roz-o-shab ka waqfa karb-o-musarrat
sham kahte hain jise

kyunkar guzaren
qarz sanson ka utaren ya rukh-e-hasti

nikhaaren
kaun hai dil ke siwa us karb-e-raaz-e-pikaran

main apne sath
ab kise aawaz den kis ko pukaren

sham-bhar ki fursat-e-gham yun guzaren
dhul mein ate hue ek raste par ek

goshe ke khala mein kaenat aabaad hai ek
chae-khane ki jahan din dhalte aae din

hawa-e-sham mezon kursiyon ki daera
dar daera shakhon mein phaila ek shajar-e-gham

ka uga deti hai
jis ke sae mein bikhre hue patton ki surat

sare din ki sang-bari se shikasta
reza reza aaine bikhre hue milte hain

jin ke sare zakhmi aks apni ruh ke
apni ana ke aarzuon khwahishon

mahrumiyon aur hasraton ke ujde aalam hain
wahi hai rahguzar pathrili sanson ki wahi

bipta wahi hum hain
wahi hai zindagi

is tund-khu bezar budhe ki tarah
jo apne mathe par shikan dale khafa baitha hai sab se

aur sab mein
chae ke kadwe kasile ghunt pyalon mein undele

bantta hai
aur har pyale mein us ke mathe ki taza shikan ka aks hai

ye zindagi
har sham us budhe ki manind apna mela aks dohraati hai

aur ye zindagi
ek tez-pa maghrur motor-kar ki surat khas-o-khashak

ke baadal udati aur hamare chashm-o-sar mein jhonkti hai
hum chale aate hain phir bhi sham ke us dast mein jis ke

musafir har tarah ke log hain
kuchh log jo ek chae ki pyali se aane wale din ki

kaamrani ka
munawwar aks le jate hain jin ki guftugu hi besh-o-kam ke fikr se

aage nahin badhti