Ranjish Hi Sahi

2022-04-17

A little tired today as well, so enjoy a classic ghazal I heard all the time growing up, as sung by the peerless Mehdi Hassan:

The central theme of the ghazal is love and separation, which the Sanskrit poets would call viraha. But despite its prominence in high Indian art, the ghazal is its own form from a separate literary tradition.

You can find a translation of the lyrics here. Here are the first two lines:

रंजिश ही सही दिल ही दुखाने के लिये आ
ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaane ke liye aa
If it is grief so be it, come to break my heart again.

आ फिर से मुझे छोड़ के जाने के लिये आ
aa phir se mujhe chod ke jaane ke liye aa
Do come, if only just to leave me again.