chal ai nasim-e-sahra ruh-o-rawan-e-sahra
mera payam le ja su-e-butan-e-sahra

sahrai mahwashon ki khidmat mein ja ke kahna
bhule nahin tumhein hum ai dukhtaran-e-sahra

gar bas chale to aaen aur dard-e-dil sunaen
tum ko gale lagaen hum phir miyan-e-sahra

tum najd mein pareshan shahron mein hum hain hairan
allah ki aman ho tum par butan-e-sahra

tum is tarah ghamon se behaal ho rahi ho
hum is taraf hain muztar daman-kushan-e-sahra

hum pas aaen kyun kar tum ko bulaen kyun kar
ye dukh mitaen kyun kar wamandgan-e-sahra

betab hain alam se be-khwab ranj-o-gham se
kya puchhti ho hum se ai dil-baran-e-sahra

tum yaad kar rahi ho bedad kar rahi ho
barbaad kar rahi ho ai gul-rukhan-e-sahra

ye kya kaha ki tum ho ranginiyon ke khugar
ghamgin hain tum se badh kar ai gham-kushan-e-sahra

ye raat ye ghataen ye shor ye hawaen
bichhde hue milenge kyunkar miyan-e-sahra

shahron ki zindagi se hum tang aa chuke hain
sahra mein phir bula lo ai sakinan-e-sahra

yaad-e-sumum ho ya sarsar ke tund tufan
darte nahin kisi se dil-dadgan-e-sahra

aabaadiyon mein hasil aazadiyan nahin hain
aa jao tum hi ud kar o tairan-e-sahra

sahra ki wusaton mein hum ko na bhul jaana
o dukhtaran-e-sahra o aahuwan-e-sahra

ai abr chup na rahna mera fasana kahna
mil jae gar kahin wo sarw-e-rawan-e-sahra

dashti ki dhun mein saqi ek naghma-e-iraqi
han phir suna ba-yaad-e-gul-chehargan-e-sahra

aankhon mein bas raha hai naqsh-e-butan-e-sahra
o dastan-sara chhed ek dastan-e-sahra

mastana ja raha hai phir karwan-e-sahra
han jhum kar hudi-khwan ek dastan-e-sahra

dehat ki fazaen aankhon mein phir rahi hain
dil mein sama rahi hai yaad-e-butan-e-sahra

nazron pe chha raha hai wo chandni ka manzar
sahra mein khelti thin jab huryan-e-sahra

wo chandni ka mausam wo be-khudi ka aalam
wo nur ka samundar reg-e-rawan-e-sahra

jalwe mah-e-jawan ke wo rang-e-karwan ke
wo naghme sarban ke raqsan miyan-e-sahra

kyunkar na yaad aaen wo sim-gun fazaen
wo aasman-e-sahra mah-e-rawan-e-sahra

wo kam-sinon ke gane wo khel wo tarane
be-fikri ke fasane wird-e-zaban-e-sahra

kheton mein ghumte the har gul ko chumte the
masti mein jhumte the jab mai-kashan-e-sahra

wo ganw wo fazaen wo fasl wo hawaen
wo khet wo ghataen wo aasman-e-sahra

phir yaad aa rahi hain phir dil dukha rahi hain
majnun bana rahi hain laila-washan-e-sahra

raaton ko chhup ke aana aur shane ko hilana
hai yaad wo jagana hum ko miyan-e-sahra

wo un ki shokh aankhen wo un ki sada nazren
be-khud bana rahi hain doshizgan-e-sahra

wo ishq-pesha hun main jis ke jawan naghme
gata hai chandni mein har naujawan-e-sahra

ek badwiyat ka aashiq sahraiyat se be-khud
'akhtar' bhi apni dhun mein hai ek jawan-e-sahra