ishrat-e-dahr se waqif bhi tha begana bhi
teri shahi mein thi ek shan-e-faqirana bhi

zohd-o-piri mein bhi ek jurat-e-rindana thi
samne maut ke tadbir-e-harifana thi

tu ne khud apne watan ko kabhi ruswa na kiya
tu ne to qaum ke namus ka sauda na kiya

tu bhi ehsas ko chandi se kuchal sakta tha
tu bhi mausam ki tarah rang badal sakta tha

tu bhi kya baat thi ghairat ki tijarat karta
aish ke waste iman ko ghaarat karta

tu bhi kya baat thi fitrat ko khafa kar deta
sunnat-e-jafar-o-sadiq bhi ada kar deta

tu magar kab tha kisi raj-dulare ki tarah
aakhiri waqt mein tuta to sitare ki tarah

soz-e-pinhan ko tarab-khez banaya tu ne
har tabahi ko kaleje se lagaya tu ne

har gham-e-dahr ko mehman kiya hai tu ne
puri ek nasl ko qurban kiya hai tu ne

dushman-e-din ne kiye tere asar ke tukde
dar par khinch diye tere jigar ke tukde

sare aalam ne tere shauq ka aalam dekha
yani qurbani-e-paiham ko mujassam dekha

barish-e-nur to gulshan mein rahi sham se kya
zindagi raqs to karti rahi anjam se kya

kitni wusat tere jazbe mein tere khun mein hai
bazm dehli mein thi khalwat teri rangun mein hai

tere andaz chale hain sahar-o-sham ke sath
tere arman rahe gardish-e-ayyam ke sath

teri betabi-e-dil paikar-e-gul tak pahunchi
teri aawaz thi jo bose ke dil tak pahunchi

tu ne diwanon ko ek jazba-e-wahdat bakhsha
tere marqad ne unhen shauq-e-shahadat bakhsha

ye haqiqat bhi khuli rah gai duniya takti
aadmi marta hai tahrik nahin mar sakti

tere anjam ka charcha to nahin kar sakta
bad-nasibi ka main shikwa to nahin kar sakta

saltanat rah na gai us ka bharosa kya tha
jo mili auron se us chiz ko samjha kya tha

den hai tere lahu ki tera fan qabze mein
aaj bhi saltanat-e-sher-o-sukhan qabze mein

jang mein haar ke bhi fan mein 'zafar' kya kahiye
shab ke hathon se ye tanzim-e-sahar kya kahiye

tujh ko andha to kiya mit na saka nur-e-kalam
ab bhi chaunkata hai insan ko tera soz-e-kalam

ragni khun mein apne hi dubo kar rakh di
zindagi sher-o-sukhan mein bhi samo kar rakh di

'zauq' se badh ke tere sher mein ranai hai
'dard' se badh ke tere dard mein gahrai hai

hashr tak yaad rahega ye hai taqdir teri
sahib-e-dil ki nigahon mein hai taswir teri

teri satwat pe na shahi pe qalam uttha hai
ek insan ki tabahi pe qalam uttha hai