main ki khud apni hi aawaz ke shoalon ka asir
main ki khud apni hi zanjir ka zindani hun

kaun samjhega jahan mein mere zakhmon ka hisab
kis ko khush aaega is dahr mein ruhon ka azab

kaun aa kar mere mitne ka tamasha dekhe
kis ko fursat ki ujadti hui duniya dekhe

kaun bhadki hui is aag ko apnaega
jo bhi aaega mere sath hi jal jaega

wo ghadi kaun thi jab mujh ko mila tha ban-bas
ek jhonka bhi hawa ka na watan se aaya

ne koi nikhat-e-gul aur na koi mauj-e-nasim
phir koi dhundne mujh ko na chaman se aaya

main wo ek lal hun jo bik gaya bazaron mein
phir koi puchhne mujh ko na yaman se aaya

yaad karte hue ek yusuf-e-gum-gashta ko
kuchh dinon roi to hogi mere ghar ki diwar

kuchh dinon ganw ki galiyon mein udasi hogi
kuchh dinon khul na sake honge tere haar singhaar

kuchh dinon ke liye sunsan sa lagta hoga
aam ke bagh mein bechain phiri hogi bahaar

main ne ek ped pe jo nam likha tha apna
kuchh dinon zakhm ke manind wo taza hoga

mere sab dost use dekh ke kahte honge
jaane kis des mein bechaara bhatakta hoga

umr bhar kaun kise yaad kiya karta hai
ek ek kar ke mujhe sab ne bhulaya hoga

hae un ko bhi khabar kya ki wo ek zakhm-nasib
zindagi ke liye nikla tha jo rahi ban kar

aaj tak pa na saka chashma-e-ab-e-haiwan
us ko suraj bhi mile hain to siyahi ban kar

ghar se laya tha jo kuchh tab-e-rawan zehn-e-rasa
sath us ke rahe asbab-e-tabahi ban kar

mera ye jurm ki main sahab-e-idrak-o-shuur
mera ye aib ki ek shair o fankar hun main

mujh ko ye zid hai ki main sar na jhukaunga kabhi
mujh ko israr ki jine ka saza-war hun main

mujh ko ye fakhr ki main haqq-o-sadaqat ka amin
mujh ko ye zoam khud-agah hun khuddar hun main

ek ek mod pe aalam o masaib ke pahad
ek ek gam pe aafat se takraya hun

ek ek zahr ko hans hans ke piya hai main ne
ek ek zakhm ko chun chun ke utha laya hun

ek ek lamhe ki zanjir se main uljha hun
ek ek sans pe khud aap se sharmaya hun

yun to kahne ki nahin baat magar kahta hun
pyar ka nam kitabon mein likha dekha hai

jab kabhi hath badhaya hai kisi ki jaanib
fasla aur bhi kuchh badhta hua dekha hai

bund bhar de na saka koi mohabbat ki sharab
yun to mai-khane ka mai-khana luta dekha hai