raat-din lab pe na ho kyunki bayan-e-dehli
na makin ab wo rahe aur na makan-e-dehli

baz maqtul hue bazon ne phansi pai
nam ko bhi na rahe pir-o-jawan-e-dehli

shikwa be-faeda karta hai kisi ka hamdam
tha muqaddar mein likha yun hi ziyan-e-dehli

nahin bazar-e-mohabbat mein kharidari-e-dil
chhan dali hai har ek main ne dukan-e-dehli

na wo arbab-e-tarab hain na wo hain ahl-e-nishat
han nazar aate hain kuchh marsiya-khwan-e-dehli

ghamza tha aafat-e-jaan aur qayamat-qamat
ajab andaz ke the mah-rukhan-e-dehli

ghis ke sandal ka lagana jinhen dard-e-sar tha
dil pe rakhte hain wo andoh-e-garan-e-dehli

farsh-e-gul pe jo jhijakte the qadam rakhte hue
chalte kanton pe hain wo nazukanan-e-dehli

ghash pe ghash aate agar dekhte hazrat-yusuf
aise andaz ke the kaj-kulahan-e-dehli

jhuk gaya charkh khajil ho ke qadam-bosi ko
us ne dekhi thi kabhi rifat-shan-e-dehli

hosh jate rahe tharra gai nar-e-dozakh
pahunchi aflak pe jab aah-o-fughan-e-dehli

khak jal-bhun ke to ho jaega charkh-e-bad-bin
nala kar baithe jo dil-sokhtgan-e-dehli

kuchh ajab naqsha yahan ka nazar aata hai mujhe
kyunki dilli pe kiya jae guman-e-dehli

aur shahron ke karen lakh takalluf lekin
nahin hone ki mayassar ye zaban-e-dehli

hain nae rang nae rup jahan ke 'mehdi'
kaf-e-afsos hai aur lala-rukhan-e-dehli