haqiqat samne thi aur haqiqat se main ghafil tha
mera dil tera jalwa tha tera jalwa mera dil tha

hua nazzara lekin yun ki nazzara bhi mushkil tha
jahan tak kaam karti thin nigahen tur hail tha

raha jaan-e-tamanna ban ke jab tak jaan-e-mushkil tha
na thi mushkil to us ke baad phir kuchh bhi na tha dil tha

nazar bahki hijab uttha hui ek raushni paida
phir us ke baad bachna kya sambhalna sakht mushkil tha

hijab-e-masiyat parda hi kis ke nur-e-irfan ka
ki jannat se juda rah kar bhi main jannat mein dakhil tha

bacha kar kyun duboya na-khuda ne is safine ko
inhin maujon mein tufan tha inhin maujon mein sahil tha

sujud-e-bandagi be-kar ijz-e-ishq la-hasil
ye sach hai main tere qabil na tha tu mere qabil tha

hiqarat se jise thukra diya bargashta shoalon ne
wahi parwana-e-be-kas farogh-e-sham-e-mahfil tha

nishan-e-manzil-e-maqsud jo aaghaz mein paya
wahi sahra-ba-sahra tha wahi manzil-ba-manzil tha

safina dubne ke baad in baaton se kya hasil
jo dariya tha to dariya tha jo sahil tha to sahil tha

wo mere pas tha 'shaukat' to main ne kyun nahin dekha
jo wo mere muqabil tha to main kis ke muqabil tha