ajib baat thi har sher pur-asar thahra
main is ki bazm mein kal raat ba-hunar thahra

hua jo aa ke wo mehman baad muddat ke
lahun mein raqs hua baam par qamar thahra

mumanat ka taqaza tha jis se dur rahen
chaman mein wo hi shajar sab se ba-samar thahra

junun ki bhik kahin bhi na mil saki us ko
gada-e-hosh yahan garche dar-ba-dar thahra

ajib raqs tha bismil ka har tamashai
tadap ke dard se yaksar hi be-khabar thahra

aqidaton ke dhundlakon mein aur kya hota
har ek fiqra yahan us ka mo'atabar thahra

mujhe na qatl karen bas payam laya hun
meri haqiqat hi kya main to nama-bar thahra

safina garche kinare pe ja laga lekin
sawal ye hai idhar thahra ya udhar thahra

na jaane kitni hi samten bula rahi hain mujhe
har ek qadam pe hai mujh ko naya safar thahra

na dekh paya koi aankh-bhar ke aaina
khud apna chehra yahan bais-e-mafar thahra

thahar ke jis ne bhi kuchh der khud ko dekh liya
wo apni wahshat-e-be-ja ka chaaragar thahra

hai jaane kitne hi pardon mein mahw-e-araish
jhalak bhi dekh li jis ne wo dida-war thahra

har ek shai se mohabbat hai bas ilaj yahan
bas ek nuskha yahi hai jo kargar thahra

shurua hua tha abhi aur qarib khatm hai ab
ye zindagi ka safar kitna mukhtasar thahra