allah ai buto hamein dikhlae lucknow
sote mein bhi ye kahte hain hum hae lucknow

aisa hua hun hijr mein us ke nahif-o-zar
dekhe agar mujhe wahin sharmae lucknow

aae na mere pas to main aap hi chalun
mujh ko khuda kare kahin bulwae lucknow

kalkatta ke hasinon ko jab dekh leta hun
us waqt dil mein hota hai sauda-e-lucknow

ab lut gaya hai kya raha dozakh se badh ke hai
rashk-e-bahisht kahte the sab ja-e-lucknow

khush-chashmi aahuon ki wo bhule jahan mein
dekhe jo aankh nargis-e-shahla-e-lucknow

gulshan ajab bahaar ke har qasr rashk-e-khuld
aur gomti ghazab ki hai dariya-e-lucknow

hur-o-pari ko rashk tha ek ek shakhs par
be-misl the sabhi mah-e-sima-e-lucknow

marne ke baad bhi na mitega jigar se dagh
jannat mein hum ko hoegi parwa-e-lucknow

jab se hata hai wo tah-o-baala ye ho gaya
jannat koi zarur tha baala-e-lucknow

main kya kahun faqiron ko jo kuchh ghurur tha
ek ek gada-e-shahr tha dara-e-lucknow

hatta nahin tasawwur-e-asbab-o-mulk-o-mal
kanon mein baj rahi hai wo shahna-e-lucknow

kya kya hasin the jama paristan ka takhta tha
nazron mein phirte hain rukh-e-zeba-e-lucknow

shahon pe fakhr karte the is mulk ke gada
tha misl-e-jam-e-jam mai-o-mina-e-lucknow

har-chand lakh tarah bhulata hun yaad ko
'akhtar' pukar uthta hai dil hae lucknow