latif pardon se the numayan makin ke jalwe makan se pahle
mohabbat aaina ho chuki thi wajud-e-bazm-e-jahan se pahle

na wo mere dil se ba-khabar the na un ko ehsas-e-arzu tha
magar nizam-e-wafa tha qaem kushud-e-raaz-e-nihan se pahle

har ek unwan-e-dard-e-furqat hai ibtida sharh-e-mudda ki
koi batae ki ye fasana sunaen un ko kahan se pahle

masarraten raazdar-e-gham thin masarraton mein alam tha pinhan
jabhi to sehn-e-chaman mein shayad bahaar aai khizan se pahle

samajh raha tha ki na-umidi na parda-dar-e-umid hogi
nazar utha kar jo main ne dekha ghubar tha karwan se pahle

utha jo mina ba-dast-e-saqi rahi na kuchh tab-e-zabt baqi
tamam mai-kash pukar utthe yahan se pahle yahan se pahle

qasam fareb-e-nigah-o-dil ki hamein to us justuju ne khoya
wahin thi dar-asl apni manzil qadam uthe the jahan se pahle

azal se shayad likhe hue the 'shakil' qismat mein jaur-e-paiham
khuli jo aankhen is anjuman mein nazar mili aasman se pahle