gumbad-e-hayat ek ustur

bahut din hue
dewtaon ki ek mahfil-e-rang-o-masti mein
jab sarmadi zamzama sa utha
kaif mein nilgun sa piyala


ki jis mein mai-e-arghawani undeli gai thi
kisi dast-e-qudrat se chhuta
ulat kar zamin par gira
aur


ye aasman ban gaya
ek be-ant gumbad
ki jis mein
kai mehr-o-mirrikh-o-mahtab tanke gae


kahkashaen banai gain
phir usi kasa-e-dahr se
baadalon ki nami
khak mein bhi numu-gir hone lagi


zindagi apne khalyat mein kasmasate hue
khak-zadon ke paikar mein dhalne lagi
is zamin ke jazire pe
ye khak-zade the


jo dekhte dekhte
shah-zade hue
chand hi roz mein
kar-gah-e-jahan


un ki thokar mein aane lagi
mo'tadil zindagi ku-e-ifraat ki samt jaane lagi
ek tawazun jo pahle tha
be-rabt hota gaya


gadiyon enginon kar-khanon ki aaludgi se dahakte hue
garm sahra mein
kasrat ki khwahish kahan le chali
kya hawas hai ki nadan qabu mein aati nahin


dil qana'at ke raste pe rukta nahin
ek lashkar-kashi hai yahan
har taraf phailta ja raha hai dhuan
ab koi dam mein bas


zahr-alud baadal barasne ko hain
is kharabe mein
har samt ek baad-e-masmum chalne ko hai
dewta apne ma'bad mein mahsur


mabhut hain
aur idhar
ibn-e-adam ka agla qadam
aasman ki 'umudi jihat tod dene ko tayyar hai


dekhna ab ye hai
zindagi apne gumbad se nikli to aakhir kahan jaegi
is ghubare se bahar
ye rah paegi