sar mein shauq ka sauda dekha
dehli ko hum ne bhi ja dekha
jo kuchh dekha achchha dekha
kya batlaen kya kya dekha
jamuna-ji ke pat ko dekha
achchhe suthre ghat ko dekha
sab se unche lat ko dekha
hazrat 'dawid-connaught' ko dekha
paltan aur risale dekhe
gore dekhe kale dekhe
sanginen aur bhaale dekhe
band bajaane wale dekhe
khemon ka ek jangal dekha
us jangal mein mangal dekha
barahma aur warangal dekha
izzat khwahon ka danggal dekha
sadken thin har kamp se jari
pani tha har pump se jari
nur ki maujen lamp se jari
tezi thi har jump se jari
dali mein narangi dekhi
mahfil mein sarangi dekhi
bairangi barangi dekhi
dahr ki ranga-rangi dekhi
achchhe-achchhon ko bhatka dekha
bhid mein khate jhatka dekha
munh ko agarche latka dekha
dil darbar se atka dekha
hathi dekhe bhaari-bharkam
un ka chalna kam kam tham tham
zarrin jhulen nur ka aalam
milon tak wo cham-cham cham-cham
pur tha pahlu-e-masjid-e-jame
raushaniyan thin har-su lame
koi nahin tha kisi ka same
sab ke sab the did ke tame
surkhi sadak par kutti dekhi
sans bhi bhid mein ghutti dekhi
aatish-bazi chhutti dekhi
lutf ki daulat lutti dekhi
chauki ek chau-lakhkhi dekhi
khub hi chakkhi-pakhkhi dekhi
har-su neamat rakkhi dekhi
shahad aur dudh ki makkhi dekhi
ek ka hissa mann-o-salwa
ek ka hissa thoda halwa
ek ka hissa bhid aur balwa
mera hissa dur ka jalwa
awaj brish raja dekha
partaw takht-o-taj ka dekha
rang-e-zamana aaj ka dekha
rukh corzon mahraj ka dekha
pahunche phand ke sat samundar
tahat mein un ke bison bandar
hikmat-o-danish un ke andar
apni jagah har ek sikandar
auj-e-bakht-e-milati un ka
charkh-e-haft-tabaati un ka
mahfil un ki saqi un ka
aankhen meri baqi un ka
hum to un ke khair-talab hain
hum kya aise hi sab ke sab hain
un ke raj ke umda dhab hain
sab saman-e-aish-o-tarab hain
egzibshan ki shan anokhi
har shai umda har shai chokhi
aqlidas ki napi jokhi
man bhar sone ki lagat sokhi
jashn-e-azim is sal hua hai
shahi fort mein baal hua hai
raushan har ek hall hua hai
qissa-e-mazi haal hua hai
hai mashhur kucha-o-barzan
baal mein nachen lady-corzon
tair-e-hosh the sab ke larzan
rashk se dekh rahi thi har zan
baal mein chamkin aa ke yaka-yak
zarrin thi poshak jhka-jhak
mahw tha un ka auj-e-sama tak
charkh pe zohra un ki thi gahak
go raqqasa-e-auj-e-falak thi
us mein kahan ye nok-palak thi
indr ki mahfil ki jhalak thi
bazm-e-ishrat subh talak thi
ki hai ye bandish zehn-e-rasa ne
koi mane khwah na mane
sunte hain hum to ye afsane
jis ne dekha ho wo jaane