to jab sat sau aathwin raat aai
to kahne lagi shaharzad:

ai jawan-bakht
shiraaz mein ek rahta tha nai

wo nai to tha hi
magar us ko bakhsha tha qudrat ne

ek aur nadir giran-tar hunar bhi
ki jab bhi

kisi mard-e-dana ka zehn-e-rasa
zang-aluda hone ko aata

to nai ko ja kar dikhata
ki nai dimaghon ka mashhur mahir tha

wo kasa-e-sar se un ko alag kar ke
in ki sab aalaishen pak kar ke

phir apni jagah par lagane ke fan mein tha kaamil
khuda ka ye karna hua

ek din
is ki dukan se

iran ka ek wazir-e-kuhan-sal guzra
aur is ne chaha

ki wo bhi zara
apne uljhe hue zehn ki

az sar-e-nau safai kara le
kiya kasa-e-sar ko nai ne khali

abhi wo use saf karne laga tha
ki nagah aa kar kaha ek khwaja-sara ne:

main bheja gaya hun janab-e-wazarat-e-panah ko bulane
aur is par

sarasima ho kar jo uttha wazir ek dam
rah gaya pas dallak ke maghz us ka

wo be-maghz sar le ke darbar-e-sultan mein pahuncha
magar dusre roz is ne

jo nai se aa kar taqaza kiya
to wo kahne laga:

haif
kal shab padosi ki billi

kisi rauzan-e-dar se ghus kar
janab-e-wazarat-e-panah ke

dimagh-e-falak-taz ko kha gai hai
aur ab hukm-e-sarkar ho to

kisi aur haiwan ka maghz le kar laga dun
to dallak ne rakh diya

daniyal-e-zamana ke sar mein
kisi bail ka maghz le kar

to logon ne dekha
janab-e-wazarat-e-panah ab

farasat mein
danish mein

aur karobar-e-wazarat mein
pahle se bhi chaq-o-chauband-tar ho gae hain