na jaane kyun ye lag raha hai
jaise kho gaya hai kuchh

kabhi ye lag raha hai
jaise hum ne pa liya hai kuchh

wo kya hai jo ki kho gaya
wo kya tha jis ko pa liya

ye baat mushtamil hai
ek arsa-e-qaleel par

qalandar ek ru-numa
hua tha ek sabil par

wo pahle ilm-o-fan ki puri
pyas ko jagata tha

sawal puchhta tha aur
tishnagi bujhata tha

wo kahta tha ki khwab dekho
jagti in aankhon se

wo haarne ke qisse ko hi
padhta tha padhata tha

wo kahta tha ki jit ke ye waqiye
payam hi to dete hain

magar shikast jaane kitne
raston ke kuchh

alag alag nishan deti hai
samundaron ki god mein

wo khel kar jawan hua
aur apne ilm-o-fan se wo

jahan par hi chha gaya
har ek mulk jaane kab se

us ka muntazir raha
magar wo hind ka suput

hind mein raha kya
wo apne mulk ke tamam

bachchon se ye kahta tha
ki kala rang dagh

ho bhi sakta hai kasi jagah
magar ye rang fann-e-justujoo liye

charaghan hai kasi jagah
na jaane aise kitne formule

wo jahan ko hai de gaya
wo ilm ka naqib tha

wo jehl ki salib tha
wo fahm ka rafiq tha

wo mukhlis-o-shafeeq tha
wo infiradiyat ka ek jaana mana nam tha

wo injizabiyat ka ek khushnuma payam tha
magar wo shakhs aaj

hum ko chhod kar chala gaya
hai saneha ye mulk ke liye

bahut bada magar
ghalat na hoga ai 'shifa'

main baat ye kahun agar
ki main to gum hon bas

kisi ne is ek fikr mein
kise talash kar ke laun

ab main apne mulk se
jise na apne ohde aur rutbe ka ghurur ho

jise na apne ilm ka hunar ka kuchh surur ho
jo aae to khazana-e-ulum le ke aae aur

jo jae to muhabbat-e-awam le ke jae bas
bhatak raha hai zehn-o-dil

talash-e-na-guzir ko
aur aankh dhundhti hai bas

ek aise be-nazir ko