jahan-zad niche gali mein tere dar ke aage
ye main sokhta-sar hasan-kuza-gar hun!
tujhe subh bazar mein budhe attar yusuf
ki dukkan par main ne dekha
to teri nigahon mein wo tabnaki
thi main jis ki hasrat mein nau sal diwana phirta raha hun
jahan-zad nau sal diwana phirta raha hun!
ye wo daur tha jis mein main ne
kabhi apne ranjur kuzon ki jaanib
palat kar na dekha
wo kuze mere dast-e-chabuk ke putle
gil-o-rang-o-roghan ki makhluq-e-be-jaan
wo sar-goshiyn mein ye kahte
hasan kuza-gar ab kahan hai?
wo hum se khud apne amal se
khuda-wand ban kar khudaon ke manind hai ru-e-gardan!
jahan-zad nau sal ka daur yun mujh pe guzra
ki jaise kisi shahr-e-madfun par waqt guzre
taghaaron mein mitti
kabhi jis ki khushbu se warafta hota tha main
sang-basta padi thi
surahi-o-mina-o-jam-o-subu aur fanus o gul-dan
meri hech-maya maishat ke izhaar-e-fan ke sahaare
shikasta pade the
main khud main hasan kuza-gar pa-ba-gil khak-bar-sar barhana
sar-e-chaak zholida-mu sar-ba-zanu
kisi gham-zada dewta ki tarah wahima ke
gil-o-la se khwabon ke sayyal kuze banata raha tha
jahan-zad nau sal pahle
tu nadan thi lekin tujhe ye khabar thi
ki main ne hasan kuza-gar ne
teri qaf ki si ufuq-tab aankhon
mein dekhi hai wo tabnaki
ki jis se mere jism o jaan abr o mahtab ka
rah-guzar ban gae the
jahan-zad baghdad ki khwab-gun raat
wo rud-e-dajla ka sahil
wo kashti wo mallah ki band aankhen
kisi khasta-jaan ranj-bar kuza-gar ke liye
ek hi raat wo kohrba thi
ki jis se abhi tak hai paiwast us ka wajud
us ki jaan us ka paikar
magar ek hi raat ka zauq dariya ki wo lahr nikla
hasan kuza-gar jis mein duba to ubhra nahin hai!
jahan-zad us daur mein roz har roz
wo sakhta-bakht aa kar
mujhe dekhti chaak par pa-ba-gil sar-ba-zanu
to shanon se mujh ko hilati
(wahi chaak jo sal-ha-sal jine ka tanha sahaara raha tha)
wo shanon se mujh ko hilati
hasan kuza-gar hosh mein aa
hasan apne viran ghar par nazar kar
ye bachchon ke tannur kyunkar bharenge
hasan ai mohabbat ke mare
mohabbat amiron ki bazi
hasan apne diwar-o-dar par nazar kar
mere kan mein ye nawa-e-hazin yun thi jaise
kisi dubte shakhs ko zer-e-girdab koi pukare!
wo ashkon ke ambar phulon ke ambar the han
magar main hasan kuza-gar shahr-e-auham ke un
kharabon ka majzub tha jin
mein koi sada koi jumbish
kisi murgh-e-parran ka saya
kisi zindagi ka nishan tak nahin tha!
jahan-zad mein aaj teri gali mein
yahan raat ki sard-gun tirgi mein
tere dar ke aage khada hun
sar-o-mu pareshan
dariche se wo qaf ki si tilismi nigahen
mujhe aaj phir jhankti hain
zamana, jahan-zad wo chaak hai jis pe mina-o-jam-o-subu
aur fanus-o-gul-dan
ke manind bante bigadte hain insan
main insan hun lekin
ye nau sal jo gham ke qalib mein guzre!
hasan kuza-gar aaj ek toda-e-khak hai jism
mein nam ka asar tak nahin hai
jahan-zad bazar mein subh attar-yusuf
ki dukkan par teri aankhen
phir ek bar kuchh kah gai hain
un aankhon ki tabinda shokhi
se utthi hai phir toda-e-khak mein nam ki halki si larzish
yahi shayad us khak ko gil bana de!
tamanna ki wusat ki kis ko khabar hai jahan-zad lekin
tu chahe to ban jaun main phir
wahi kuza-gar jis ke kuze
the har kakh-o-ku aur har shahr-o-qariya ki nazish
the jin se amir o gada ke masakin darakhshan
tamanna ki wusat ki kis ko khabar hai jahan-zad lekin
tu chahe to main phir palat jaun un apne mahjur kuzon ki jaanib
ghil-o-wala ke sukhe taghaaron ki jaanib
maishat ke izhaar-e-fan ke sahaaron ki jaanib
ki main is gil-o-la se is rang o roghan
se phir wo sharare nikalun ki jin se
dilon ke kharabe hon raushan!