bas ek rasta hai ek aawaz aur ek saya hai
ye kis ne aa ke gahri nind se mujh ko jagaya hai

bichhadti aur milti saaton ke darmiyan ek pal
yahi ek pal bachane ke liye sab kuchh ganwaya hai

idhar ye dil abhi tak hai asir-e-wahshat-e-sahra
udhar us aankh ne chaaron taraf pahra bithaya hai

tumhein kaise bataen jhut kya hai aur sach kya hai
na tum ne aaina dekha na aaina dikhaya hai

hamein ek ism-e-azam yaad hai wo sath hai, hum ne
kai bar aasman ko in zaminon par bulaya hai

kahan tak rokte aaankhon mein abr-o-baad-e-hijran ko
ab aae ho ki jab ye shahr zer-e-ab aaya hai

'salim' ab tak kisi ko ba-dua di to nahin lekin
hamesha khush rahe jis ne hamara dil dukhaya hai