na ye fana hai na ye baqa hai
miyan bud-o-adam ye kaisa tawil waqfa hai

jo nawishta hamari qismat ka ban gaya hai
kanar-e-dariya kabhi ye basti thi

lekin ab nesti-o-hasti ke darmiyan ek maqam-e-barzakh hai
aisa barzakh ki jis mein sadiyon se kakh-o-ku baam-o-dar musalsal

shikastagi khastagi kharabi mein khira-sar hain
hudud-e-hasti se hum nikal kar khandar bane the

magar khandar ban ke mit bhi jate
ki ye gham-e-zindagi ke rasiya

hamari hasti ko apni yaadon se mahw kar dete bhul jate
na ye ki hum ko tamasha-gah-e-jahan banate

hamare ibrat-kadon ko mahfuz kar ke rakhte
na ye ki aabaadiyon ki khatir

hamari barbaadiyon ko tarikhi yaadgaren banae rakhte
wo yaadgaren

jahan pe ye log zindagi ke ijara-dar aa saken to aaen
dinon ko rahon ki khak udain

wo bargahen jo arsh-paya thin adab-o-adab-e-khusrawi mein
wahan ye daraaz khisakte jaen

jahan bhi ji chahe apna nam aur sher likkhen
machaen ghaugha raqiq be-mani git gaen

magar na auqat-e-panj-gana mein
ek bhi waqt suni masjid mein jhank paen

kisi ki turbat pe fatiha ke liye na ye apne hath uthaen
dinon ko yunhi fasurda rahon ki khak udain

diye jale par gharon ko jaen
hamari viraniyon ko viran-tar bana kar chale hi jaen

yahan pe chha jae andhi andhiyariyon ka phir wo sukut-e-jamid
ki yaum-o-sipar hi jis ke ham-raaz-o-ham-nafas hain

na din ki wahshat mein kuchh kami thi
ki shab ki dahshat mein kuchh kasar ho

hamare din-raat ek se hain
hamare din-raat usi wajud-o-adam ke ek waqfa-e-musalsal mein

hasti-o-nisti ke barzakh mein pa-ba-gul hain
hamare din-raat isi dara-e-zaman waqfe se muttasil hain

magar hamein kab milegi is dam se rihai
hamein milega adam ki madum-o-be-nishan god ka sukun-e-abad khudaya

hamein azal aur abad ke chakkar se kab ata hogi rustagari
khuda-e-qayyum-o-hayye-o-qaem

janab bari