kya kahin duniya mein hum insan ya haiwan the
khak the kya the gharaz ek aan ke mehman the

kar rahe the apna qabza ghair ki imlak par
ghaur se dekha to hum bhi sakht be-iman the

aur ki chizen daba rakhna badi samjhi thi aql
chhin lin jab us ne jab jaana ki hum nadan the

ek din ek ustukhan upar pada mera jo panw
kya kahun us dam mujhe ghaflat mein kya kya dhyan the

panw padte hi gharaz us ustukhan ne aah ki
aur kaha ghafil kabhi to hum bhi sahab jaan the

dast-o-pa zanu sar-o-gardan shikam pusht-o-kamar
dekhne ko aankhen aur sunne ki khatir kan the

abru-o-bini jabin naqsh-o-nigar-o-khal-o-khat
lal-o-marwarid se behtar lab-o-dandan the

raat ko sone ko kya kya narm-o-nazuk the palang
baithne ko din ke kya kya kothe aur dalan the

khul raha tha ru-ba-ru jannat ke gulshan ka chaman
naznin mahbub goya hur aur ghilman the

lag raha tha dil kai chanchal pari-zadon ke sath
kuchh kisi se ahd the aur kuchh kahin paiman the

gul-badan aur gul-ezaron ke kinaro bos se
kuchh nikali thi hawas kuchh aur bhi arman the

mach rahe the chahchahe aur ud rahe the qahqahe
saqi-o-saghar surahi phul itr-o-pan the

ek hi chakkar diya aisa ajal ne aan kar
jo na hum the aur na wo sab aish ke saman the

aisi bedardi se hum par panw mat rakh ai 'nazir'
o miyan teri tarah hum bhi kabhi insan the