lahad mein so rahi hai aaj be-shak musht-e-khak us ki
magar garm-e-amal hai jagti hai jaan-e-pak us ki
wo ek fani bashar tha main ye bawar kar nahin sakta
bashar iqbaal ho jae to hargiz mar nahin sakta
ba-zer-e-saya-e-diwar-e-masjid hai jo aasuda
ye khaki jism hai sattar baras ka rah paimuda
ye khaki jism bhi us ka bahut hi besh-qimat tha
jise ham-jalwa samjhe the wo parda bhi ghanimat tha
use hum napte the le ke aankhon hi ka paimana
ghazal-khwan us ko jaana hum ne shair us ko gardana
faqat surat hi dekhi us ke mani hum nahin samjhe
na dekha rang-e-taswir aaine ko dil-nashin samjhe
hamein zof-e-basarat se kahan thi tab-e-nazzara
sikhae us ke parde ne hamein aadab-e-nazzara
ye naghma kya hai zer-e-parda-ha-e-saz kam samjhe
rahe sab gosh-bar-awaz lekin raaz kam samjhe
shikast-e-paikar-e-mahsus ne toda hijab aakhir
tulu-e-subh-e-mahshar ban ke chamka aaftab aakhir
muqayyad ab nahin 'iqbaal' apne jism-e-fani mein
nahin wo band hail aaj dariya ki rawani mein
wajud-e-marg ki qael nahin thi zindagi us ki
taala allah ab dekhe koi paindagi us ki
jise hum murda samjhe zinda tar painda tar nikla
mah o khurshid se zarre ka dil tabinda tar nikla
abhi andaza ho sakta nahin us ki bulandi ka
abhi duniya ki aankhon par hai parda firqa-bandi ka
magar meri nigahon mein hain chehre un jawanon ke
jinhen 'iqbaal' ne bakhshe hain bazu qahar-manon ke

aaya hamare des mein ek khush-nawa faqir
aaya aur apni dhun mein ghazal-khwan guzar gaya
sunsan rahen khalq se aabaad ho gain
viran mai-kadon ka nasiba sanwar gaya
thin chand hi nigahen jo us tak pahunch sakin
par us ka git sab ke dilon mein utar gaya
ab dur ja chuka hai wo shah-e-gada-numa
aur phir se apne des ki rahen udas hain
chand ek ko yaad hai koi us ki ada-e-khas
do ek nigahen chand azizon ke pas hain
par us ka git sab ke dilon mein muqim hai
aur us ke lai se saikadon lazzat-shanas hain
is git ke tamam mahasin hain la-zawal
is ka wafur is ka kharosh is ka soz-o-saz
ye git misal-e-shola-e-jawwala tund-o-tez
is ki lapak se baad-e-fana ka jigar gudaz
jaise charagh wahshat-e-sar-sar se be-khatar
ya sham-e-bazm subh ki aamad se be-khabar

