ja baithte ho ghairon mein ghairat nahin aati
us waqt meri jaan murawwat nahin aati

nazdik bhi ja kar na mila parda-nashin se
ja dur ho ai dil tujhe chahat nahin aati

ek hum hain ki hain nam-e-mubarak pe tasadduq
tum ko to kabhi dekh ke ulfat nahin aati

ya ranj hai ya hijr hai ya huzn hai ya gham
kuchh shakl bana kar to musibat nahin aati

kya rah-rawi yar ki sikhe hai tu is sal
is tarah gai jism se taqat nahin aati

har shai ke liye zarf hai darkar jahan mein
kam-zarf ke nazdik to sarwat nahin aati

kalkatte ne nabud kiya khwab-e-khushi ko
pal-bhar mujhe is shahr mein rahat nahin aati

rahta hun khayal-e-rukh-e-zeba mein shab-o-roz
ai jaan tasawwur mein wo surat nahin aati

khilte hain gul-e-sher har ek roz mah-o-sal
'akhtar' mere gulzar pe aafat nahin aati