tera nanha sa qasid jo tere khat le kar aata tha
na tha malum use kis tarah ke paigham lata tha

samajh sakta na tha wo khat mein kaise raaz pinhan hain
huruf-e-sada mein kis hashr ke andaz pinhan hain

use kya ilm in rangin lifafon mein chhupa kya hai
kisi mahwash ka in ke bhejne se muddaa kya hai

magar mujh ko khayal aata tha akasr us zamane mein
ki us ki hairat-e-tifli hai kyun gum us fasane mein

wo bain kam-sini kya ye na dil mein sochta hoga
ki baji ne hamari apne khat mein kya likha hoga

aur aakhir wo usi ko nama likh kar bhejti kyun hain
kabhi bheja to bheja lekin akasr bhejti kyun hain

wo pahle se ziyaada bhai ko kyun pyar karti hain
lifafa de ke lutf-e-khas ka izhaar karti hain

phir aaise ajnabi par us ki baji mehrban kyun hain
agar hain bhi to ghar walon se ye baaten nihan kyun hain

aur us ke shubhe ki is se bhi to taid hoti hai
chhupa kar khat ko le jaane ki kyun takid hoti hai?

ye nau-khez ajnabi jaane kahan se akasr aata hai
jab aata hai to baji ki tarah khat likh ke lata hai

azizon ki tarah ye kyun makan mein aa nahin sakta
jab us se puchhta hai wo use samjha nahin sakta

khilaune de kar us ko muskura deta hai wo akasr
aur ek halka sa thappad bhi laga deta hai wo akasr

tere qasid ke ye afkar dil ko gudgudate the
aur apne bholpan se mere jazbon ko hansate the

nahin mauquf inhi ayyam par jab bhi khayal aaya
tasawwur tere baad us ka bhi naqsha samne laya

magar aaj is tarah dekha hai wo naqsh-e-hasin main ne
ki rakh di khak-e-hairat par mohabbat ki jabin main ne

wahi nanha sa qasid naujawan ho kar mila mujh ko
zamane ke taghayyur ne pareshan kar diya mujh ko

junun-e-ibtida-e-ishq ne karwat si li dil mein
pas-az muddat ye le ke aa gai phir apne muhmal mein

tere qasid se milte waqt mujh ko sharm aati thi
magar us ki nigahon mein shararat muskuraati thi

shararat ka ye nazzara meri hairat ka saman tha
ki is parda ke andar tera raaz-e-ishq uryan tha