sab raat meri sapnon mein guzar jati hai aur main sota hun
phir subh ki dewi aati hai
apne bistar se uthta hun munh dhota hun
laya tha kal jo double-roti
us mein se aadhi khai thi
baqi jo bachi wo mera aaj ka nashta hai
duniya ke rang anokhe hain
jo mere samne rahta hai us ke ghar mein ghar-wali hai
aur daen pahlu mein ek manzil ka hai makan wo khali hai
aur baen jaanib ek ayyash hai jis ke han ek dashta hai
aur in sab mein ek main bhi hun lekin bas tu hi nahin
hain aur to sab aaram mujhe ek gesuon ki khushbu hi nahin
farigh hota hun nashte se aur apne ghar se nikalta hun
daftar ki rah par chalta hun
raste mein shahr ki raunaq hai ek tanga hai do karen hain
bachche maktab ko jate hain aur tangon ki kya baat kahun
karen to chhichhalti bijli hain tangon ke tiron ko kaise sahun
ye mana in mein sharifon ke ghar ki dhan-daulat hai maya hai
kuchh shokh bhi hain masum bhi hain
lekin raste par paidal mujh se bad-qismat maghmum bhi hain
tangon par barq-e-tabassum hai
baaton ka mitha tarannum hai
uksata hai dhyan ye rah rah kar qudrat ke dil mein tarahhum hai
har chiz to hai maujud yahan ek tu hi nahin ek tu hi nahin
aur meri aankhon mein rone ki himmat hi nahin aansu hi nahin
jun tun rasta kat jata hai aur bandi-khana aata hai
chal kaam mein apne dil ko laga yun koi mujhe samjhata hai
main dhire dhire daftar mein apne dil ko le jata hun
nadan hai dil murakh bachcha ek aur tarah de jata hun
phir kaam ka dariya bahta hai aur hosh mujhe kab rahta hai
jab aadha din dhal jata hai to ghar se afsar aata hai
aur apne kamre mein mujh ko chaprasi se bulwata hai
yun kahta hai wun kahta hai lekin bekar hi rahta hai
main us ki aisi baaton se thak jata hun thak jata hun
pal-bhar ke liye apne kamre ko file lene aata hun
aur dil mein aag sulagti hai main bhi jo koi afsar hota
is shahr ki dhul aur galiyon se kuchh dur mera phir ghar hota
aur tu hoti
lekin main to ek munshi hun tu unche ghar ki rani hai
ye meri prem-kahani hai aur dharti se bhi purani hai