jahan-zad
wo halab ki karwan-saraa ka hauz, raat wo sukut

jis mein ek dusre se ham-kinar tairte rahe
muhit jis tarah ho daere ke gird halqa-zan

tamam raat tairte rahe the hum
hum ek dusre ke jism o jaan se lag ke

tairte rahe the ek shad-kaam khauf se
ki jaise pani aansuon mein tairta rahe

hum ek dusre se mutmain zawal-e-umr ke khilaf
tairte rahe

tu kah uthi 'hasan yahan bhi khinch lai
jaan ki tishnagi tujhe!'

(lo apni jaan ki tishnagi ko yaad kar raha tha main
ki mera halq aansuon ki be-baha sakhawaton

se shad-kaam ho gaya!)
magar ye wahm dil mein tairne laga ki ho na ho

mera badan kahin halab ke hauz hi mein rah gaya
nahin, mujhe dui ka wahima nahin

ki ab bhi rabt-e-jism-o-jaan ka e'tibar hai mujhe
yahi wo e'tibar tha

ki jis ne mujh ko aap mein samo diya
main sab se pahle 'ap' hun

agar hamin hon tu ho aur main hun phir bhi main
har ek shai se pahle aap hon!

agar main zinda hun to kaise aap se dagha karun?
ki tere jaisi aurten, jahan-zad,

aisi uljhanen hain
jin ko aaj tak koi nahin 'sulajh' saka

jo main kahun ke main 'sulajh' saka to sar-ba-sar
fareb apne aap se!

ki auraton ki sakht hai wo tanz apne-ap par
jawab jis ka hum nahin

(labib kaun hai? tamam raat jis ka zikr
tere lab pe tha

wo kaun tere gesuon ko khinchta raha
labon ko nochta raha

jo main kabhi na kar saka
nahin ye sach hai main hun ya labib ho

raqib ho to kis liye teri khud-agahi ki be-riya nashat-e-nab ka
jo sad-nawa o yak-nawa khiram-e-subh ki tarah

labib har nawa-e-saz-gar ki nafi sahi!)
magar hamara rabta visal-e-ab-o-gil nahin, na tha kabhi

wajud-e-admi se aab-o-gil sada barun rahe
na har visal-e-ab-o-gil se koi jam ya subu hi ban saka

jo in ka ek wahima hi ban sake to ban sake!
jahan-zad

ek tu aur ek wo aur ek main
ye tin zawiye kisi musallas-e-qadim ke

hamesha ghumte rahe
ki jaise mera chaak ghumta raha

magar na apne-ap ka koi suragh pa sake
musallas-e-qadim ko main tod, dun jo tu kahe, magar nahin

jo sehr mujh pe chaak ka wahi hai is musallas-e-qadim ka
nigahen mere chaak ki jo mujh ko dekhti hain

ghumte hue
subu-o-jam par tera badan tera hi rang teri nazuki

baras padi
wo kimiya-gari tere jamal ki baras padi

main sail-e-nur-e-andrun se dhul gaya!
mere daron ki khalq yun gali gali nikal padi

ki jaise subh ki azan sunai di!
tamam kuze bante bante 'tu' hi ban ke rah gae

nashat is visal-e-rah-guzar ki na-gahan mujhe nigal gai
yahi pyala-o-surahi-o-subu ka marhala hai wo

ki jab khamir-e-ab-o-gil se wo juda hue
to un ko samt-e-rah-e-nau ki kaamraniyan milen

main ek gharib kuza-gar
ye intiha-e-marifat

ye har pyala-o-surahi-o-subu ki intiha-e-marifat
mujhe ho is ki kya khabar?

jahan-zad
intizar aaj bhi mujhe hai kyun wahi magar

jo nau baras ke daur-e-na-saza mein tha?
ab intizar aansuon ke dajla ka

na gumrahi ki raat ka
shab-e-gunah ki lazzaton ka itna zikr kar chuka

wo khud gunah ban gain!
halab ki karwan-sara ke hauz ka, na maut ka

na apni is shikast-khurda zat ka
ek intizar-e-be-aman ka tar hai bandha hua!

kabhi jo chand saniye zaman-e-be-zaman mein aa ke ruk gae
to waqt ka ye bar mere sar se bhi utar gaya

tamam rafta o guzishta surton, tamam hadson
ke sust qafile

mere darun mein jag uthe
mere darun mein ek jahan-e-baz-yafta ki rel-pel jag uthi

bahisht jaise jag uthe khuda ke la-shuur mein!
main jag utha ghunudgi ki ret par pada hua

ghunudgi ki ret par pade hue wo kuze jo
mere wajud se barun

tamam reza reza ho ke rah gae the
mere apne-ap se firaq mein

wo phir se ek kul bane (kisi nawa-e-saz-gar ki tarah)
wo phir se ek raqs-e-be-zaman bane

wo ruyat-e-azal bane!