bahadur-shah zafar

ishrat-e-dahr se waqif bhi tha begana bhi
teri shahi mein thi ek shan-e-faqirana bhi
zohd-o-piri mein bhi ek jurat-e-rindana thi
samne maut ke tadbir-e-harifana thi


tu ne khud apne watan ko kabhi ruswa na kiya
tu ne to qaum ke namus ka sauda na kiya
tu bhi ehsas ko chandi se kuchal sakta tha
tu bhi mausam ki tarah rang badal sakta tha


tu bhi kya baat thi ghairat ki tijarat karta
aish ke waste iman ko ghaarat karta
tu bhi kya baat thi fitrat ko khafa kar deta
sunnat-e-jafar-o-sadiq bhi ada kar deta


tu magar kab tha kisi raj-dulare ki tarah
aakhiri waqt mein tuta to sitare ki tarah
soz-e-pinhan ko tarab-khez banaya tu ne
har tabahi ko kaleje se lagaya tu ne


har gham-e-dahr ko mehman kiya hai tu ne
puri ek nasl ko qurban kiya hai tu ne
dushman-e-din ne kiye tere asar ke tukde
dar par khinch diye tere jigar ke tukde


sare aalam ne tere shauq ka aalam dekha
yani qurbani-e-paiham ko mujassam dekha
barish-e-nur to gulshan mein rahi sham se kya
zindagi raqs to karti rahi anjam se kya


kitni wusat tere jazbe mein tere khun mein hai
bazm dehli mein thi khalwat teri rangun mein hai
tere andaz chale hain sahar-o-sham ke sath
tere arman rahe gardish-e-ayyam ke sath


teri betabi-e-dil paikar-e-gul tak pahunchi
teri aawaz thi jo bose ke dil tak pahunchi
tu ne diwanon ko ek jazba-e-wahdat bakhsha
tere marqad ne unhen shauq-e-shahadat bakhsha


ye haqiqat bhi khuli rah gai duniya takti
aadmi marta hai tahrik nahin mar sakti
tere anjam ka charcha to nahin kar sakta
bad-nasibi ka main shikwa to nahin kar sakta


saltanat rah na gai us ka bharosa kya tha
jo mili auron se us chiz ko samjha kya tha
den hai tere lahu ki tera fan qabze mein
aaj bhi saltanat-e-sher-o-sukhan qabze mein


jang mein haar ke bhi fan mein 'zafar' kya kahiye
shab ke hathon se ye tanzim-e-sahar kya kahiye
tujh ko andha to kiya mit na saka nur-e-kalam
ab bhi chaunkata hai insan ko tera soz-e-kalam


ragni khun mein apne hi dubo kar rakh di
zindagi sher-o-sukhan mein bhi samo kar rakh di
'zauq' se badh ke tere sher mein ranai hai
'dard' se badh ke tere dard mein gahrai hai


hashr tak yaad rahega ye hai taqdir teri
sahib-e-dil ki nigahon mein hai taswir teri
teri satwat pe na shahi pe qalam uttha hai
ek insan ki tabahi pe qalam uttha hai