tumhaara shahr tumhaare badan ki khushbu se
mahak raha tha, har ek baam tum se raushan tha

hawa tumhaari tarah har rawish pe chalti thi
tumhaare honton se hansti thin narm-lab kaliyan

ata hui thi sahar ko tumhaari sim-tani
mili thi sham o shafaq ko tumhaari gul-badani

tumhaara nam tasawwur bhi tha, takhayyul bhi
yaqin bhi, shauq bhi, ummid bhi, tamanna bhi

saji thi zulf-e-jawan aarzu ke phulon se
umid-war the har samt aashiqon ke giroh

magar ye kya hai ki har kucha aaj viran hai
gali gali mein hain faulad-pa siyah ifrit

chaman chaman mein sadi lash ka taffun hai
hawaen garm hain barud ka andhera hai

khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai
tumhaara shahr, tumhaare badan ki khushbu ko

taras raha hai, har ek baam tira-e-saman hai
na raushni hai, na nikhat, na naghma hai, na nawa

har ek rawish pe hawa chal rahi hai nauha-kunan
sahar ki gul-badani hai lahu ka pairahan

na sham hai na sahar sirf ek siyah kafan
tumhaare shahr ki uryaniyon ko dhanpta hai

khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai
wo ek julus sa ek mod par nazar aaya

koi azim janaza guzarne wala hai
hawa mein nala-o-fariyaad ki hai kaifiyat

har ek aankh mein aansu, har ek hont pe aah
dilon ka nauha-e-gham siskiyon mein dhalta hai

wo dard hai ki koi khul ke ro nahin sakta
magar janaza kahin bhi nazar nahin aata

kafan-farosh bhi hain, gorkan bhi hain lekin
koi bata nahin sakta ki kis ki mayyat hai

koi bata nahin sakta kidhar gaya tabut
koi bata nahin sakta kahan hai qabristan

chalo qarib se dekhen ye bad-nasib hain kaun
clerk hain jo abhi daftaron se nikle hain

tamam ek si shaklen hain hindison ki tarah
kisan hain jo abhi ketiyon se palte hain

nikal ke aae hain mazdur kar-khanon se
aur un ki pusht pe afsurda kholiyon ki qatar

suron pe udte dhuen ke siyah-rang alam
barhana bachchon ke rone ki dardnak sada

julus-e-gham hai janaza ba-dosh chalta hai
magar janaza kidhar hai nazar nahin aata

khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai