zaminen chahiyen lamba talluq kasht karne ko
kahin rahne ko basne ko
magar main to
tumhaari zindagi ke garm mausam mein
hawa ka ek jhonka tha
hawa bahti hui aati hai
apne paniyon mein
jism-o-jaan ke habs ko gharqab karti hai
hawa par ghar nahi bante
hawa se sans aati hai
hawa sairab karti hai

jahan-zad niche gali mein tere dar ke aage
ye main sokhta-sar hasan-kuza-gar hun!
tujhe subh bazar mein budhe attar yusuf
ki dukkan par main ne dekha
to teri nigahon mein wo tabnaki
thi main jis ki hasrat mein nau sal diwana phirta raha hun
jahan-zad nau sal diwana phirta raha hun!
ye wo daur tha jis mein main ne
kabhi apne ranjur kuzon ki jaanib
palat kar na dekha
wo kuze mere dast-e-chabuk ke putle
gil-o-rang-o-roghan ki makhluq-e-be-jaan
wo sar-goshiyn mein ye kahte
hasan kuza-gar ab kahan hai?
wo hum se khud apne amal se
khuda-wand ban kar khudaon ke manind hai ru-e-gardan!
jahan-zad nau sal ka daur yun mujh pe guzra
ki jaise kisi shahr-e-madfun par waqt guzre
taghaaron mein mitti
kabhi jis ki khushbu se warafta hota tha main
sang-basta padi thi
surahi-o-mina-o-jam-o-subu aur fanus o gul-dan
meri hech-maya maishat ke izhaar-e-fan ke sahaare
shikasta pade the
main khud main hasan kuza-gar pa-ba-gil khak-bar-sar barhana
sar-e-chaak zholida-mu sar-ba-zanu
kisi gham-zada dewta ki tarah wahima ke
gil-o-la se khwabon ke sayyal kuze banata raha tha
jahan-zad nau sal pahle
tu nadan thi lekin tujhe ye khabar thi
ki main ne hasan kuza-gar ne
teri qaf ki si ufuq-tab aankhon
mein dekhi hai wo tabnaki
ki jis se mere jism o jaan abr o mahtab ka
rah-guzar ban gae the
jahan-zad baghdad ki khwab-gun raat
wo rud-e-dajla ka sahil
wo kashti wo mallah ki band aankhen
kisi khasta-jaan ranj-bar kuza-gar ke liye
ek hi raat wo kohrba thi
ki jis se abhi tak hai paiwast us ka wajud
us ki jaan us ka paikar
magar ek hi raat ka zauq dariya ki wo lahr nikla
hasan kuza-gar jis mein duba to ubhra nahin hai!
jahan-zad us daur mein roz har roz
wo sakhta-bakht aa kar
mujhe dekhti chaak par pa-ba-gil sar-ba-zanu
to shanon se mujh ko hilati
(wahi chaak jo sal-ha-sal jine ka tanha sahaara raha tha)
wo shanon se mujh ko hilati
hasan kuza-gar hosh mein aa
hasan apne viran ghar par nazar kar
ye bachchon ke tannur kyunkar bharenge
hasan ai mohabbat ke mare
mohabbat amiron ki bazi
hasan apne diwar-o-dar par nazar kar
mere kan mein ye nawa-e-hazin yun thi jaise
kisi dubte shakhs ko zer-e-girdab koi pukare!
wo ashkon ke ambar phulon ke ambar the han
magar main hasan kuza-gar shahr-e-auham ke un
kharabon ka majzub tha jin
mein koi sada koi jumbish
kisi murgh-e-parran ka saya
kisi zindagi ka nishan tak nahin tha!
jahan-zad mein aaj teri gali mein
yahan raat ki sard-gun tirgi mein
tere dar ke aage khada hun
sar-o-mu pareshan
dariche se wo qaf ki si tilismi nigahen
mujhe aaj phir jhankti hain
zamana, jahan-zad wo chaak hai jis pe mina-o-jam-o-subu
aur fanus-o-gul-dan
ke manind bante bigadte hain insan
main insan hun lekin
ye nau sal jo gham ke qalib mein guzre!
hasan kuza-gar aaj ek toda-e-khak hai jism
mein nam ka asar tak nahin hai
jahan-zad bazar mein subh attar-yusuf
ki dukkan par teri aankhen
phir ek bar kuchh kah gai hain
un aankhon ki tabinda shokhi
se utthi hai phir toda-e-khak mein nam ki halki si larzish
yahi shayad us khak ko gil bana de!
tamanna ki wusat ki kis ko khabar hai jahan-zad lekin
tu chahe to ban jaun main phir
wahi kuza-gar jis ke kuze
the har kakh-o-ku aur har shahr-o-qariya ki nazish
the jin se amir o gada ke masakin darakhshan
tamanna ki wusat ki kis ko khabar hai jahan-zad lekin
tu chahe to main phir palat jaun un apne mahjur kuzon ki jaanib
ghil-o-wala ke sukhe taghaaron ki jaanib
maishat ke izhaar-e-fan ke sahaaron ki jaanib
ki main is gil-o-la se is rang o roghan
se phir wo sharare nikalun ki jin se
dilon ke kharabe hon raushan!

