mo'atabar hote hue jaan-soz afsane na the
log diwane the lekin itne diwane na the

un ke rukh se jab naqab utthi to khamoshi rahi
shama jab raushan hui mahfil mein parwane na the

ashk the har chand lekin zabt par qabu bhi tha
is tarah chhalke hue aankhon ke paimane na the

jis taraf nazren uthata hun udhar viraniyan
shahr se bahar to shayad itne virane na the

un ki mahfil mein chale jate magar mushkil ye thi
rahdari ke hamare pas parwane na the

hum mukhatib kis se hote kaun tha apna rafiq
log the mahfil mein lekin jaane pahchane na the

apni barbaadi ka zimma-dar thahraun kise
chaar jaanib apne hi apne the begane na the

dastan-e-gham ko sun kar yun hue wo shadman
aansuon mein jaise pinhan gham ke afsane na the

anjuman mein un ki hum jaane ko jate ai 'siraj'
un ke qabil jab hamare pas nazrane na the