qaem wajud-e-ishq se sara jahan hai
dil hai to kaenat ki har shai jawan hai

apne lahu se rakkhi hai buniyaad-e-zindagi
hum se nizam-e-gulshan-e-hasti mein jaan hai

har aaina hayat ka dhundla raha hai aaj
chehron pe jaur-e-charkh ka gahra nishan hai

daulat-parast hirs-o-hawas ke ghulam hain
iflas ki jabin pe qanaat ki shan hai

jage na kyon hayat ka pur-shauq qafila
phir wadi-e-wafa mein sada-e-azan hai

jis se ki tirgi ko mili hai ziya-e-nur
wo aaftab sare zamane ki jaan hai

jalwon ki hai numud pas-e-tur dekhna
shayad nigah-e-shauq ka phir imtihan hai

'akhtar' main phir raha hun zamane mein na-murad
niche zamin hai sar pe mere aasman hai