ek mushkil si bahar-taur bani hoti hai
tujh se baz aaen to phir khud se thani hoti hai

kuchh to le baithti hai apni shikasta-pai
aur kuchh rah mein chhanw bhi ghani hoti hai

mere sine se zara kan laga kar dekho
sans chalti hai ki zanjir-zani hoti hai

aabla-pai bhi hoti hai muqaddar apna
sar pe aflak ki chadar bhi tani hoti hai

dudh ki nahr nikali hai ghamon se hum ne
hum bata sakte hain kya koh-kani hoti hai

aankh to khulti hai kirnon ki talab mein lekin
zeb-e-mizhgan kisi neze ki ani hoti hai

dasht-e-ghurbat hi pe mauquf nahin hai 'tabish'
ab to ghar mein bhi gharib-ul-watani hoti hai