nibu pahadi ke daman mein
ek ganw hai

'madraban'
jahan mein paida hua tha

(mera nam mohamad-faruq hai)
meri man seb ki tarah surkh aur mithi thi

gulab ki tarah komal aur moattar
wo khushbu ka aakar thi

lagi lipti chhal-kapat jhut
ye lafz us ne sune to the

aazmae nahin the
dohrae nahin the

radio se nizar-qabani ka qasida-e-mutawahashshiya nashr hota hai
ya koi mughanni kalidas ka ritu-samhaar sunata

to wo phut phut kar roti
main puchhta rone ka karan

to kahti
dewtaon ki in zabanon mein

jadu ka asar hai
in mein saty ki disha

aur siraat-al-mustaqim ki nishan-dahi hai
main bar-ha us ki sadgi par ro deta

mera bap danton mein dynamite dabae
ungliyon ke poron mein tezab ke ban ugata hai

aur pile murda mariyal kaghaz ke chehre par
lahu ke phul kadhta hai

khud se alag ho kar khud par mit kar
apni jaedad se pyar karne lagta hai

wo aath jahazon ka malik hai
jo us ne waqt ke samundar ke paniyon par utar diye hain

aur khud ek control-room mein baith kar
un ki harkat ka tayyun karta hai

main bhi us ka ek jahaz hun
patthar chabana, palkon ki jhadiyon par sidra ugana

subh-sawere masjid ke darwaze par khuda se
aankhen chura kar guzar jaana

aur khuda ke mahbub par farefta ho kar
khuda se raqabat bant lena

us ki ada ban gaya hai
main surkh mithe seb aur tezab ke isi

imtizaj ki paida-war hun
main kaun hun