ye surkh dhaare qadim waqton ki dastanon ke surkh-rawi
kanar-e-ab-e-falak hain dastar banne wale nakhil-zade

nawah-e-basra mein phailti bad-guman subhen
faza mein be-nam siskiyon ki shikasta-lahren

jinhen munafiq sifaraton ke hisar ne qatl kar diya tha
yahin kahin hain

ye shahr-e-basara jahan pe faras ki apsaraen
qadim unton ki jang mein kaam aa gai thin

khilafaton aur hijraton ke asil shahid
ye surkh dhaare

ajab nahin khamushi ki tasbih karti raaten
kisi zamane mein chikh utthin

ki kaise abbasiyon ke ahd-e-muwafaqat mein
siyah-sanji ubal pade the

ghulam-gardish ki dastanon mein rakhna padna kahan likha tha
ye surkh dhaare moarrikhon ki tarash-karda

qabih girhen kabhi to kholenge sach ki khatir
ai ahal-e-basra ye eatizalon ki dastanen kahan likhi thin

to wasil-ibn-e-ata ki baaten jo razm-gah-e-kalam-andar
chuni gai thin samaaton ne kabhi suni hain

to ahal-e-basra hasan jo basri the jaante ho
muhasba ki nawed le kar tumhaari khatir tumhaari mitti pe aa gae the

tumhein khabar hai jab ahal-e-basra namaz padhna hi bhul baithe
hasan jo basri the yan ki shorish se dur jangal mein

tar-e-anfas ke tajalli se bahra-war the magar jo is roz
qahr tuta janaza-gah mein the ahal-e-basra

koi nahin tha khuda ke ghar mein
to ahal-e-basra ye surkh dhaare khamosh the kya

qadim waqton ke surkh-rawi
bata ai shattul-arab ke pani

yahan pe turkon ne kya kiya tha yahan walandezi kaise aae
tumhaare pani ke khar-o-khas ki mithas thi ya

khumar hairat ki god mein mahw-e-istirahat qadim waqton ki dastanen
tamam aalam ke surkh dariya khamosh kyun hain

moarrikhon ki qabih girhen kabhi khulengi
hum apni apni sadaqaton mein hi rahne wale

barahna lamhon ke warison mein se rah gae hain