wo ek tarz-e-sukhan ki khushbu wo ek mahka hua takallum labon se jaise gulon ki barish ki jaise jharna sa gir raha ho ki jaise khushbu bikhar rahi ho ki jaise resham ulajh raha ho ajab balaghat thi guftugu mein rawan tha dariya fasahaton ka wo ek maktab tha aagahi ka wo ilm-o-danish ka mai-kada tha wo qalb aur zehn ka tasadum jo guftugu mein rawan-dawan tha wo us ke alfaz ki rawani wo us ka ruk ruk ke baat karna wo shoala-e-lafz aur maani kahin lapakna kahin thaharna thahar ke phir wo kalam karna bahut se jazbon ki parda-dari bahut se jazbon ko aam karna jo main ne puchha guzishta shab ke mushaere mein bahut se shaidai muntazir the mujhe bhi ye hi pata chala tha ki aap tashrif la rahe hain magar hua kya zara tawaqquf ke baad bole nahin gaya main na ja saka main suno hua kya main khud ko mail hi kar na paya ye meri haalat meri tabiat phir us pe meri ye bad-mizaji-o-bad-hawasi ye wahshat-e-dil miyan haqiqat hai ye bhi sun lo ki ab hamare mushaere bhi nahin hain un wahshaton ke hamil jo meri taqdir ban chuki hain jo meri taswir ban chuki hain jo meri taqsir ban chuki hain phir ek tawaqquf ki jis tawaqquf ki kaifiyat par garan samaat guzar rahi thi us ek saat ka hath thame ye ek wazahat guzar rahi thi adab-faroshon ne jahilon ne mushaere ko bhi ek tamasha bana diya hai ghazal ki taqdis lut li hai adab ko mujra bana diya hai sukhan-waron ne bhi jaane kya kya hamare hisse mein rakh diya hai sitam to ye hai ki chikh ko bhi sukhan ke zumre mein rakh diya hai ilahi tauba samaaton mein kharashen aane lagi hain ab aur shigaf zehnon mein pad gae hain miyan hamare qadam to kab ke zamin mein khiffat se gad gae hain khamoshiyon ke dabiz kohre se chand lamhon ka phir guzarna wo jaise khud ko udasiyon ke samundaron mein talash karna wo jaise phir surmai ufuq par sitare alfaz ke ubharna ye zindagi se jo be-niyazi hai kis liye hai ye roz-o-shab ki jo bad-hawasi hai kis liye hai bas itna samjho ki khud ko barbaad kar chuka hun sukhan to aabaad khair kya ho magar jahan dil dhadak rahe hon wo shahr aabaad kar chuka hun bacha hi kya hai tha jis ke aane ka khauf mujh ko wo ek saat guzar chuki hai wo ek safha ki jis pe likkha tha zindagi ko wo kho chuka hai kitab-e-hasti bikhar chuki hai padha tha main ne bhi zindagi ko magar tasalsul nahin tha us mein idhar-udhar se yahan wahan se ajab kahani gadhi gai thi samajh mein aai na is liye bhi ke darmiyan se padhi gai thi samajhta kaise na falsafi main na koi aalim uqubaton ke safar pe nikla main ek sitara hun aagahi ka ajal ke hathon mein hath dale ek istiara hun zindagi ka itab nazil hua hai jis par main wo hi matub aadmi hun sitamgaron ko talab hai jis ki main wo hi matlub aadmi hun kabhi mohabbat ne ye kaha tha main ek mahbub aadmi hun magar wo zarb-e-jafa padi hai ki ek mazrub aadmi hun main ek bekal sa aadmi hun bahut hi bojhal sa aadmi hun samajh rahi hai ye duniya mujh ko main ek pagal sa aadmi hun magar ye pagal ye nim-wahshi khirad ke maron se mukhtalif hai jo kahna chaha tha kah na paya kaha gaya jo use ye duniya samajh na pai na baat ab tak kahi gai hai na baat ab tak suni gai hai sharab-o-sher-o-shuur ka jo ek talluq hai us ke bare mein rae kya hai suna hai hum ne ki aap par bhi bahut se fatwe lage hain lekin sharab-noshi haram hai to ye masala bhi bada ajab hai main ek mai-kash hun ye to sach hai magar ye mai-kash kabhi kisi ke lahu se sairab kab hua hai hamesha aansu piye hain us ne hamesha apna lahu piya hai ye bahs chhodo haram kya hai halal kya hai azab kya hai sawab kya hai sharab kya hai aziyyaton se najat hai ye hayat hai ye sharab-o-shab aur shairi ne bada sahaara diya hai mujh ko sambhaal rakkha