ek jazira zamin ke sine par
hai jo aabaad raushni se hai

jis ki sadkon pe raat der talak
zindagi daudti hai bhagti hai

zindagi raat raat jagti hai
chae-khanon pe shab-guzaron ke

qahqahe gunjte hi rahte hain
is ki shamen hasin hoti hain

is maqam-e-hasin ke basi
chashni hai zaban mein jin ki

pasban ye amir khusrau ke
'mir'-o-'ghaalib' ke raazdan-e-sukhan

warisan-e-zaban-e-urdu hain
gholte hain mithas baaton se

apna lahja hasin rakhte hain
ek tahzib hai saqafat hai

is ke khanon ki apni lazzat hai
aur phir husn ki tamazat hai

dekhne wale dekhte hain kahin
is ke sahil pe raunaq-e-duniya

khelti hansti ghul machati hui
man-chale hanste muskuraate hue

zindagi ki ghazal sunate hue
raunaqon ke asir rahte hain

jis ko kahte the log kolachi
ab wo sahil kinare basta shahr

jaana jata hai shahr-e-qaid se
log jis ko karachi kahte hain