zikr nahin ye farzanon ka
qissa hai ek diwanon ka

masco, paris aur london mein
dekhe main ne tin sharabi

surkh thin aankhen ruh gulabi
nashsha-e-mai ka taj jabin par

fikr falak par panw zamin par
be-khabar apni laghzish-e-pa se

ba-khabar apne ahd-e-wafa se
dukhtar-e-raz ke dar ke bhikari

apne qalb o nazar ke shikari
pi lene ke baad bhi pyase

jam ki surat chhalke chhalke
abr ki surat halke halke

masti ki talwar uthae
fasl-e-gul chehron pe khilae

qadam qadam par bahak rahe the
mahak rahe the chahak rahe the

ek ne shayad whiskey pi thi
dusre ne shampain ki botal

tisare ne wo pighli chandi
wodka ki sayyal hasina

wo shai jis ki tabish-e-rukh se
shishe ko aa jae pasina

main ne un nazuk lamhon mein
ruh-e-bashar ko uryan dekha

ahd-e-khizan ka rang-e-paridan
rang-e-ahd-e-bahaaran dekha

zahir dekha pinhan dekha
zikr nahin ye farzanon ka

qissa hai ek diwanon ka
raat ne apni kali zaban se

khun shafaq ke dil ka chata
chaar taraf khamoshi chhai

phail gaya har-su sannata
jannat-e-paris ke pahlu mein

seine ki maujon ko nind aai
dasne lagi mujh ko tanhai

mai-khane mein ja kar main ne
aag se dil ki pyas bujhai

rind bahut the lekin wo sab
apne nashe mein khoe hue the

jag rahi thin aankhen lekin
dil to sab ke soe hue the

koi nahin tha un mein mera
mein ye baitha soch raha tha

kab ye zalim raat kategi
kab wapas aaega sawera

itne mein ek qamat-e-rana
qadam qadam par phul khilata

honton se masum tabassum
aankhon se bijli barsata

mai-khane mein jhum ke aaya
naz o ada ke dam bichhata

aish o tarab ki mahbubayen
nashsha-e-mai ki doshizaen

rah gain apni aankhen mal kar
aai qayamat chaal mein dhal kar

sikkon ki jhankar pe gati
sone ki talwar nachati

apne lahu mein aap nahati
is nazuk lamhe mein main ne

hirs-o-hawas ko raqsan dekha
zad mein nizam-e-zardari ki

ruh-e-bashar ko larzan dekha
majburi ko uryan dekha

zikr nahin ye farzanon ka
qissa hai ek diwanon ka

gahre kohre ki lahron mein
sara london dub gaya tha

lamhon ki raushan aankhon mein
sham ka kajal phail chuka tha

raat ki nili dewi jagi
din ke dewta ko nind aai

dasne lagi mujh ko tanhai
mai-khane mein ja kar main ne

aag se dil ki pyas bujhai
us mahfil mein sab hi kuchh tha

saqi bhi aur pir-e-mughan bhi
sahba ki aaghosh ke pale

tiflak-e-masti rind-e-jawan bhi
ghaza o rang ki mashuqaen

jin ki latafat shab bhar ki thi
itr aur resham ki minaen

jin ki sahba lab bhar ki thi
aaj ka sukh tha, kal ka dukh tha

aaj ki aasha, kal ki nirasha
hans hans kar gham dekh rahe the

in jhuti khushiyon ka tamasha
na-ummidi ke kandhon par

rakkha tha ummid ka lasha
aaj wo le len, jo mil jae

kal kya hoga kaun batae
aaj dilon ki shama jalaen

kal shayad ye raat na aae
aaj to mai ki kashti khe len

kal ye safina dub na jae
aaj labon ka bosa le len

maut ka bosa kal lena hai
aaj dilon ka qarz chuka len

kal to sab kuchh de dena hai
is nazuk lamhe mein main ne

ruh-e-bashar ko viran dekha
atom-bomb ke khauf ke aage

aql o khirad ko hairan dekha
sare jahan ko larzan dekha

