ye sham sham-e-awadh nahin hai jise tumhaari siyah zulfen chhupa sakengi
ye subh subh-e-tarab nahin hai

ye ek dhundlaka hai ek kohra
ubharte suraj ki garm kirnon ke khwab sayyal ho gae hain

zamin apni ragon ki garmi luta chuki hai
hayat aansu baha rahi hai

har ek barg-o-samar pe moti jhalak rahe hain
tum apne aanchal pe bazm-e-parwin saja chuki ho

tum apne anfas ke jilau mein hazaron ghunche khila chuki ho
khiram-e-nazuk ki sahiri se zamin ko jannat bana chuki ho

tum ek tabassum se kitni shamen jala chuki ho
magar ye sham-e-awadh nahin hai

ki shama ab tak jali nahin hai
ye subh subh-e-tarab nahin hai

ki shama ab tak bujhi nahin hai
ye waqt ka ek ajib lamha hai jis ki sharyanon mein khun jamne laga hai

ye ek afsun-e-dilbari hai
na subh-e-waslat na sham-e-hijran

na bu-e-yusuf na chaak daman
tumhaare aanchal ki bazm-e-parwin ujad chuki hai

tumhaari mauj-e-yaqin se kitne gulon ke chehre utar gae hain
tumhaare qadmon ki aahaton ne chaman ko viran bana diya hai