Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Meaning & English Translation - Lyrics Explained

Author: doveranalyst RJ Mrunmayee is a popular primetime RJ in Mumbai on drive time slots. She also hosts an Urdu based show along with her other Hindi shows. Well versed in both Hindi and English, you get a deep analysis of the meaning of every single line and word of each song on doveranalyst.com.

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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Meaning

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is the title track of the namesake movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

When it comes to translating the whole song, we must first understand the meaning of the title of the song at least.

But if you want to jump to line by line English translation, click here.

What does Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Mean?

For my loyal non-Hindi readers, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil literally translates to This heart is difficult, but with a style.

A way to say "this ain't working, my heart, dammit, it giving me trouble!" The game of heart/love, that always ends up being difficult (Mushkil), or let's say - it's complicated. If you ever loved someone or saw anyone with a breakup or have been following fb status for a while, you know what I'm talking about. It is a love story, that is, not quite a love story that broods consistently on unrequited love. 

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is an unsettling reminder of 99% of love affairs, that begin and end in one's own heart. That, is a phenomenon in its own right. From acid attacks to rapes, India has seen it all. How do you handle rejection (or for the true need of rephrasing; "Not a Match", "Love you but not in love with you", "You're not any less, but I just can't get myself to feel that way for you and that is not my fault". Art and culture are always interlinked and speak of what we have been through. Bollywood has always shown that if you stalk someone for long, she ends up falling for you. That, is not quite the truth in reality. For most men, it becomes rather an impossible feat to handle the love that's not greeted with reciprocal. Also, reason why many don't understand that No means NO.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Song Lyrics English Meaning

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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Lyrics Explanation Line by Line

ऐ दिल है मुश्किल हिंदी से अंग्रेजी अनुवाद (Hindi Bollywood lyrics are written in Devnagiri and Roman English and meaning is given translated to English with explanation after each line).

Title Track: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ADHM Lyrics

तू सफ़र मेरा
Tu safar mera
You're my journey/trip
है तू ही मेरी मज़िल
Hai tu hi meri manzil
You: Are; my destination
तेरे बिना गुज़ारा
Tere Bina guzara
To live without you,
ए दिल है मुश्किल
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
O, heart, it's tough 

It is as if, the songwriter, breaks down, in essence, speaking of this feeling, To live without you, ...........is...............Oh, God!(insert your swear); tough. difficult. 

It is also equally possible, that he is in fact addressing her as his heart, O, heart. It is a usual way of addressing one's love, i.e., the person you're loving as the heart.
Since Ranbir Kapoor's character is a lyricist and a singer in the film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, it makes even more sense, of him penning down his turmoil in handling the rejection. However, it was mentioned Aiswarya's characters wrote all these songs and Ayan just sings them. With all the pain now. This is even more interesting as Aishwarya's and Ranbir's characters have FELT THE EXACT SAME THING. But for one who does not love them back in romantic way.

Meaning & Interpretation Explained

You're my journey. You're my destination. There's nothing more I want. This is what I want to experience, to finally reach where I am; with you. There's nothing more I crave for. This; is an eternity. No beginning. No end. It just is. The perfect state of still equilibrium. I don't mind if I am not moving, or if I am. Or if the journey is in repetitive circles to bring me back to my start. I am in the perfect state of bliss as long as I am with you. And, therefore, to live without you; is difficult.

It is interesting how he does not say, "it's impossible to live without you". 

