har nafas par ye guman hai ki khata ho jaise
umr yun guzri ki jine ki saza ho jaise

main ba-har-taur hun paband-e-shumar-e-anfas
saz har haal mein majbur-e-nawa ho jaise

zindagi amr-e-mashiyyat hai magar kya kahiye
wo nadamat hai koi jurm kiya ho jaise

mujh ko har hadisa-e-asr hua yun mahsus
mere hi dil ke dhadakne ki sada ho jaise

is tarah naz hai daman-e-tahi par mujh ko
meri mahrumi bhi us ki hi ata ho jaise

khanda-e-gul se bhi ehsas pe yun chot lagi
mere hi chaak gareban pe hansa ho jaise

yun nibard-azma har nafs-o-zamir aaj bhi hai
zindagi marka-e-karb-o-bala ho jaise

arsa-e-zehn mein yun fikr hai laghzida khiram
dasht-e-pur-khar mein ek aabla-pa ho jaise

yun meri zist bhi bargashta hai mujh se 'athar'
kisi be-mehr ke daman ki hawa ho jaise