puchhe jo nishan koi anjaan nikalte hain
hum rah-guzaron se be-dhyan nikalte hain

dil taza marasim ke aaghaz se darta hai
milne se bichhadne ke imkan nikalte hain

kis samt ko jate hain ai rah-e-chaman aakhir
lashkar gul-o-nikhat ke har aan nikalte hain

ghar rahiye ki bahar hai ek raqs balaon ka
is mausam-e-wahshat mein nadan nikalte hain

tum ishq ke kuche mein jaan nazr to kar dekho
marne se bhi jine ke unwan nikalte hain

is saya-e-mizhgan mein kuchh waqt guzara hai
hum par bhi un aankhon ke ehsan nikalte hain

hasti ki ye zanjiren ye jism ki diwaren
hum sath liye apna zindan nikalte hain

hum dekhte rahte hain is pyas ke sahra se
kya qafila-e-abr-o-baran nikalte hain

gul shakhon pe aate hain kis aalam-e-afsun se
kisi ghaib ki wadi se insan nikalte hain

ye aalam-e-hasti hai ya khwab ki basti hai
jis samt chale jaen hairan nikalte hain

buniyaad-e-talluq hai ek wahm-e-shanasai
socho to sabhi chehre anjaan nikalte hain

kis waqt nahin rahti aankhon mein wo mauj-e-khun
kab dil se tere gham ke paikan nikalte hain

jis harf ke likhne mein ho dil ka lahu shamil
us harf se farda ke rujhan nikalte hain

hai harf-e-sukhan apna bas apni hi khalwat mein
bazar mein yaron ke diwan nikalte hain

duniya ki mohabbat ka sauda na kabhi karna
is saude ke aakhir mein nuqsan nikalte hain

lo subh-e-adam aai ab hijr ki saat hai
shab-bhar ki sarae se mehman nikalte hain