kal ek naqid-e-'ghaalib' ne mujh se ye puchha
ki qadr-e-'ghaalib'-e-marhum ka sabab kya hai
mujhe batao ki diwan-e-hazrat-e-'ghaalib'
kalam-e-pak hai injil hai ki gita hai
suna hai shahr-e-karachi mein ek sahab hain
kalam un ka bhi 'ghaalib' se milta julta hai
hamara dost tufaili bhi hai bada shaer
agarche ek bade aadmi ka chamcha hai
to phir ye ghaalib-e-marhum ki hi barsi kyun
mujhe batao ki un mein khususiyat kya hai
na 'zauq' ka hai kahin tazkira na 'momin' ka
na zikr-e-'mir' kahin hai na yaum-e-'sauda' hai
ye 'faiz' o 'mahir' o 'josh' o 'firaq' kuchh bhi kahen
meri nazar mein to 'ghaalib' se zauq uncha hai
mujhe to 'mir-taqi-mir' se hai ek lagaw
ki 'mir' kuchh bhi sahi shaeri to karta hai
ye rang lai hai 'ghaalib' ki party-bandi
ki aaj sare jahan mein usi ka charcha hai
ye rus wale jo 'ghaalib' pe jaan dete hain
mere khayal mein is mein bhi koi ghapla hai
kahan ke aise bade artist the 'ghaalib'
ye chand ahl-e-adab ka propaganda hai
ana ne mar diya warna shaer achchha tha
natija ye ki jo hona tha us ka aadha hai
likhi hai ek ghazal ki radif hone tak
koi batae ki kya ye bhi sahw-e-imla hai
kabhi hai mahw hasinon se dhaul-dhappa mein
kabhi kisi ka wo sote mein bosa leta hai
jo kah rahe hain ki 'ghaalib' hai falsafi shaer
mujhe bataen ki bose mein falsafa kya hai
jahan raqam ki tawaqqo hui qasida kaha
tumhin kaho ki ye mear-e-shaeri kya hai
sharab jam mein hai aur jam hathon mein
magar ye rind-e-bala-nosh phir bhi pyasa hai
jo shaeri ho tajammul-husain-khan ke liye
wo ek tarah ki khushamad hai shaeri kya hai
khitab o khilat o darbar ke liye us ne
na jaane kitne amiron pe jal dala hai
suna ye hai ki wo sufi bhi tha wali bhi tha
ab is ke baad to paighambari ka darja hai
kaha jo main ne ki padhiye to pahle 'ghaalib' ko
to bole khak padhun muddaa to anqa hai
mujhe khabar hai ki 'ghaalib' ki zindagi kya thi
ki main ne hazrat-e-ghaalib ka film dekha hai
suni jo main ne ye tanqid to samajh na saka
ki is gharib ko 'ghaalib' se dushmani kya hai
samajh gaya ki ye bakwas be-sabab to nahin
dimagh ka koi purza zarur dhila hai
badhi jo baat to phir main ne us ko samjhaya
adab mein hazrat-e-ghaalib ka martaba kya hai
bataya us ko ki wo zindagi ka hai shaer
bahut qarib se duniya ko us ne dekha hai
ajab tazad ki hamil hai us ki shakhsiyyat
ajib shakhs hai barbaad ho ke hansta hai
charagh-e-subh ki manind zindagi us ki
ek aasra hai ek arman hai ek tamanna hai
jo us ko rokna chaho to aur tez bahe
ajib mauj-e-rawan hai ajib dariya hai
chipak raha hai badan par lahu se pairahan
rafu ki us ko zarurat hai aur na parwa hai
wo likh raha hai hikayat-e-khun-chakan-e-junun
jabhi to us ke qalam se lahu tapakta hai
bas ek lafz ke parde mein dastan kahna
ye fikr-o-fan ki bulandi usi ka hissa hai
na kyun hon aaj wo mashhur puri duniya mein
ki us ki fikr ka mauzua puri duniya hai
pahunch gaya hai wo us manzil-e-tafakkur par
jahan dimagh bhi dil ki tarah dhadakta hai
kabhi to us ka koi sher-e-sada-o-rangin
rukh-e-bashar ki tarah kaifiyat badalta hai
ye hum ne mana ki kuchh khamiyan bhi thin us mein
wo khamiyan nahin rakhta ye kis ka dawa hai
wo aadmi tha khata aadmi ki hai fitrat
ye kyun kahen ki wo insan nahin farishta hai
jo chahte hain ki fauq-ul-bashar bana den use
hamein to us ke un ahbab se bhi shikwa hai
hazar logon ne chaha ki us ke sath chalen
magar wo pahle bhi tanha tha ab bhi tanha hai
kabhi wali kabhi waiz kabhi kharabaati
samajh sako to samajh lo wo ek moamma hai
agar ye sach hai ki alfaz ruh rakhte hain
to ye bhi sach hai wo alfaz ka masiha hai