kahin ek shab jo apne bistar-e-rahat pe ja leta
raha hai chain thodi der aankhen lag gain aakhir

bala ka khwab-e-rahat mein mujhe manzar nazar aaya
qalam mein ye kahan taqat ki us ko kar sake zahir

nazar aaya mujhe maidan jis mein hu ka aalam tha
na apna ham-safar koi na apna koi ham-dam tha

darakhton ke nishan kuchh the magar sail-e-hawadis se
kuchh aise mit chale the ye samajhna sakht mushkil tha

ki ye the kaun se ashjar kaise phal ye late the
koi chashma rawan tha ya ki bahta tha koi dariya

kabhi ye apni sarsabzi ka aalam bhi dikhate the
ki aise hi hamesha khushk lakdi ke ye tode the

makanon ka ye aalam tha ki kohna aur shikasta the
kahin diwar baqi thi kahin us ka nishan baqi

chhaton ki munhadim surat ye kahti thi ki pukhta the
magar aisi tabahi thi ki chhat ka tha guman baqi

ilahi khair karna sakht uljhan thi kahan pahuncha
nazar aati kharabi hi kharabi thi jahan pahuncha

zara aage badha dekha registan sara tha
jahan main tha kuchh us se dur hi bijli si chamki thi

kuan jo tha wo bilkul khushk sukha sara dariya tha
hararat dhup mein aisi zamin sari dahakti thi

kahan abr-e-karam ek qahr ka khurshid-e-taban tha
hawa-e-tund thi ek samt lahraata bayaban tha

mujhe hairat thi itne mein nida ye ghaib se aai
ki o aawara-e-ghurbat bana kyon tu hai aaina

nahin is sarzamin mein se kya tujhe kuchh bhi shanasai
are ye wo zamin hai jis pe tha firdaus ka dhoka

yahi hai wo zamin ilm-o-amal ki jis ka charcha tha
yahin se ilm-e-din yunaniyon ne aa ke sikha tha

yakayak us pe phaili wo hawa bughz-o-adawat ki
ki bhai ko hui bhai se behad dushmani paida

na apnon mein rahi ulfat na yaron mein shanasai
khudi ki aag ne har fard mein ki khud-sari paida

jala kar jis ne dekho un ko aakhir khak kar dala
mita kar un ko misl-e-khas jahan ko pak la