khali hai talab-garon se bazar-e-tamanna
aata hi nahin koi kharidar-e-tamanna

har chand ki rahta hai wo bezar-e-tamanna
daman mein samete hai magar khar-e-tamanna

sab apni khamoshi ka lahu chat rahe hain
karta hi nahin ab koi izhaar-e-tamanna

is qasr-e-hawas se koi bahar nahin aata
kahne ko to har shakhs hai bezar-e-tamanna

paiwand-e-zamin kar na saka sail-e-bala bhi
hai sar-ba-falak aaj bhi diwar-e-tamanna

koi bhi nahin kam hai kisi se yahan 'akhtar'
har shakhs hai is shahr mein shahkar-e-tamanna