The ghazal highlights how the rituals and societal customs of love can outlast even genuine connection, while the poet clings to the last flickers of hope—welcoming whatever his beloved wishes to bring, even if it is suffering or indifference.
Lyrics: “Ranjish Hi Sahi” (Ahmed Faraz)
रंजिश ही सही दिल ही दुखाने के लिए आ
आ फिर से मुझे छोड़ के जाने के लिए आ
पहले से मरासिम न सही फिर भी कभी तो
रस्म-ओ-रह-ए-दुनिया ही निभाने के लिए आ
किस किस को बताएँगे जुदाई का सबब हम
तू मुझ से ख़फा है तो ज़माने के लिए आ
कुछ तो मेरे पिन्दार-ए-मुहब्बत का भरम रख
तू भी तो कभी मुझ को मनाने के लिए आ
एक उम्र से हूँ लज्ज़त-ए-गिरया से भी महरूम
ऐ राहत-ए-जाँ मुझ को रुलाने के लिए आ
अब तक दिल-ए-खुशफ़हम को हैं तुझ से उम्मीदें
ये आख़िरी शम्में भी बुझाने के लिए आ
माना कि मोहब्बत का छुपाना है मोहब्बत
चुपके से किसी रोज़ जताने के लिए आ
जैसे तुम्हें आते हैं न आने के बहाने
ऐसे ही किसी रोज़ न जाने के लिए आ
Song Meaning Explained
“Ranjish Hi Sahi” is a poetic exploration of vulnerability and unwavering love. The poet, despite all the hurt, yearns for the presence of his beloved, even if she returns just for the sake of breaking his heart again. He urges her to come for the sake of social customs or simply to keep the last hopes of his heart alive. The ghazal beautifully highlights the duality of attachment: the lover welcomes even pain, as it is proof of feeling, and values the pride and memories of genuine love above all.
Each couplet captures different shades of this longing: sustaining appearances for the world, the inability to explain heartbreak to others, the desire for even a fleeting reunion to preserve self-respect, and the bittersweet wish for tears after a long deprivation of emotion. Ultimately, the poet’s plea is both an acceptance of heartbreak and a testament to the undying hope and dignity that define true love, making “Ranjish Hi Sahi” a timeless reflection on love’s endurance in the face of sorrow.
