kahan anjam ki taswir us nadan ke aage
banae ret ki diwar jo tufan ke aage

hawadis ka tasalsul yunhi rahta hai zamane mein
kisi ki jaan ke pichhe kisi ki jaan ke aage

sitare dhaalti hain tarbiyat-gahen tamaddun ki
to phir kyon zindagi be-nur hai insan ke aage

lahu mein dub kar jab ek nawa-e-jaan-faza nikli
hazaron saz sakit ho gae us tan ke aage

ye wo daur-e-taghayyur hai ki jis mein khilat-e-shahi
nigun sar hai shikasta chadaron ki shan ke aage

tere qadmon se nisbat jin ko hai wo sar jhuken kyunkar
kisi maghrur ke dar par kisi sultan ke aage

hamari hi nazar parwarda hai wo be-aman bijli
kadakti hai jo har firaun-e-be-saman ke aage

nikhaara ho jise ahl-e-hunar ne apna khun de kar
wo fan be-rang kya hota kisi bohran ke aage

zamana sard kar dega 'adib' in shola-zaron ko
nai duniya ki jannat hai nae insan ke aage