yahi waqt tha
han yahi waqt tha

balki tarikh bhi to yahi thi
jab ek mehrban hath ne

jaane kya soch kar bas achanak
meri ruh ko thapthapaya

mere dil ko thama
ajab ek waraftagi se

aur kuchh pur-fusun aagahi se
mere sin-rasida

dil-o-jaan ko us ne
hayat-afrin lams se bhar diya

apni nazron mein khud mo'atabar kar diya
sochta hun anokhi thin wo saaten kis qadar

kya ajab meri aql-o-khirad par asar tha
zamanon jahanon se main be-khabar tha

sitare zamin aasman kahkashan sab mere panw ki dhul the
hawa bhi ki jis samt chalti mere hukm se

aur khushbu ki pahlu badalti mere hukm se
main ki masruf tha roz-o-shab baadalon ke safar mein

main dil tha nazar tha hawa tha khuda tha kisi ki nazar mein
ki be-misl yakta yagana tha main apne har ek hunar mein

meri tabnaki mera nur-e-kaamil tha shams-o-qamar mein
magar ek din phir achanak

ajab saneha ho gaya
aur jaise mera bakht hi so gaya

ikhtiyar-o-tafakhur ka wo silsila kho gaya
ab to bas main hun aur matam-e-arzu

zindagi kuchh nahin ma-siwa ha-o-hu
dam-ba-dam dam-ba-dam haarti justuju

ek aawaz aise mein aati hui
dil ki himmat dobara bandhati hui

kah rahi hai musalsal ki ye khwab hai
khauf hai wahm hai sehr hai

is ko hargiz haqiqat na jaan
aur main zindagi maut ke darmiyan

ta-ba-hadd-e-karan be-aman be-aman be-aman