ek din hazrat-e-hafiz ne ye dekha manzar
tauq-e-zarrin se muzayyan hai hama gardan-e-khar

aur chhakde mein juta reng raha hai tazi
zakhm hi zakhm hai kode ka zi-sar ta-ba-kamar

the jau marhum bade sada-dil o nek-mizaj
in-che shorist kaha aur gire chakra kar

wo to is gham ko liye khuld-e-barin mein pahunche
kai sadiyon ka zamane ne lagaya chakkar

aaj hum par bhi magar jabr-e-nazara hai wahi
wahi nairang-e-tamasha wahi nairang-e-nazar

wo chara-gah-e-siyasat ho ki maidan-e-adab
tauq-e-zarrin hai wahi aur wahi gardan-e-khar

ikhtiyaraat ki kursi pe khran-e-farba
mutamakkin nazar aate hain ba-sad karr-o-farr

ek kursi pe kisi tarah uchak kar pahunche
aur phir dhad se khule kashf-o-karamat ke dar

phir to 'buqraat' aur 'arastu'-e-zamana hain wo
ilm o hikmat mein nahin phir koi un ka ham-sar

phir to sahra-e-jahaalat bhi hai dariya-e-ulum
phir to is be-hunari mein bhi hain sau sau jauhar

khwah do harf bhi talim na hasil ki ho
tauq-e-zarrin ke karishme se bane danish-war

koi jalsa ho wo mehman-e-khosusi honge
koi mauqa ho dhadalle se wo denge lecture

wo zamin ke hon masail ke khala ki baaten
misl-e-miqraaz zaban chalti rahegi far-far

aalim o fazil o danish-war o ahl-e-hikmat
sab nazar aaenge qadmon pe jhukae hue sar

tauq-e-zarrin ka jo is ko na karishma kahiye
natiqa sar-ba-gireban ki ise kya kahiye