garche mere khulus se wo be-khabar na tha
phir bhi meri wafaon ka us par asar na tha

main us fareb-e-husn se khud ba-khabar na tha
wo tha to mere sath ba-zahir magar na tha

apna use bana na saka main tamam umr
mujh mein bahut hunar the magar ye hunar na tha

lab the khamosh khauf se izhaar-e-ishq ke
par aansuon ko mere kisi ka bhi dar na tha

sare jahan ki khak ko hum chhanne ke baad
laute to dekha apna ghar ab apna ghar na tha

bimar-e-gham ke waste kya maut ke siwa
koi ilaj dahr mein ai chaara-gar na tha

kya mai-kade ka nazm bhi tabdil ho gaya
saqi jo daur-e-jam idhar tha udhar na tha

hoti bhi fath kaise meri jab the sath sath
wo log jin ke shane pe khud apna sar na tha

kyun us ne ki na zahmat-e-chaara-gari qubul
kya us ke pas chaara-e-zakhm-e-jigar na tha

coffee tha mujh ko rah-e-wafa mein khayal-e-yar
'tabish' bala se koi mera ham-safar na tha