khamosh fazaon ka wo pur-kaif nazara
wo nur-e-sahar aur wo ganga ka kinara

lahron ki kashakash mein wo pani ki rawani
maujon ke talatum mein wo bahta hua dhaara

ek chadar-e-abi pe zamurrad ki thi jhaalar
yun sabze se pur-zeb tha dariya ka kinara

us waqt mein aa kar kisi mahwash ka nahana
wallah ki firdaus-e-nazar ka wo nazara

peshani pe tapka tha ki ek naqsh-e-dil-ara
ya husn ki qismat ka chamakta tha sitara

wo husn ki taswir wo khubi ka muraqqa
zahid bhi jo dekhe na rahe zabt ka yara

jo uzw tha wo husn ke sanche mein dhala tha
thi us pe wo sarmast jawani sitam-ara

wo husn ke dariya ki thi ek mahi-e-be-tab
chhinton se wafa ke jise khaliq ne nikhaara

uthte the qadam bar-e-nazar se ba-takalluf
go chashm-e-tamasha ko na tha did ka yara

aanchal ko sanbhaale hue andaz se aai
karne lagi aa kar lab-e-dariya ka nazara

har samt jo padti thin nigahen mutawahhish
dil pa gaya mera jo nazar ka tha ishaara

ye dekh ke main ho gaya sahil se zara dur
aur baith gaya bazu ka wan le ke sahaara

us mah ne har samt phir ek bar nazar ki
jab dekha ki sunsan hai dariya ka kinara

lete hue angdai kiya zulfon ko barham
aur naz se pani mein qadam us ne utara

uthti hui maujon mein talatum hua barpa
soi hui lahron ne bhi sar apna ubhaara

qadmon ko jamae hue aape ko sanbhaale
maujon se baham khel rahi thi wo dil-ara

pani mein tha us waqt wo rangini ka aalam
goya hai mai-e-nab ka bahta hua dhaara

kis tarah wo dariya se nahae hui nikli
aage nahin 'qaisar' lab-e-izhaar ko yara

bikhri hui zulfon se wo girte hue qatre
tute koi jis tarah sitare pe sitara

de saqi-e-mehwash ki nahin zabt ka yara
mahrumi-e-rindan tujhe kyunkar hai gawara

soe bhi ye mai-khwar to le le ke tera nam
chaunke jo kabhi khwab se tujh ko hi pukara

tujh ko teri be-tab nigahon ki qasam hai
meri hi tarah dekh le mujh ko bhi khudara

meri hi nigahon ne hasin tujh ko banaya
meri hi mohabbat ne tera husn nikhaara