Cuz it never is. We live after deaths. Everyone can live without someone. The question is whether you would "want" to "choose to live without that said someone"? 
Would you want to let go? To let go of the idea of still being together?
Culturally speaking, Ae Dil is a very obvious Bollywood way of addressing "the heart". We love from the heart. We often personify the heart, as if we are speaking to it.
Remember Kishore Kumar's Ye Dil na hota bechara (This heart wouldn't have been helpless)

ranbir_kapoor_anushka_sharma_ae_dil_hai_mushkil_LYRICS_EXPLAINED_ENGLISH_TRANSLATION

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Lyrics English Meaning

तू मेरा ख़ुदा 
Tu mera Khuda
You are my God (To me, you're my God, my highest reverence)
तू ही दुआ में शामिल 
Tu hi dua main shaamil
You're in my prayers

You're my final destination (God/moksha/heaven). You're also my journey, my means to reach that ultimate fulfillment

Lyrics Meaning Explained in English

You're in my prayers (my journey, my process to reach that final destination of bliss). 
This stanza merely reiterates what the first did.
If you're of that high reverence, and my ultimate everything and also, the process to reach that everything, how do I live without you? It is definitely tough.

मुझे आज़माती है तेरी कमी 
Mujhe aazmati hai teri kami
Your absence tests me
मेरी हर कमी को है तू लाज़मी 
Meri har kami ko hai tu laazmi

My each flaw demands you, You're indispensable to treat each flaw of mine
I require you, to overcome every single lacking/flaw in me.

What is the meaning of Kami? 

It is important to understand that it is a witty play of words.

Kami means both absence and lacunae. 

While in the first lyric line, it means, your sheer absence is testing me, the second line refers to "Meri kami", "my flaw".

जूनून है मेरा 
Junoon hai mera

It is my obsession
बनू मैं तेरे क़ाबिल 
Banoo main tere qaabil

to become worthy of you

यह रूह भी मेरी 
Yeh rooh bhi meri

This soul of mine
यह जिस्म भी मेरा 
Yeh jism bhi mera

this body of mine

उतना नहीं मेरा 

Utna nahi mera

isn't as much of me

जितना हुआ तेरा 

Jitna hua tera

as it is of you

Lyrics Meaning Explained in English

He is speaking of ownership here. 

The very basic things that he does own; not money, not degrees, not anything materialistic. But the very basic. The soul that he has. That body that he lives in, isn't as much as his own, as is hers. He offers his soul and body to her, in a monologue of transferring the ownership without even requiring her acknowledgment or acceptance. 
This stanza again, yells out loud the soul of the movie, Ae Dil Hai Muskil.

ae dil hai mushkil poster Ranbir Kapoor Anushka Sharma

The one-sided love affair, does not really require permission.

You can love someone however and how much ever you want as long as it is in your head and isn't harming anyone. This stanza is again in sync with the former where he calls her his God. You believe in many religions, that God has given you your soul and body and is the ultimate owner of it.

As love for God is usually accepted as the highest form of human love, he equates his love for her with love for God.

तू ने दिया है जो Tu ne dia hai jo

What you gave me
वो दर्द ही सही wo dard hi sahi

is hurt, nevertheless,
तुझसे मिला तो tujhse mila hai to,

as it has come from you,
इनाम है मेरा inaam hai mera,

it is my prize

It is the ultimate Raanjhna wala pyar (love). Unconditional love to the point of obsession. The love that cannot be erased and uses no brains or logic.

Therefore he says, what you gave me, even if it is hurting me; the hurt itself, is my winning prize, only because it did come from YOU.

Other Translation & Lyrics Explained


Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Lyrics English Meaning

मेरा आस्मां ढूंढे तेरी ज़मीन Mera asmaan dhoonde teri zameen

My sky searches for your ground/earth
मेरी हर कमी को है तू लाज़मी Meri har qami ko hai tu laazmi

My every flaw requires you (to heal it)

Lyrics Meaning Explained in English

My sky(my best) yearns for the zameen(your worst). In the movie, it is seen that Alizeh taunts Ranbir on how he has everything. And he does. He's got the money, the family, the girls. He still just wants her. Despite the best of everything it is "difficult" to be happy for his heart without her.
You are necessary to complete everything missing in me.

