raat ek be-tab jazbe ki tarah dhalti rahi
thak gae the shokh manzar aur faza thi so gai

jugnu jugnu si chamak hai aaj palkon par saji
shorishen ehsas ki shayad jawan hain aaj bhi

irtikaz-e-fikr hai shayad bhatakti aagahi
lamha lamha ruthti jae meri aawargi

gungunati hai faza sad-barg si sad-rang si
lamha lamha nachti hai fikr-o-fan ki tazgi

khalwaton ki guftugu mein jalwaton ke rup mein
nikhri nikhri si lage hai soch ki doshizgi

qad mere takhil ka shayad chhalawa ban gaya
uryan uryan si lage hai khush-libasi shauq ki

shokh si murat ajanta ki khadi hai ru-ba-ru
marmarin angdaiyon mein jalwa-gar hai shaeri

phir dar-e-dil par hai shayad ek ijazat ki tarah
khoi khoi dastakon ki ek thakan khamosh si

jhan jhanan si ho rahi hai aaj phir man ke gagan
har-nafas aawaz deti hai masafat dur ki

ye nigahon ki nigahon se nirali guftugu
phir sawalon ki jawabon se hui hai dosti

maslahat to bil-yaqin kuchh aadatan majbur hai
so gai hai aakhirash ab raat ki bhi tirgi

dil ke andar mausam-e-sad-rang ki hain shorishen
be-karan hai raushni bhi be-karan hai tirgi