aaj bhi dasht-e-bala mein nahr par pahra raha
kitni sadiyon baad main aaya magar pyasa raha

kya faza-e-subh-e-khandan kya sawad-e-sham-e-gham
jis taraf dekha kiya main der tak hansta raha

ek sulagta aashiyan aur bijliyon ki anjuman
puchhta kis se ki mere ghar mein kya tha kya raha

zindagi kya ek sannata tha pichhli raat ka
shamen gul hoti rahin dil se dhuan uthta raha

qafile phulon ke guzre is taraf se bhi magar
dil ka ek gosha jo suna tha bahut suna raha

teri in hansti hui aankhon se nisbat thi jise
meri palkon par wo aansu umr bhar thahra raha

ab lahu ban kar meri aankhon se bah jaane ko hai
han wahi dil jo harif-e-joshish-e-dariya raha

kis ko fursat thi ki 'akhtar' dekhta meri taraf
main jahan jis bazm mein jab tak raha tanha raha