main aksar dekhne jata tha us ko jis ki man marti
aur apne dil mein kahta tha ye kaisa shakhs? hai ab bhi

jiye jata hai aakhir kaun us ke ghar mein hai jis ke
liye ye sakhtiyan sahta hai taklifen uthata hai

thakan din ki samete shab ko ghar jaane pe kaun us ke
liye dahliz par baitha dua ki mishalen dil mein

jalae dida-e-be-khwab ki har rah darwaze
ki darzon se nikalega khuda ki mehrbani ek

haqiqat hi sahi kuchh qahr-aluda bhi hai jo us
ki na-farmaiyon karte hain un ke waste us ne

dahakti aag bhi tayyar rakkhi hai dil-e-kafir
mein us ki mehrbani aur rahmat ka tasawwur bhi

jab aaya mamta ke lafz ki surat mein aaya hai
meri viran aankhon ne phir aisa waqt bhi dekha

ki suraj jal raha tha raushni manzar se ghaeb thi
khuda zinda tha lekin us ki rahmat sar se ghaeb thi

unhi aankhon mein mere khairiyat se laut aane par
na tha ashk-e-masarrat bhi ki meri rah takna jin

ki binai ka masraf tha wo lab do chaar din pahle
mere mathe pe ho kar sabt jo kahte the tum jao

tumhaari naukri ki baat hai bete! main achchhi hun
mujhe ab jaan ka khatra nahin hai aur agar kuchh ho

gaya to hum tumhein fauran bula lenge chale jao
(agar mar jaun main to sabr kar lena khuda-hafiz)

magar ye baat 'qasir' in labon se kab suni main ne
ise malum tha shayad ki maen mar nahin saktin

dil-e-aulad mein ek yaad ban kar zinda rahti hain
bulaya to gaya mujh ko magar wo lab? kahan wo lab?

mere faqa-zada bachpan ko nindon se gureazan, pa
ke jo pariyon ke afsane sunate the to main khwabon

mein khud ko un ke dastar-khwanon par maujud pata tha
sakat baqi nahin hai un labon mein aaj itni bhi

ki meri khatir ek harf-e-dua ka bojh utha lete
mujhe jo dekhne aate hain kahte hain main zinda hun

main khata hun ki ye bhi zindagi ki ek zarurat hai
magar har zaiqe mein ek talkhi ka izafa hai

kisi diwar ka saya ho ya ho ped ki chhanw
mera jism-e-barhana chhedti rahti hain kirnen ab

hua wo hath ghaeb jo ki meri zat par hote
hue har war ko badh badh ke khud par rok leta tha

dua ko hath uthata hun duaen us ki khatir hain
main goya hun ki meri sab sadaen us ki khatir hain

mohabbat us ki khatir hai wafaen us ki khatir hain
ki meri ibtidaen, intihaen us ki khatir hain