puchho mujhe ai ham-nafasan kaun hun kya hun
yaro main koi hashr ke maidan mein khada hun

tum rang mein dekho to hun murjhaya hua phul
aawaz mein main tutte shishe ki sada hun

meri bhi hikayat hai wahi dil-zadagi ki
par dard ke unwan mein mazmun-e-juda hun

kuchh mere hi dam se hain bahaaron ke maani
main pairaw-e-gul gul ki tarah chaak-qaba hun

hun band khayalon mein ki jun phul mein khushbu
aazada-rawi mein sifat-e-mauj-e-saba hun

khwahish pe mujhe tut ke girna nahin aata
pyasa hun magar sahil-e-dariya pe khada hun

shayad yahi tiryaq bane zahr fana ka
main talkhi-e-ayyam ka sat khinch raha hun

phulon ki rifaqat mein to pae hain phaphole
kanton se hai ummid ki main aabla-pa hun

din roz-e-qayamat hai ki kate nahin katta
tanha hun ki khud sae se bhi apne juda hun

raat aae to so jaun andheron se lipat kar
main subh se darta hun ki suraj ka dasa hun

katra ke na chal rah bhatak jaega rahi
main rahraw-e-ummid ka naqsh-e-kaf-e-pa hun

is daur-e-khurafat mein be-qadr hun phir bhi
tu jitna samajhta hai main kuchh us se siwa hun

har rang har aahang mere samne aajiz
main koh-e-maani ki bulandi pe khada hun

niklengi chatanon se meri fikr ki nahren
main lafz ke teshe se unhen kat raha hun

main kimiya-gar khud ko jalata hi rahunga
aur tu ye samajhta hai ki jine se khafa hun

paida mere naghmon se huin nur ki lahren
main khaliq-e-tahzib andheron ki ziya hun

'baqar' mujhe kuchh dad-e-sukhan ki nahin parwa
main shahr-e-khamoshan mein hun aur naghma-sara hun