idhar se na jao
idhar rah mein ek budha khada hai

jo peshaniyon aur chehron
pe aisi bhabhut ek mal dega sab jhurriyan phat padengi

siyah, mar jaise, chamakte hue kale baalon
pe aisi sapidi umand aaegi kuchh tadaruk nahin jis ka koi

koi rasta aur dhundo
ki is pir-e-fartut ki tez nazron se bach kar

nikal jaen aur is ki zad mein na aaen kabhi hum
idhar se na jao

idhar main ne ek shakhs ko jate dekha hai aksar
jawanon ko jo rah mein rok leta hai un se

wahin baaten karta hai mil kar
jo suqraat karta tha yunan ke manchalon se

yaqinan use ek din zahr pina padega
idhar se na jao

idhar raushni hai
kahin aao chhup jaen jakar tamam aafaton se

mujhe ek tah-khana malum hai khushnuma sa
jo shahan-e-dehli ne banwaya tha is gharaz se

ki abdaliyon, nadiri fauj ki dastaras se
bachen aur baithe rahen sare hangamon ki zad se hat kar

ye dar-asl miras hai aap ki meri sab ki
salatin-e-dehli se pahle kisi aur ne is ki buniyaad rakkhi thi lekin

wo ab qabl-e-tarikh ki baat hai kaun jaane
idhar se na jao

idhar shah-nadir nahin aaj koi bhi lekin
wahi qatl-e-am aaj bhi ho raha hai

ye miras hai aap ki meri sab ki
ye saughat bairuni hakim hamein de gae hain

chalo samne ke andhere mein ghus kar
utar jaen tah-khane ki khamushi mein

ye sab khidkiyan band kar den
koi chikhne bain karne ki aawaz hum tak na aae

koi khun ki chhint daman pe aakar na baithe
kabhi tum ne ganja piya hai?

koi bhang ka shauq, koi jadi-buti khai
na koken afyun kuchh bhi

kabhi koi nashsha nahin tum ne chakkha
na aghlam-e-amrd-parasti se rishta raha hai

koi tajraba bhi nahin zindagi ka?
fasadat dekhe the taqsim ke waqt tum ne

hawa mein uchhalte hue danthalon ki tarah shir-khwaron ko dekha tha katte
aur pistan-burida jawan ladkiyan tum ne dekhi thin kya bain karte?

nahin ye to nashsha nahin tajraba bhi nahin aisa koi
ye ek saneha hai

faramosh-gari ka ehsan mano
ye sab kal ki baaten hain, bosida baaten

jinhen bhul jaana behtar
faramosh-gari bhi

ek neamat-e-be-baha hai
idhar se na jao

koi rah mein rok lega
naya koi khatra naya masala koi jis ko

na socha na samjha na ehsas hai jis ka ab tak
koi aisi surat nikalo

ye sab aafaten apna daman na pakden
koi aur rah-e-farar aisi dhundo

ki hum zindagi ke jahannam ko jannat samajh len!