1
yun to marne ke liye zahr sabhi pite hain
zindagi tere liye zahr piya hai main ne
shama jalti hai par ek raat mein jal jati hai
yan to ek umr isi tarah se jalte guzri
kaun si khak hai ye jaane kahan ka hai khamir
ek nae sanche mein har roz hi dhalte guzri
kis tarah main ne guzari hain ye gham ki ghadiyan
kash main aisi kahani ko suna bhi sakta
tana-zan hain jo mere haal pe arbab-e-nashat
un ko ek bar main ai kash rula bhi sakta
main ki shaer hun main paighambar-e-fitrat hun
meri takhil mein hai ek jahan-e-bedar
dastaras mein meri nazzara-e-gul-ha-e-chaman
mere idrak mein hain kun-fayakun ke asrar
mere ashaar mein hai qalb-e-hazin ki dhadkan
meri nazmon mein meri ruh ki dil-doz pukar
phir bhi rah rah ke khatakti hai mere dil mein ye baat
ki mere pas to alfaz ka ek parda hai
sirf alfaz se taswir nahin ban sakti
sirf ehsas mein haalat ki tafsir kahan
sirf fariyaad mein zakhmon ki wo zanjir kahan
aisi zanjir ki ek ek kadi mein jis ki
kitni khoi hui khushiyon ke manazir pinhan
kitni bhuli hui yaadon ke pur-asrar khandar
kitne ujde hue lute hue sunsan nagar
kitne aate hue jate hue chehron ke nuqush
kitne bante hue mitte hue lamhat ka raaz
kitni uljhi hui rahon ke nasheb aur faraaz
2
kya kahun mujh ko kahan lai meri umr-e-rawan
aankh kholi to har ek samt andheron ka saman
rengti unghti maghmum si ek rahguzar
gard-e-alam mein khoya hua manzil ka nishan
gesu-e-sham se lipti hui gham ki zanjir
sina-e-shab se nikalti hui fariyaad-o-fughan
thandi thandi si hawaon mein wo ghurbat ki thakan
dar-o-diwar pe tarik se sae larzan
kitni khoi hui bimar o fasurda aankhen
timtimate se diye chaar taraf nauha-kunan
muzmahil chehre masaib ki giran-bari se
dil-e-majruh se uthta hua ghamnak dhuan
yahi tariki-e-gham to mera gahwara hai
main isi kokh mein tha nur-e-sahar ke manind
har taraf sog mein duba hua mera mahaul
mera ujda hua ghar 'mir' ke ghar ke manind
ek taraf azmat-e-aslaf ka mathe pe ghurur
aur ek samt wo iflas ke phaile hue jal
bhuk ki aag mein jhulse hue sare arman
qarz ke bojh se jine ki umangen pamal
waqt ki dhund mein lipte hue kuchh pyar ke git
mehr o ikhlas zamane ki jafaon se nidhaal
bhai bhai ki mohabbat mein nirale se shukuk
nigah-e-ghair mein jis tarah anokhe se sawal
ek hangame pe mauquf thi ghar ki raunaq
muflisi sath liye aai thi ek jang-o-jidal
faqa-masti mein bikharte hue sare rishte
tang-dasti ke sabab sari fazaen behaal
ek jahannam ki tarah tha ye mera gahwara
is jahannam mein mere bap ne dam tod diya
tut kar rah gae bachpan ke suhane sapne
mujh se munh pher liya jaise meri shokhi ne
mere hanste hue chehre pe udasi chhai
jaise ek raat bhayanak mere sar par aai
rahen dushwar magar rah-numa koi na tha
samne wusat-e-aflak khuda koi na tha
mere ajdad ki miras ye viran sa ghar
jis ko ghere hue har samt tabahi ke bhanwar
jis ki chhat girti hui tuta hua darwaza
har taraf jaise bikharta hua ek shiraaza
na kahin atlas-o-kamkhwab na diba-o-harir
har taraf munh ko basore hue jaise taqdir
mujh ko us ghar se mohabbat to bhala kya hoti
yan agar dil mein na jine ki tamanna hoti
ye samajh kar ki yahi hai meri qismat ka likha
us ki diwar ke sae mein lipta rahta
lekin is dil ki khalish ne mujhe bedar kiya
mujh ko haalat se aamada-e-paikar kiya
be-kasi rakht-e-safar ban kar mere sath chali
yaad aai thi mujhe ganw ki ek ek gali
lahlahati hui faslen wo mere aam ke bagh
wo makanon mein larazte hue dhundle se charagh
dur tak pani mein phaile hue wo dhan ke khet
aur talab-kinare wo chamakti hui ret
mere ham-umr wo sathi wo mere ham-joli
mere school ke wo dost meri wo toli
ek bar un ki nigahon ne mujhe dekha tha
jaise ek bar mere dil ne bhi kuchh socha tha
main ne jab wadi-e-ghurbat mein qadam rakkha tha
dur tak yaad-e-watan aai thi samjhane ko