sharab ne aur rahi hai mohsin ye raat meri isi ne mujh ko diye dilase suni hai is ne hi baat meri hamesha mere hi sath jagi hamesha mere hi sath soi main khush hua to ye muskurai main ro diya to ye sath roi ye sher-goi hai khud-kalami ka ek zariya isi zariye isi wasile se main ne khud se wo baaten ki hain jo dusron se main kah na paya haram kya hai halal kya hai ye sab tamashe hain muftiyon ke ye sare fitne hain maulwi ke haram kar di thi khud-kushi bhi ki apni marzi se mar na pae ye mai-kashi bhi haram thahri ki hum ko apna lahu bhi pine ka haq nahin hai ki apni marzi se hum ko jine ka haq nahin hai kise bataen zamir-o-zarf-e-bashar pe mauquf hain masail samundaron mein undel jitni sharab chahe na harf pani pe aaega aur na us ki taqdis khatm hogi to mai-kashi ko haram kahne se pahle dekho ki pine wale ka zarf kya hai hain kis ke hathon mein jam-o-mina ye nukta-sanji ye nukta-dani jo maulwi ki samajh mein aati to baat banti na din-o-mazhab ko jis ne samjha na jis ne samjha hai zindagi ko tahura pine ki baat kar ke haram kahta hai mai-kashi ko jo din-o-mazhab ka zikr aaya to main ne puchha ki is hawale se rae kya hai ye khud-parasti khuda-parasti ke darmiyan ka jo fasla hai jo ek khala hai ye kya bala hai ye din-o-mazhab faqat kitaben ba-juz kitabon ke aur kya hai kitaben aisi jinhen samajhne ki koshishen kam hain aur ziyaada padha gaya hai kitaben aisi ki aam insan ko in ke padhne ka haq hai lekin inhen samajhne ka haq na hargiz diya gaya hai ki in kitabon pe din-o-mazhab ke thekedar ijara-daron ki dastaras hai isi liye to ye din-o-mazhab fasad-o-fitna bane hue hain ye din-o-mazhab jo ilm-o-hikmat ke sath ho to sukun hoga jo dastaras mein ho jahilon ki junun hoga ye ishq kya hai ye husn kya hai ye zindagi ka jawaz kya hai ye tum ho ji ji ke mar rahe ho ye main hun mar mar ke ji raha hun ye raaz kya hai hai kya haqiqat majaz kya hai siwae khwabon ke kuchh nahin hai ba-juz sarabon ke kuchh nahin hai ye ek safar hai tabahiyon ka udasiyon ki ye rahguzar hai na is ko duniya ka ilm koi na is ko apni koi khabar hai kabhi kahin par nazar na aae kabhi har ek shai mein jalwa-gar hai kabhi ziyan hai kabhi zarar hai na khauf is ko na kuchh khatar hai kabhi khuda hai kabhi bashar hai hua haqiqat se aashna to ye su-e-dar-o-rasan gaya hai kabhi hansa hai ye zer-e-khanjar kabhi ye suli pe hans diya hai kabhi ye gulnar ho gaya hai sinan pe guftar ho gaya hai kabhi hua hai ye gharq-e-dariya kabhi ye taqdir-e-dasht-o-sahra raqam hua hai ye aansoon mein kabhi lahu ne hai is ko likkha hikayat-e-dil hikayat-e-jaan hikayat-e-zindagi yahi hai agar saliqe se likkhi jae ibarat-e-zindagi yahi hai ye husn hai us dhanak ki surat ki jis ke rangon ka falsafa hi kabhi kisi par nahin khula hai ye falsafa jo fareb-e-paiham ka silsila hai ki is ke rangon mein ek ishaara hai be-rukhi ka ek istiara hai zindagi ka kabhi alamat hai shokhiyon ki kabhi kinaya hai sadgi ka badalte mausam ki kaifiyat ke hain rang pinhan isi dhanak mein kashish shararat-o-jazbiyyat ke shokh rangon ne is dhanak ko ajib paikar ata kiya hai ek aisa manzar ata kiya hai ki jis ke sehr-o-asar mein aa kar lahu bahut aankhen ro chuki hain bahut to binai kho chuki hain basarten kya basiraten bhi to aql-o-danai kho chuki hain na jaane kitne hi rang makhfi hain is dhanak mein bas ek rang-e-wafa nahin hain is ek rangat ki aarzu ne lahu rulaya hai aadmi ko yahi bataya hai aagahi ko ye ek chhalawa hai zindagi ka hasin dhoka hai zindagi ka magar muqaddar hai aadmi ka fareb-e-gandum samajh mein aaya to main ne jaana ye ishq kya hai ye husn kya hai ye ek laghzish hai jis ke dam se hayat-e-nau ka bharam khula hai