be-shumar aankhon ko chehre mein lagae hue istada hai tamir ka ek naqsh-e-ajib
ai tamaddun ke naqib!

teri surat hai muhib!
zehn-e-insani ka tufan khada hai goya

dhal ke lahron mein kai git sunai mujhe dete hain magar
un mein ek josh hai bedad ka fariyaad ka ek aks-e-daraaz

aur alfaz mein afsane hain be-khwabi ke
kya koi ruh-e-hazin

tere sine mein bhi betab hai tahzib ke rakhshanda nagin
ghut ke lahren tere giton ki sunen mujh ko nazar aane laga

ek talkhaba kisi baada-e-bad-rang ka ek tute hue saghar mein
nashsha-e-mai se nazar dhundli hui jati hai

raat ki tera faza kyun mujhe ghabraati hai?
raat ki tera faza mein teri aankhon ki chamak mujh ko dara sakti nahin hai main to

is se bhi badh ke andhere mein raha karta tha
aur is tirgi-e-ruh mein darakhshan the sitare dukh ke

aur kabhi bhul mein har najm-e-darakhshan se lapak uthte the shoale sukh ke
jaise rauzan se tere tan lapakti hui phailati hai bazu apne

jazb kar leta hai phir us ko khala ka daman
yaad aane lage tanhai mein bahte hue aansu apne

wahi aansu wahi shoale sukh ke
lekin ek khwab tha ek khwab ki manind lapak shaalon ki thi

meri takhil ke par tair-e-zakhmi ke paron ke manind
phadphadate hue bekar laraz uthte hain

mere aaza ka tanao mujhe jine hi na deta tha tadap kar ek bar
justuju mujh ko rihai ki hua karti thi

magar afsos ki jab dard dawa banne laga mujh se wo pabandi hati
apne aasab ko aasuda banane ke liye

bhul kar tirgi-e-ruh ko main aa pahuncha
is bulandi ke qadam main ne liye

jis pe tu saikadon aankhon ko jhapakte hue istada hai
tere bare mein suna rakkhi thin logon ne mujhe

kuchh hikayat-e-ajib
main ye sunta tha tere jism-e-giran-bar mein bistar hai bichha

aur ek naznin leti hai wahan tanhai
ek phiki si thakan ban ke ghusi jati hai

zehn mein us ke magar wo betab
muntazir us ki hai parda larze

pairahan ek dhalakta hua baadal ban jae
aur dar aae ek an-dekhi anokhi surat

kuchh gharaz us ko nahin hai is se
dil ko bhati hai nahin bhati hai

aane wale ki ada
us ka hai ek hi maqsud wo istada kare

bahr-e-asab ki tamir ka ek naqsh-e-ajib
jis ki surat se karahat aae

aur wo ban jae tera madd-e-muqabil pal mein
zehn-e-insani ka tufan khada ho jae

aur wo naznin be-sakhta be-lag irade ke baghair
ek girti hui diwar nazar aane lage

shab ke be-ruh tamashai ko
bhul kar apni thakan ka naghma

mukhtasar larzish-e-chashm-e-dar se
reg ke qasr ke manind subuksar kare

bahr-e-asab ki tamir ka ek naqsh-e-ajib
ek girti hui diwar ki manind lachak kha jae

ye hikayat mere zehn mein ek bu-e-khiraman ban kar
jab kabhi chahti thin raqs kiya karti thin

aur ab dekhta hun saikadon aankhon mein teri
ek hi chashm-e-darakhshan mujhe aati hai nazar

kya isi chashm-e-darakhshan mein hai shoala sukh ka?
hath se apne ab is aankh ko main band kiya chahta hun