hum shahr mein ek shama ki khatir hue barbaad
logon ne kiya chand ke sahraon ko aabaad

har samt falak-bos pahadon ki qataren
'khusraw' hai na 'shirin' hai na tesha hai na farhad

barson se yahi khwab hain nindon ki sajawat
gulshan hai magar gul hai na bulbul hai na sayyaad

hun tair-e-be-baam charagh-e-sar-e-sahra
ummid-e-karam hai na mujhe shikwa-e-bedad

jis ghar ko basaya tha meri be-khabari ne
aaj us ko teri khud-nigari kar gai barbaad

kuchh aisa dhuan hai ki ghutti jati hain sansen
is raat ke baad aaoge shayad na kabhi yaad

har zarra hai madfan meri hairat-nigahi ka
yarab! ye gali kuche hamesha rahen aabaad

kal apni bhi taswir na pahchan sakenge
is daur ko bakhshe gae wo 'mani' wo 'bahzad'

sunsan hai zindan bhi bisan-e-dil-e-shaer
ne shor-e-salasil hai na hangama-e-fariyaad

khurshid-e-qayamat utar aae rag-e-jaan mein
ai naghmagaro aisi koi tarz ho ijad

'shohrat' ki hai ab wajh-e-pareshani-e-ahbab
uth jaega jis roz tu aaega bahut yaad