zikr nahin ye farzanon ka
qissa hai ek diwanon ka

dosh-e-hawa par tariki ne
zulfon ke kham khol diye the

masco ki khamosh faza mein
raat ki aankhon ke kajal ne

kitne jadu ghol diye the
surkh o siyah makhmal ke upar

sham ke sayon ko nind aai
dasne lagi mujh ko tanhai

mai-khane mein ja kar main ne
aag se dil ki pyas bujhai

khush-fikron ka abr-e-bahaaran
jhum pada tha mai-khanon par

baada-kashon ka rangin jhurmut
tut pada tha paimanon par

saz ki lai mein tezi aai
nashsha-e-mai ki angdai ne

apna hasin parcham lahraya
chappa chappa zarra zarra

qatra qatra raqs mein aaya
naghmon ke be-tab bhanwar ko

lab ke tukde chum rahe the
raqs ke bekal girdabon mein

jism ke tufan ghum rahe the
chehron ki raushan qindilen

banhon ki dil-kash mehraben
rag nazar ki khamoshi ke

jumbish-e-mizhgan ki mizraben
is gardish mein darham-barham

sara nizam-e-shams-o-qamar tha
pighal gae the chand aur suraj

mahfil-e-gul mein raqs-e-sharar tha
raat ki peshani se jaise

taron ka jhumar tut gaya ho
pir-e-falak ke hath se jaise

tasht-e-zamarrud chhut gaya ho
hire, nilam, lal aur moti

khak pe jaise bikhar rahe hain
jaise kisi ke barham gesu

bikhar bikhar kar sanwar rahe hon
nashsha-e-mai ke sar par lekin

aql o khirad ka taj dhara tha
dur se baitha baitha mujh ko

ek sharabi dekh raha tha
us ne hawa mein hath se apne

nanha sa ek bosa phenka
ek titli si udti aai

mere dil ke phul ke upar
kuchh kanpi aur kuchh mandlai

baith gai par jod ke donon
pyar ke ras ko chus ke utthi

aur meri jaanib se hawa mein
bosa ban kar phir lahrai

kuchh sharmai, kuchh itrai
aur sharabi mez se uth kar

raqs ke halqon se takraata
kashti ki surat chakraata

hath mein apna jam uthae
meri jaanib jhumta aaya

khandan khandan, nazan nazan
raqsan raqsan, pechan pechan

mauj-e-hawa ko chumta aaya
meri zaban thi urdu, hindi

us ki zaban thi rusi lekin
ek zaban thi aisi bhi jo

donon zabanon se pyari thi
donon jis ko bol rahe the

chand ishaare chand tabassum
nazron ka khamosh takallum

harf yahi the, lafz yahi the
shahad jo dil mein ghol rahe the

hind ki masti, rus ka naqsha
donon ne ek jam banaya

aur hawa mein us ko nachaya
sath hamare sab rindon ne

apne dilon ko hath mein le kar
mere watan ka jam uthaya

ab jo main ne mud kar dekha
jashn na tha ye diwanon ka

gird hamare amn ki dewi
git ki huren saz ki pariyan

naghme aur aawaz ki ladiyan
paris ki bad-bakht hasina

maghrur america ka sipahi
london ka badmast sharabi

aish o tarab ki mahbubaen
nashsha-e-mai ki doshizaen

ghaza o rang ki mashuqaen
itr aur resham ki minaen

'hafiz' aur 'ghaalib' ki ghazlen
'pushkin' aur 'tagore' ki nazmen

kitne naz aur kitni adaen
kitni shirin aur lailaen

kitne ranjhe, kitni hiren
kitne but, kitni taswiren

amn ki koshish aur tadbiren
mashriq o maghrib ki taqdiren

halqa bandhe nach rahi thin
main ne is nazuk lamhe mein

ruh-e-bashar ko nazan dekha
nashsha o raqs ke pech o kham mein

pyar ka jazba raqsan dekha
sare jahan ko khandan dekha

zikr nahin ye farzanon ka
qissa hai ek diwanon ka