tujhe kal hi se nahin be-kali na kuchh aaj hi se raha qalaq
teri umr sari yunhi kati tu hamesha yunhi jiya 'qalaq'

hua dil ke jaane ka ab yaqin ki wo dard-e-bar mein mare nahin
na wo iztirab-e-qaza kahin na wo hashr-khez bala 'qalaq'

mujhe hashr kar diya baithna mujhe qahr ho gaya thaharna
hai basan-e-sabr gurez-pa nahin gham-gusar mera qalaq

unhen nala karne ka ranj kya unhen aah bharne ka ranj kya
unhen mere marne ka ranj kya unhen mere jaane ka kya qalaq

yahi rashk ne diye mashware kabhi parda un ka na kholiye
mere ji hi ji mein phira kiye mere dil hi dil mein raha qalaq

na to roe ghair na ghar rahe na shab-e-firaq mein mar rahe
na wafa kare na sitam sahe na jafa hui na hua qalaq

na wo main raha na wo tu raha na wo aarzu na wo muddaa
hua zindagi ka bhi faisla magar ek tera raha qalaq

rahe lakh sadme nafas nafas jiye kyun ki koi parae bas
shab-e-wasl marne ki thi hawas shab-e-hijr jine ka tha qalaq

nahin chain un ko bhi ek dam ki hai fikr-e-jaur ka gham sa gham
hue mujh pe roz nae sitam raha un ko roz naya qalaq

kare rabt koi kisi se kya ki utha tariq nibah ka
na karegi tujh se wafa jafa na karega mujh se wafa qalaq

main jala to shoale mein josh tha jo hua main khak hai zalzala
main hazar shakl badal chuka pa kisi tarah na chhupa qalaq

nahin tere phirne ka kuchh gila ki zamana sara badal gaya
jo shab-e-visal mein chain tha wahi roz-e-hijr bana qalaq

wo hai iltifat dam-e-sitam ki ziyaada is se nahin karam
mere chaak-e-dil ka rafu alam mere dard-e-jaan ki dawa qalaq

gae wan bhi par na ghata alam chhute sab se par na chhuta alam
mere pas se na hata alam mere sath se na tala qalaq

abhi tha sala-e-zan-e-sabaq abhi thi kitab-e-waraq-waraq
kabhi madrase mein raha 'qalaq' kabhi mai-kade mein raha 'qalaq'