main munafiq hun har ek ka dost ban jata hun main
dost ban kar doston mein phut dalwata hun main

intiha ki chid hai mujh ko do dilon ke qurb se
dekhta hun jab ye fauran jal phailata hun main

main burai ram ki karta hun ja kar sham se
sham ne jo kuchh kaha wo ram tak lata hun main

pith pichhe sab ko deta hun mughallaz galiyan
samne lekin adab se sar ke bal jata hun main

halqa-e-ahl-e-sukhan mein jo meri tauqir hai
chhin na jae har nae shair se ghabraata hun main

mujh ko apni shaeri par kis tarah ho e'timad
khud to kam kahta hun auron se kahalwata hun main

dad dene ke liye rakhta hun kuchh ahbab sath
sher un ke waste bhi mang kar lata hun main

bazm mein padhta hun main nathune phula kar chikh kar
aur is se peshtar taqrir farmata hun main

ye samajhta hun ki koi sher khud kahta nahin
ye khabar har ek ke bare mein phailata hun main

aur koi sher kah leta hai achchha bhi agar
kal ka launda kah ke khatir mein nahin lata hun main

khud to na-mauzun bhi kah leta hun mauzun bhi magar
dusre ke sher par tanqid farmata hun main

shaeri se wasta mujh ko na urdu se gharaz
sirf shohrat ke liye un se ulajh jata hun main

kuchh buzurgon se mujhe bhi qurb hasil tha kabhi
nam ho un se mera yun un ke gun gata hun main

zikr karta hun purani sohbaton ka bar bar
aur daur-e-haal ko mazi se thukraata hun main

bawajud is ke agar hoti nahin shohrat nasib
galiyan deta hun sab ko baukhla jata hun main

jis se main waqif hun wo shohrat mein aage badh gaya
dekh kar us ko bahut kudhta hun bal khata hun main

jaanta hi kaun tha mashhur main ne kar diya
bas yahi kah kah ke apne dil ko samajhta hun main

ilm-o-fan ki chand baaten jo mujhe malum hain
dad pane ke liye har bar dohraata hun main

dad deni ho to yun deta hun ek ek lafz par
lafz pura bhi nahin hota phadak jata hun main

kuchh na the ashaar munh dekhe ki di thi main ne dad
waqt-e-ghibat dad ki tardid farmata hun main

jab kisi bazm-e-sukhan mein sher padhta hai koi
ek taraf baitha hua tashih farmata hun main

sath walon par yun karta hun fazilat aashkar
ho na ho har sher mein kuchh aib ginwata hun main

ya kabhi phir dad deta hun ba-awaz-e-duhal
sath walon ki taraf phir aankh michkata hun main

samne jab tak rahun main hun ghulamon ka ghulam
aasman se warna tare tod kar lata hun main

jo nahin late hain khatir mein khushamad ko meri
wo jhidak dete hain mujh ko un se ghabraata hun main

ya samajh jate hain jo in mere hathkandon ka raaz
samne aate hue un ke bhi katraata hun main

kamtari ka hai 'shifa' ehsas in sab ka sabab
dushmani auron ke dil mein to nahin pata hun main