sabz-o-shadab sahil
ret ke aur pani ke git
muskuraate samundar ka sayyal chehra
chand suraj ke tukde
lakhon aaine maujon mein bikhre hue
kashtiyan baadbanon ke aanchal mein apne saron ko chhupae hue
jal nile samundar mein dube hue
khak par sukhti machhliyan
ghatnen pattharon ki wo tarshi hui muraten
elephanta ke ghaaron se jo raqs karti nikal aai hain
raaten aankhon mein jadu ka kajal lagae hue
shamen nili hawa ki nami mein nahai hui
subhen shabnam ke barik malbus pahne hue
khwab-alud kohsar ke silsile
jangalon ke ghane sae
mitti ki khushbu
mahakti hui konplen
pattharon ki chattanen
apni banhon ko bahr-e-arab mein samete hue
wo chatanon pe rakkhe hue unche unche mahl
chikni diwaron par
qatl, ghaarat-gari, buzdili, nafa-khori ki parchhaiyan
reshmi sariyan
makhmalin jism, zahrile nakhunon ki billiyan
khun ki pyas khadi ke pairahanon mein
jagmagate hue qumqume, park, baghat aur museum
sang-e-marmar ke but, dhat ke aadmi
sard o sangin azmat ke paikar
aankhen be-nur, lab be-sada, hath be-jaan
hind ki bebasi aur mahkumi ki yaadgaren
saikdon sal ke garm aatish-kade
zar o sandal ki aag
ud-o-ambar ke shole
chaalen iflas ki gard, tarikiyan
gandagi aur ufunat
ghure sadte hue
rahguzaron pe sote hue aadmi
tat par, aur kaghaz ke tukdon pe phaile hue jism, sukhe hue hath
zakhm ki aastinon se nikli hui haddiyan
kodhiyon ke hujum
kholiyan jaise andhe kuen
garm sinon, mohabbat ki godon se mahrum bachche
bakriyon ki tarah rassiyon se bandhe
un ki maen abhi kar-khanon se wapas nahin aai hain
chimniyan bhutniyon ki tarah baal khole hue
kar-khane garajte hue
khun ki aur pasine ki bu mein sharabor
khun sarmaya-dari ke nalon mein bahta hua
bhattiyon mein ubalta hua
sard sikkon ki surat mein jamta hua
sone chandi mein tabdil hota hua
bank ki khidkiyon mein charaghan
sadken din raat chalti hui
sans leti hui
aadmi khwahishon ke andhere nashebon mein sailab ki tarah bahte hue
chor-bazar, satta, juari
race ke ghode, sarkar ke mantari
cinema, ladkiyan, actor, maskhare
ek ek chiz bikti hui
gajaren, muliyan, kakdiyan
jism aur zehn aur shaeri
ilm, hikmat, siyasat
ankhdiyon aur honton ke nilam-ghar
aarizon ki dukanen
bazuon aur sinon ke bazar
pindliyon aur ranon ke godam
desh-bhagti ke dalal khadi ke byopari
aql, insaf, pakizgi, aur sadaqat ke tajir
ye hai hindostan ki urusul-bilad
sar-zamin-e-dakan ki dulhan bambai
ek jannat jahannam ki aaghosh mein
ya ise yun kahun
ek dozakh hai firdaus ki god mein
ye mera shahr hai
go mera jism is khak-dan se nahin
meri mitti yahan se bahut dur ganga ke pani se gundhi gai hai
mere dil mein himala ke phulon ki khushbu basi hai
phir bhi ai bambai tu mera shahr hai
tere baghat mein meri yaadon ke kitne hi ram-khurda aahu
main ne tere pahadon ki thandi hawa khai hai
teri shaffaf jhilon ka pani piya hai
tere sahil ki hansti hui sipiyan mujh ko pahchanti hain
nariyal ke darakhton ki lambi qataren
tere nile samundar ke tufan aur qahqahe
tere dilkash mazafat ke sabza-zaron ki khamoshiyan
rangaten, nikhaten, sab mujhe jaanti hain
is jagah mere khwabon ko aankhen milin
aur meri mohabbat ke boson ne apne hasin hont hasil kiye
bambai
tere sine mein sarmae ka zahr bhi
inqalab aur baghawat ka tiryaq bhi
tere pahlu mein faulad ka qalb hai
teri nabzon mein mazdur o mallah ka khun hai
teri aaghosh mein kar-khanon ki duniya basi hai
sewri, lal-bagh aur parel
aur yahan tere bete teri betiyan
in ki dikhti hui ungliyan
sut ke ek ek tar se
mulk ke qatilon ka kafan bun rahi hain