mere lahu mein us ne naya rang bhar diya
suraj ki raushni ne bada kaam kar diya

hathon pe mere apne lahu ka nishan tha
logon ne us ke qatl ka ilzam dhar diya

gandum ka bij pani ki chhagal aur ek charagh
jab main chala to us ne ye zad-e-safar diya

jaga to mahtab ki kunji sirhane thi
main khwab mein tha jab mujhe raushan nagar diya

us ko to us ke shahr ne kuchh bhi diya nahin
aur us ne phir bhi shahr ko tohfe mein sar diya

mera badan to radd-e-amal mein khamosh tha
meri zaban ne zaiqa-e-khushk-o-tar diya

wo harf-ashna hai mujhe ye guman na tha
us ne to sab ko naqsh-ba-diwar kar diya

yun bhi to us ne hausla-afzai ki meri
harf-e-sukhan ke sath hi zakhm-e-hunar diya

akhtar yahi nahin ki mujhe baal-o-par mile
us ne to umr bhar mujhe ehsas-e-par diya