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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Lyrics English Meaning

ज़मीन पे ना सही Zameen pe na sahi
If not on earth,

तो आस्मां में आ मिल To aasmaan me aa mil

come meet me in the sky

Tere bina guzara, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

to live without you, O, sweetheart is difficult

माना की तेरी मौजूदगी से Maana ki teri maujoodgi se
ये ज़िन्दगानी महरूम है ye zindagani mehroom hai
जीने का कोई दूजा तरीका Jeene ka koi dooja tareeqa
न मेरे दिल को मालूम है na mere dil ko maloom hai

accepted, that my life is devoid of your presence (missing of your presence)
but my hearts knows not a second way to live

What is the meaning of mehroom? 

"mehroom" has the power, as if saying that my life is not allowed of your presence, I agree.
But I know not any other way of living.

What is the meaning of dooja tareeqa? 

dooja tareeqa literally translates to "second way", as in saying, I know no second way of living.
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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Lyrics English Meaning


ae dil hai mushkil poster Ranbir Kapoor Anushka Sharmaतुझको मैं कितनी Tujhko main kitni
शिद्दत से चाहूँ Shiddat se chaahoon
चाहे तो रहना chahe to rehna
तू बेख़बर tu bekhabar

Should you want, stay unaware of the intensity with which I love you. 
मोहताज मंज़िल का तो नहीं है Mohtaj manzil ka to nahi hai

isn't dependent of destination (getting you)
ये एक तरफ़ा मेरा सफ़र Ye ek tarfa mera safar

this one-sided journey of mine

What is the meaning of mohtaaj? 

Mohtaaj is dependent with helplessness as if there is just no other choice.  We use it as if the poor farmers were mohtaaj of the greedy landlord. You know what I'm saying? It is more about an INEVITABLE DEAD STOP to your journey. 

English Meaning & Interpretation  Explained

Ayan says my love for you is not even dependent on you! 

As it is one-sided love, only from his heart to hers, unconditional, needing nothing in return, it is merely giving and not wanting. He is not pursuing her anymore after her no. (at least so says the song). As he is not pursuing, or wanting of any destination (for them to be together as a couple), he is not left powerless and cannot be stopped. There is no vulnerability as the thing that could be granted by her is not even needed now.
The journey he wishes to make (the quest of just loving her, and continuing to love her despite all odds), is not at the dispense of what the outcome would be. The final outcome is known already. It's a NO. And he does not care. He would be her friend. And would also continue to love her even if she does not love him back as a partner.

You yourself are not a prerequisite, (not needed to be there) for me to love you.

सफर ख़ूबसूरत है मंज़िल से भी safar khoobsurat hai manzil se bhi
Journey is even more beautiful than the destination (or outcome/ climax/ final reveal of her emotions, which is a NO).

अधूरा हो क भी Adhura ho k bhi
है इश्क़ मेरा क़ामिल hai ishq mera qaamil

Despite being incomplete, My love is complete

What is the meaning of qaamil? 

qaamil is a subtle way of the highest level of completion. Somewhat with a reverence. It is also a Muslim baby name that is supposed to mean complete/ perfect.
There comes my interpretation of the "highest form of reverential completion". You cannot just say complete as in "finished watching a movie". This is more in tune with the destination. The urge for the final result, as if you're dead and your soul travels the tunnel to see the light. The lyricist puts the love in that high regard. It is as if climbing Mount Everest and completing a feat, not just a task. 

A major fulfillment.

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If you're looking for the meaning of the dialogue, go to this blog post.

Related: Meaning of DIALOGUE Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Movie Review

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    Credits:

    Amitabh Bhattacharya wrote these lovely lyrics, as far as Google could tell. 

    Amitabh Bhattacharya, Pritam and Arijit Singh


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    The friendship that couldn't be love. 

    A no is a no. And you gotta deal with it. But let's explore the depth of the lyricist who penned down such beauty into the song. It is shocking on how intense Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is, although it didn't seem so. Just like Raanjhna, the movie does not revolve around one person only. The left aashiq is seen messing around with other women, but still has the hurt deep inside. How is it possible to love another soul above everything else? Are we still capable of loving someone so much in today's modern times?
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