kuchh to ehsas-e-ziyan tha pahle
dil ka ye haal kahan tha pahle

ab to jhonke se laraz uthta hun
nashsha-e-khwab-e-giran tha pahle

ab to manzil bhi hai khud garm-e-safar
har qadam sang-e-nishan tha pahle

safar-e-shauq ke farsang na puchh
waqt be-qaid makan tha pahle

ye alag baat ki gham ras hai ab
us mein andesha-e-jaan tha pahle

yun na ghabrae hue phirte the
dil ajab kunj-e-aman tha pahle

ab bhi tu pas nahin hai lekin
is qadar dur kahan tha pahle

dere dale hain bagulon ne jahan
us taraf chashma rawan tha pahle

ab wo dariya na wo basti na wo log
kya khabar kaun kahan tha pahle

har kharaba ye sada deta hai
main bhi aabaad makan tha pahle

ud gae shakh se ye kah ke tuyur
sarw ek shokh jawan tha pahle

kya se kya ho gai duniya pyare
tu wahin par hai jahan tha pahle

hum ne aabaad kiya mulk-e-sukhan
kaisa sunsan saman tha pahle

hum ne bakhshi hai khamoshi ko zaban
dard majbur-e-fughan tha pahle

hum ne ijad kiya tesha-e-ashk
shoala patthar mein nihan tha pahle

hum ne raushan kiya mamura-e-gham
warna har samt dhuan tha pahle

hum ne mahfuz kiya husn-e-bahaar
itr-e-gul sarf-e-khizan tha pahle

gham ne phir dil ko jagaya 'nasir'
khana-barbaad kahan tha pahle