guzar raha tha lakhnau ki ek shahrah se
nazar ulajh ke rah gai nigah-e-mehr-o-mah se

gulab ke libas mein pari utar ke aa gai
hayat ban ke aai thi hayat ban ke chha gai

faza mein irtiash tha dilon ke is gudaz se
ki jaise pi raha tha main nigah-e-nim-baz se

un ahmarin labon pe ek raqs-e-na-tamam tha
sukut sa sukut tha kalam sa kalam tha

main us ki is ada se khud hijab kha ke rah gaya
wo muskura ke rah gai main sar jhuka ke rah gaya

badhi wo sae ki tarah rawan-dawan rawan-dawan
main us ke pichhe ho liya misal-e-gard-e-karwan

main chahta tha haal-e-dil suna ke us ko chum lun
pakad ke donon hathon ko faza mein jhum jhum lun

zaban-e-dil se phir kahun tumhin meri bahaar ho
sukun-e-qalb-e-zar ho surur-e-sad-khumar ho

dilon ki dhadkanon mein ek ajib iztirab tha
qadam bahak rahe the aur samne shabab tha

main us se ye na kah saka ki tum meri hayat ho
tilism hi faqat nahin tamam kaenat ho

hasin-o-mah-jabin wo ek gul ke pas ruk gai
nazar mila ke hans padi gulon ki shakh jhuk gai

ba-sad-ada chali gai hasin mahal mein wo pari
main dil pakad ke rah gaya ba-in khayal-e-dilbari