main teri basti se bhag kar dur ek kharabe mein aa gaya hun
ye wo kharaba hai jis mein hasti ki raushni ka guzar nahin hai

yahan na tu hai na rang-o-bu hai na zindagi hai
yahan hai wo aalam-e-khamoshi ki dil ki dhadkan bhi be-sada hai

ki meri tanhaiyon ke daman-e-ufuq ke daman se ja mile hain
tere nagar ke hasin kuche shafiq galiyan jo zist ki raushni ka ghar hain

mere liye meri bebasi ne inhen shab-alud kar diya hai
wo rahguzar tere naqsh-e-pa par jahan hazar aastan bane hain

wo rahguzar ajnabi hue hain
jahan main ab hun wahan agarche hai be-karan tirgi faza mein

magar yahan bhi mere khayalon mein mahr ban kar tera sarapa damak raha hai
hawa ke be-kaif sard jhonke jo zard patton se khelte hain

to meri be-ab khushk aankhen tujhe khalaon mein dhundhti hain
mera takhayyul ki is kharabe se bad-guman hai

mere junun ko jhinjhodta hai to sochta hun
agarche tu ek wo haqiqat hai jis ka iqrar la-budi hai

magar ye tera wajud mere liye faqat ek wahima hai
ki teri zulfon ko mere shanon ne apni duniya se dur paya

ki mere ashkon ko tere daman ki aarzu hi rahi hamesha
magar ye khush tha

ki mere gham ne tere takhayyul mein wo sitare se bhar diye the
charagh jin ke na bujh sake hain na bujh sakenge

ye sab tha lekin junun pe kuchh aisi qadghanen thin
ki jazb-e-dil harf-e-muddaa ko na pa saka tha

kabhi koi dard lafz bin kar mari zaban par na aa saka tha
magar na jaane wo kya tha jis ne dilon ke parde utha diye the

junun ke asrar waqiye the
tahi-zaban hum hue the lekin zaban ke muhtaj kab rahe the

ki hum nigahon se dil ke paigham bhejte the
ye sab tha lekin main karb-e-jaan-soz ka amin tha

wo karb-e-jaan-soz tha ki meri hayat se nind bad-guman thi
aur is kharabe mein jis mein hasti ki raushni ka guzar nahin hai

jahan na tu hai na rang-o-bu hai na zindagi hai
mera guman tha yahan tujhe khud se dur pa kar main karb se jaan bacha sakunga

tujhe kabhi to dimagh-o-dil se hata sakunga
tujhe kabhi to bhula sakunga

magar ye ek aur wahima tha
qayamaten soz-e-dard-e-dil mein nihan wahi hain

abas gham-e-zindagi se main ne farar chaha
isi tarah karab-e-jaan-guza se main ab bhi aatish-e-ba-ja hun har-dam

ki ab tera shahr chhodne ka ek aur gham hai
agarche tera wajud mere liye faqat ek wahima tha

agarche tera wajud mere liye faqat ek wahima hai
magar tera paikar-e-misali mere khayalon mein jaguzin hai

ki wo kisi dil-kusha haqiqat ka bhi amin hai
aur us se mujh ko mafar nahin hai

main sochta hun ki us kharabe se laut jaun
jahan na tu hai na rang-o-bu hai na zindagi hai

jahan mujhe aaj ye bhi gham hai
ki main ne shahr-e-habib chhoda

wafa se main ne wafa nahin ki
main sochta hun ki us kharabe se laut jaun

wahin jahan main ne zindagi ka sukun dhunda
magar na paya

wahin jahan main ne raushni ke sarab dekhe
haqiqaton par naqab dekhe

wahin jahan main ne rahaton ke habab dekhe
wahin milega sukun agar mujh ko zindagi mein kahin milega

magar ye ek khauf mera daman isi kharabe se bandhta hai
ki is jagah phir agar junun ne sukun na paya to kya karunga