baitha tha ek roz main aangan ki dhup mein
aalam tamam halqa-e-dam-e-khayal tha

sargoshiyon mein waqt sunata tha bar bar
qisse qadim qaisar-o-kisra ki shan ke

karta tha warq warq har ek dastan ke
main ne kaha ki ham-dam-o-ham-raaz-o-dida-war

ma-qissa-e-sikandar-o-dara na khwanda-aim
kuchh zikr ho saba ka gulon ka shabab ka

saghar ka mai-kade ka surahi ka nab ka
kuchh baat ho bahaar ki baran ki dhup ki

khushbu ki chandni ki fazaon ki rup ki
ho jae kuchh mushahida-e-haq ki guftugu

kuchh bhulne ki phir use pane ki justuju
kuchh puchh mujh se babat-e-afkar-e-dojahan

ahwal-o-ikhteyar-o-shikayat-e-dostan
jo ji mein aae puchh

magar itna yaad rakh
az ma ba-juz hikayat-e-mehr-o-wafa mapurs

bola ki tu rahin-e-sitam-ha-e-rozgar
kya jaanta hai babat-e-imkan-e-zindagi

jita hai zindagi se pasheman-e-zindagi
kuchh apne dil ka haal bhi malum hai tujhe

ye wahshaten ye dard ye tanhaiyon ka bojh
ye hijraten ye karb ye bezariyon ka rog

ye hasraten ye ranj ye afsurdagi ye sog
sina hai dagh dagh jigar lakht lakht hai

tu khud kahan hai aur kahan tera bakht hai
qulzum ko ek qatre ki khatir baha diya

jo waqt ne diya tujhe sab kuchh ganwa diya
ek bar mud ke dekh ki kya tera kho gaya

jaga tera nasib to tu khud hi so gaya
ab hijr na visal na sauda na sud hai

lamhe se bhi qalil ye tera wajud hai
baqi bacha hai aur kya tere hisab mein

“nai hath bag par hai na pa hai rikab mein