fikr mein dube the sab aur ba-hunar koi na tha
zindagi ki shakh par pukhta samar koi na tha

ga rahe the apni apni dhun mein sab ghazlen magar
'mir'-o-'ghaalib' 'dagh'-o-'hasrat' ya 'jigar' koi na tha

raat-bhar zulmat mein lipti bastiyan kahti rahin
chand tare kahkashan jugnu qamar koi na tha

dekhne mein yun ba-zahir sab hamare sath the
jab saron par dhup aai ham-safar koi na tha

khun ke rishton ki garmi sard thi chaaron taraf
sab tasalli de rahe the chaaragar koi na tha

rind-o-zahid shaikh-o-sufi sab ke sab tishna hi the
kis ko dete mai-kada jab mo'atabar koi na tha

phir ye socha likh hi bhejun haal-e-dil us ko magar
ud chuke the sab kabutar nama-bar koi na tha

zindagi-bhar bhigti palken thin us ki muntazir
hum se badh kar khud se 'zakir' be-khabar koi na tha