han dekha kal hum ne us ko dekhne ka jise arman tha
wo jo apne shahr se aage qarya-e-bagh-o-bahaaran tha

soch raha hun jang se pahle, jhulsi si is basti mein
kaisa kaisa ghar ka malik, kaisa kaisa mehman tha

sab galiyon mein taranjan the aur har taranjan mein sakhiyan thin
sab ke ji mein aane wali kal ka shauq-e-farawan tha

melon thelon bajon gajon baraaton ki dhumen thin
aaj koi dekhe to samjhe, ye to sada bayaban tha

chaaron jaanib thande chulhe, ujde ujde aangan hain
warna har ghar mein the kamre, har kamre mein saman tha

ujli aur pur-nur shabihen roz namaz ko aati thin
masjid ke in taqon mein bhi kya kya diya farozan tha

ujdi mandi, laghar kutte, tute khambe khali khet
kya is nahr ke pul ke aage aisa shahr-e-khamoshan tha

aaj ki ek roti ki khatir card dikhata phirta hai
pure kamp ko roti de de aisa aisa dahqan tha

tab nahin har ek se puchhen baba tujh par kya guzri
ek ko rok ke puchha hum ne, sina us ka baryan tha

bola log to aaen jaen basti ko phir basna hai
mere tinkon ki khatir aaya sara tufan tha

aag ke andar aur tapish hai, aag ke bahar aur hi aanch
shayad koi diwana hoga be-shak chaak-gireban tha