khade ho aaj jis tahzib ke unche manare par
sajaya hai use shayad hamein badnam logon ne
jidhar se chal ke tum pahunche ho in zarrin manazil tak
dikhai hai tumhein wo rah hum nakaam logon ne
tumhaari bazm zehn-o-fikr ki aaraishen ki hain
hum aise hi asir-e-gul asir-e-jam logon ne
tumhaare jada-e-gul-rang ki ye ahmarin shamen
jalai hain hum aise hi asir-e-dam logon ne
kisi andaz se lekin tumhein pahuncha diya hoga
nai duniya nae insan ka ye paigham logon ne
ki aksar apne hi takhil ke khush-rang phulon ko
masal kar phenk dala hai ba-waqt-e-sham logon ne
bitha kar mabad-e-zarrin mein khud nurin khudaon ko
kiya hai kis tarah khud hi unhen nakaam logon ne
hasin tabir do ya tum hamare khwab lauta do
hamari marifat bheja hai ye paigham logon ne

raushan kahin bahaar ke imkan hue to hain
gulshan mein chaak chand gareban hue to hain
ab bhi khizan ka raj hai lekin kahin kahin
goshe rah-e-chaman mein ghazal-khwan hue to hain
thahri hui hai shab ki siyahi wahin magar
kuch kuchh sahar ke rang par-afshan hue to hain
in mein lahu jala ho hamara ki jaan o dil
mahfil mein kuchh charagh farozan hue to hain
han kaj karo kulah ki sab kuchh luta ke hum
ab be-niyaz-e-gardish-e-dauran hue to hain
ahl-e-qafas ki subh-e-chaman mein khulegi aankh
baad-e-saba se wada-o-paiman hue to hain
hai dasht ab bhi dasht magar khun-e-pa se 'faiz'
sairab chand khar-e-mughilan hue to hain

ai hama-rang hama-nur hama-soz-o-gudaz
bazm-e-mahtab se aane ki zarurat kya thi
tu jahan thi usi jannat mein nikharta tera rup
is jahannam ko basane ki zarurat kya thi
ye khad-o-khal ye khwabon se tarasha hua jism
aur dil jis pe khad-o-khal ki narmi bhi nisar
khar hi khar sharare hi sharare hain yahan
aur tham tham ke utha panw bahaaron ki bahaar
tishnagi zahr bhi pi jati hai amrit ki tarah
jaane kis jam pe ruk jae nigah-e-masum
dubte dekha hai jin aankhon mein mai-khana bhi
pyas un aankhon ki bujhe ya na bujhe kya malum
hain sabhi husn-parast ahl-e-nazar sahib-e-dil
koi ghar mein koi mahfil mein sajaega tujhe
tu faqat jism nahin sher bhi hai git bhi hai
kaun ashkon ki ghani chhanw mein gaega tujhe
tujh se ek dard ka rishta bhi hai bas pyar nahin
apne aanchal pe mujhe ashk baha lene de
tu jahan jati hai ja, rokne wala main kaun
apne raste mein magar shama jala lene de

tirgi hai ki unmadti hi chali aati hai
shab ki rag rag se lahu phut raha ho jaise
chal rahi hai kuchh is andaz se nabz-e-hasti
donon aalam ka nasha tut raha ho jaise
raat ka garm lahu aur bhi bah jaane do
yahi tariki to hai ghaza-e-rukhsar-e-sahar
subh hone hi ko hai ai dil-e-betab thahar
abhi zanjir chhanakti hai pas-e-parda-e-saz
mutlaq-ul-hukm hai shiraaza-e-asbab abhi
saghar-e-nab mein aansu bhi dhalak jate hain
laghzish-e-pa mein hai pabandii-e-adab abhi
apne diwanon ko diwana to ban lene do
apne mai-khanon ko mai-khana to ban lene do
jald ye satwat-e-asbab bhi uth jaegi
ye giran-bari-e-adab bhi uth jaegi
khwah zanjir chhanakti hi chhanakti hi rahe