ek mahal tha raja ka ek raj-kumari hoti thi
us raja ko apni parja jaan se pyari hoti thi

baba kahte ye jo khandar hai sita-ram ka mandir tha
us mandir ki ek pujaran ram-dulari hoti thi

pushpa aur radha bhi donon meri bahnen hoti thin
mangal-das aur meri beta gahri yari hoti thi

ek diye ki lau mein baba 'mir' aur 'ghaalib' padhte the
ek angethi hoti thi aur ek almari hoti thi

sham dhale ek lawn mein sare baith ke chae pite the
mez hamara ghar ka tha kursi sarkari hoti thi

ek kuan mithe pani ka aur ek budha bargad tha
ek mohabbat ka gahwara basti sari hoti thi

mithe giton ki wo risna mithi dhun aur mithe bol
puran-mashi par aangan mein shab-bedari hoti thi

ab jo mulla waiz kare to khauf sa aane lagta hai
mohan-das se naten sun kar riqqat tari hoti thi

rishton ka ehsas lahu ke andar rachta-basta tha
kab aisi nafsa-nafsi aur mara-mari hoti thi