khwab sitare hote honge lekin aankhen ret
din dariyaon ke ham-joli hain aur raaten ret

ek faqir ne meri jaanib dekha aur phir main
mitti ki dheri ki surat tha aur sansen ret

main sarsabz jazire jaisa tha par dasht hua
us ne mujh se itna kaha tha teri baaten ret

moti tutne lagte hain jab patthar baat karen
aainon ko dukh hota hai jab hum bolen ret

kabhi kabhi ji chahta hai ki tanha kamre mein
hum kaghaz par ashk banaen aur phir likkhen ret

'zahid' raat ki khamoshi mein koi kahta hai
danish-wanish aqlen-waqlen sochen-wohchen ret