ai dil-e-kafir ijz se munkir aaj tera sar kham kyun hai
teri hateli shiryanon mein ye bebas matam kyun hai

aankh to rona bhul gai thi phir har manzar nam kyun hai
mat roko bahne do aansu kisi ko karte hain parnam

aap jhuka hai jhukne do sar chhupa tha us mein koi salam
shayad us ke huzur mein ho tum jis ko kahte hain anjam

wo hasti ki sarhad-e-akhir hua jahan har safar tamam
bebas hai insan bebas hai takti rah gai roti sham

uth gaya koi bhari duniya se baqi rahe khuda ka nam
ya phir kaghaz par parchhain milega jis ko sabt-e-dawam

ye tukde insani dil ke shaer aur shaer ka kalam
naz karungi khush-bakhti mein main ne 'firaq' ko dekha tha

ujde ghar mein wo tahzibon ke sangam par baitha tha
garm ham-aghoshi sadiyon ki hogi kitni pyar bhari

jis ki banhon mein kheli thi us ki soch ki sundarta
sher ka dil shaffaf tha itna jaise aaina-e-tarikh

kya bhar pur visal tha jis ne us shaer ko janm diya
gar tarikh ne pagal ho kar khud apna sar phoda hai

khun uchhaala hai galiyon mein apna handola toda hai
chhint na thi daman par us ke kaun ghat dho baitha tha

jise samajhte ho na-mumkin wo us insan jaisa tha
insan bhi itna mamuli jaise apna ham-saya

apne sher sunana us ka aur khud hairan ho jaana
baaton mein masum mahak thi aankhon mein bechain lapak

khamoshi ke waqfe yun jaise us ne kuchh dekha tha
pid bahut jheli thi us ne itni baat to zahir thi

lahja mein shokhi thi jaise rakh mein chamke angara
sangam ke pani par main ne dekhi thi kaisi taswir

uda lahak kar ek jal-panchhi khinch gaya pani pe lakir
jamuna ki nili gahrai bhed bhari chup se bojhal

ganga ke dhaare ki jumbish ujli taqat aur be-kal
is pani mein aks dalta aasman ka ek tukda

mitti ke but hare nariyal chandan laga koi mukhda
wo dhaaron par naw kheta sukha panjar manjhi ka

dan ke paise ginta pandit tanba suraj sanjhi ka
jamuna par minar qila ke gumbad ka tirchha saya

paksitan se aae muhajir gende ki tuti mala
pani mein chappu ki shap shap baaton ke tute tukde

yahin kahin par hum se ojhal saraswati bhi bahti hai
jo samjhi jo aage samjhun chhalak raha hai dil ka jam

wo manzar jo khud se bada tha us ka ghera tumhaare nam
ye kamre ka mand ujala bahar huk papihe ki

khidki par bundon ki dastak sansen bharti khamoshi
puri baat nahin batlata gunge aansu ro dena

teri dharti sah na sakegi itne husn ko kho dena
tanha aur apahij budhe tujhe na marne denge log

abhi to jiwan banjh nahin hai phir tujh ko janmenge log