kise ab dastan apni sunaen
muqabil aaine ke baith jaen

jo aata hai guzar jata hai phir bhi
zamin-e-dil ki khak ab kyun udaen

hazaron log tishna-lab yahan hain
wuzu kaise karen kaise nahaen

andhera hi andhera har taraf hai
charagh-e-dil kahan tak hum jalaen

usi ek baat ka charcha bahut hai
jise hum ne to chaha tha chhupaen

chaman ka gosha gosha jal raha hai
kisi chhoden yahan kis ko bachaen

zamin ka ek tukda hai jahan par
adab ke sath chalti hai hawaen

musalsal zakhm ka parda kahan tak
kahan tak tir kha kar muskuraen

nazar ki shama raushan kar raha hun
na jaane kab sitare dub jaen

abhi itni mohabbat bhi bahut hai
gae wo din ki tum ko aazmaen

bichhauna bhi nahin hai aaj 'talib'
tadap gham nind aansu kya bichhaen