tha wo yaron mein apna yar bahut

tha wo yaron mein apna yar bahut
ek usi se tha hum ko pyar bahut
shahr-e-jaan mein 'ajib raunaq thi
dil se dil ka tha karobar bahut


wo bhi kuchh muztarib sa rahta tha
hum bhi rahte the be-qarar bahut
kaisa nashsha tha bazm mein us ki
aaj tak hai hamein khumar bahut


ek thandak thi us ki chhaon mein
ek shajar tha wo saya-dar bahut
us ke dam se tha e'tibar-e-sukhan
tha sukhan ka wo e'tibar bahut


ek taraf tha hujum-e-nauha-garan
ek jaanib the gham-gusar bahut
khema-e-dushmanan ki raunaq hain
aaj-kal us ke jaan-nisar bahut


‘ashiqan-e-salim-ahmad ko
jaanta hai ye khaksar bahut
dosti kya hai nisf dhoka hai
is ka karna na e'tibar bahut


dastanen to hain tawil magar
hum ne barta hai ikhtisar bahut
hum ko iqlim-e-sha'iri ka 'azim'
yaad aata hai shahryar bahut