taghaari sar pe dhare tar-ba-tar pasine se
uthae mamta ka bojh nau mahine se

dahakti ret pe apne qadam jamae hue
mashaqqaton ki nazar se nazar milae hue

ruton ke qahr ko ye imtihan lagti hai
ye chandni se bani ek chatan lagti hai

hunar ki chadar-e-ba-zeb us ne pahni hai
maashiyat ki pazeb us ne pahni hai

phate libas pe mehnat ki shaal odhe hai
badan ke shishe pe lohe ka jal odhe hai

har ek makan ki buniyaad us ne dali hai
gharon ki shaukat-o-azmat usi ki pali hai

wo jis kalai pe be-himmati ke tane hain
usi ke panje mein taqat ke tane-bane hain

machan bandh ke jab chhat banai jaegi
taghaari sar pe cement ki yahi uthaegi

chadhegi zina-ba-zina sametti sari
agarche bojh bhi bhaari hai pair bhi bhaari

ye jhutpute ko thaki-haari ghar jo jaegi
to apne kumbe ki har bhuk ye mitaegi

ye yun to pith pe patthar utha ke chalti hai
zamam-e-kar ko qabze mein karke chalti hai

kabhi kudal chalati hai bojh dhoti hai
to hal chala ke kabhi ye zamin boti hai

kabhi ye ghar ki gawahi mein jaan deti hai
haweliyon ko itaat ka man deti hai

gharib hai so badan ka khiraj deti hai
ye khud ko pis ke ghar ko anaj deti hai

ye be-bisat hai lekin ye gham-gusar bhi hai
wafa-shiar bhi hai jaan-e-rozgar bhi hai