pompiye dafn tha sadiyon se jahan
ek tahzib thi poshida wahan

shahr khoda to tawarikh ke tukde nikle
dheron pathrae hue waqt ke safhon ko ulat kar dekha

ek bhuli hui tahzib ke purze se bichhe the har-su
munjamid lawe mein akde hue insanon ke guchchhe the wahan

aag aur lawe se ghabra ke jo lipte hon ge
wahi matke, wahi handi, wahi tute piyale

hont tute hue, latki hui mitti ki zabanen har-su
bhuk us waqt bhi thi, pyas bhi thi, pet bhi tha

hukmaranon ke mahal, un ki fasilen, sikke
raij-ul-waqt jo hathiyar the aur un ke daste

bediyan pattharon ki, aahani, pairon ke kade
aur ghulamon ko jahan bandh ke rakhte the

wo pinjre bhi bahut se nikle
ek tahzib yahan dafn hai aur us ke qarib

ek tahzib rawan hai,
jo mere waqt ki hai

hukmaran bhi hain, mahal bhi hain, faslen bhi hain
jel-khane bhi hain aur gas ke chamber bhi hain

hiroshima pe kitaben bhi saja rakkhi hain
bediyan aahani hathkadiyan bhi steel ki hain

aur ghulamon ko bhi aazadi hai, bandha nahin jaata
meri tahzib ne ab kitni taraqqi ki hai