rukhsat ai dilli teri mahfil se ab jata hun main
nauhagar jata hun main nala-ba-lab jata hun main

yaad aaenge mujhe tere zamin-o-asman
rah chuke hain meri jaulan-gah tere bostan

tera dil dhadka chuke hain mere ehsasat bhi
tere aiwanon mein gunje hain mere naghmat bhi

rashk-e-shiraaz-kuhan hindostan ki aabru
sar-zamin-e-husn-o-mausiqi bahisht-e-rang-o-bu

mabad-e-husn-o-mohabbat bargah-e-soz-o-saz
tere but-khane hasin tere kalisa dil-nawaz

zikr yusuf ka to kya kije teri sarkar mein
khud zulekha aa ke bikti hai tere bazar mein

jannaten aabaad hain tere dar-o-diwar mein
aur tu aabaad khud shair ke qalb-e-ar mein

mahfil-e-saqi salamat bazm-e-anjum barqarar
nazninan-e-haram par rahmat-e-parwardigar

yaad aaegi mujhe be-tarah yaad aaegi tu
ain waqt-e-mai-kashi aankhon mein phir jaegi tu

kya kahun kis shauq se aaya tha teri bazm mein
chhod kar khuld-e-ali-gadh ki hazaron mahfilen

kitne rangin ahd-o-paiman tod kar aaya tha main
dil nawazan-e-chaman ka chhod kar aaya tha main

ek nasheman main ne chhoda ek nasheman chhut gaya
saz bas chheda hi tha main ne ki gulshan chhut gaya

dil mein soz-e-gham ki ek duniya liye jata hun main
aah tere mai-kade se be-piye jata hun main

jate jate lekin ek paiman kiye jata hun main
apne azm-e-sarfaroshi ki qasam khata hun main

phir teri bazm-e-hasin mein laut kar aaunga main
aaunga main aur ba-andaz-e-digar aaunga main

aah wo chakkar diye hain gardish-e-ayyam ne
khol kar rakh di hain aankhen talkhi-e-alam ne

fitrat-e-dil dushman-e-naghma hui jati hai ab
zindagi ek barq ek shoala hui jati hai ab

sar se pa tak ek khunin rag ban kar aaunga
lala-zar-e-rang-o-bu mein aag ban kar aaunga