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