kal ek naqid-e-'ghaalib' ne mujh se ye puchha
ki qadr-e-'ghaalib'-e-marhum ka sabab kya hai
mujhe batao ki diwan-e-hazrat-e-'ghaalib'
kalam-e-pak hai injil hai ki gita hai
suna hai shahr-e-karachi mein ek sahab hain
kalam un ka bhi 'ghaalib' se milta julta hai
hamara dost tufaili bhi hai bada shaer
agarche ek bade aadmi ka chamcha hai
to phir ye ghaalib-e-marhum ki hi barsi kyun
mujhe batao ki un mein khususiyat kya hai
na 'zauq' ka hai kahin tazkira na 'momin' ka
na zikr-e-'mir' kahin hai na yaum-e-'sauda' hai
ye 'faiz' o 'mahir' o 'josh' o 'firaq' kuchh bhi kahen
meri nazar mein to 'ghaalib' se zauq uncha hai
mujhe to 'mir-taqi-mir' se hai ek lagaw
ki 'mir' kuchh bhi sahi shaeri to karta hai
ye rang lai hai 'ghaalib' ki party-bandi
ki aaj sare jahan mein usi ka charcha hai
ye rus wale jo 'ghaalib' pe jaan dete hain
mere khayal mein is mein bhi koi ghapla hai
kahan ke aise bade artist the 'ghaalib'
ye chand ahl-e-adab ka propaganda hai
ana ne mar diya warna shaer achchha tha
natija ye ki jo hona tha us ka aadha hai
likhi hai ek ghazal ki radif hone tak
koi batae ki kya ye bhi sahw-e-imla hai
kabhi hai mahw hasinon se dhaul-dhappa mein
kabhi kisi ka wo sote mein bosa leta hai
jo kah rahe hain ki 'ghaalib' hai falsafi shaer
mujhe bataen ki bose mein falsafa kya hai
jahan raqam ki tawaqqo hui qasida kaha
tumhin kaho ki ye mear-e-shaeri kya hai
sharab jam mein hai aur jam hathon mein
magar ye rind-e-bala-nosh phir bhi pyasa hai
jo shaeri ho tajammul-husain-khan ke liye
wo ek tarah ki khushamad hai shaeri kya hai
khitab o khilat o darbar ke liye us ne
na jaane kitne amiron pe jal dala hai
suna ye hai ki wo sufi bhi tha wali bhi tha
ab is ke baad to paighambari ka darja hai
kaha jo main ne ki padhiye to pahle 'ghaalib' ko
to bole khak padhun muddaa to anqa hai
mujhe khabar hai ki 'ghaalib' ki zindagi kya thi
ki main ne hazrat-e-ghaalib ka film dekha hai
suni jo main ne ye tanqid to samajh na saka
ki is gharib ko 'ghaalib' se dushmani kya hai
samajh gaya ki ye bakwas be-sabab to nahin
dimagh ka koi purza zarur dhila hai
badhi jo baat to phir main ne us ko samjhaya
adab mein hazrat-e-ghaalib ka martaba kya hai
bataya us ko ki wo zindagi ka hai shaer
bahut qarib se duniya ko us ne dekha hai
ajab tazad ki hamil hai us ki shakhsiyyat
ajib shakhs hai barbaad ho ke hansta hai
charagh-e-subh ki manind zindagi us ki
ek aasra hai ek arman hai ek tamanna hai
jo us ko rokna chaho to aur tez bahe
ajib mauj-e-rawan hai ajib dariya hai
chipak raha hai badan par lahu se pairahan
rafu ki us ko zarurat hai aur na parwa hai
wo likh raha hai hikayat-e-khun-chakan-e-junun
jabhi to us ke qalam se lahu tapakta hai
bas ek lafz ke parde mein dastan kahna
ye fikr-o-fan ki bulandi usi ka hissa hai
na kyun hon aaj wo mashhur puri duniya mein
ki us ki fikr ka mauzua puri duniya hai
pahunch gaya hai wo us manzil-e-tafakkur par
jahan dimagh bhi dil ki tarah dhadakta hai
kabhi to us ka koi sher-e-sada-o-rangin
rukh-e-bashar ki tarah kaifiyat badalta hai
ye hum ne mana ki kuchh khamiyan bhi thin us mein
wo khamiyan nahin rakhta ye kis ka dawa hai
wo aadmi tha khata aadmi ki hai fitrat
ye kyun kahen ki wo insan nahin farishta hai
jo chahte hain ki fauq-ul-bashar bana den use
hamein to us ke un ahbab se bhi shikwa hai
hazar logon ne chaha ki us ke sath chalen
magar wo pahle bhi tanha tha ab bhi tanha hai
kabhi wali kabhi waiz kabhi kharabaati
samajh sako to samajh lo wo ek moamma hai
agar ye sach hai ki alfaz ruh rakhte hain
to ye bhi sach hai wo alfaz ka masiha hai

ek din 'ghaalib' ke padh kar sher mary ahliya
mujh se boli aap to kahte the in ko auliya
aashiq-e-bint-e-enab ko aap kahte hain wali
faqa-masti mein bhi har dam kar raha hai mai-kashi
pujne se mah-jabinon ke ye baz aata nahin
aur phir kafir kahe jaane se sharmata nahin
koi bhi mahwash akele mein agar aa jae hath
chhedkhwani kar diya karta tha aksar us ke sath
bad-gumani ka agar mahbub ki hota na dar
us ke pairon ka wo bosa leta rahta raat bhar
koi rakhta tha agar us se zara sharm-o-hijab
roab dikhlane ko us se kah diya karte janab
ham se khul jao ba-waqt-e-mah-parasti ek din
warna hum chhedenge rakh kar uzr-e-masti ek din
gar kisi mehman ke aane ki hoti thi khabar
boriya tak bhi nahin hota tha us nange ke ghar
is liye chhai hui thi us ke ghar mein muflisi
kal ke dar se aaj pine mein na karta tha kami
mai-kashi ko gar koi saqi nahin deta tha jam
ok se pi kar hi wo apna chala leta tha kaam
marte marte bhi sharab us ki na ho pai thi kam
jam ko takta raha jab tak raha aaankhon mein dam
us ke is kirdar par mujh se na karna guftugu
khak mein jis ne mila di khandani aabru
is qadar pahunche hue shaer ka ye kirdar hai
sher kahna chhod dije shaeri be-kar hai
is se pahle ki mera barbaad ho jae ye ghar
aap bas ghar mein rahen sher-o-adab ko chhod kar
mai-kashi aur aap hon matlub-o-talib ki tarah
sochti hun aap ho jaen na 'ghaalib' ki tarah

balli-maran ke mohalle ki wo pechida dalilon ki si galiyan
samne tal ke nukkad pe bedon ke qaside
chand darwazon pe latke hue bosida se kuchh tat ke parde
aur dhundlai hui sham ke be-nur andhere sae
aise diwaron se munh jod kar chalte hain yahan
chudi-walan katre ki badi-bi jaise
apni bujhti hui aankhon se darwaze tatole
is be-nur andheri si gali-qasim se
ek tartib charaghon ki shurua hoti hai
ek quran-e-sukhan ka bhi waraq khulta hai
asadullah-khan-'ghaalib' ka pata milta hai

kisi se khwab mein 'iqbaal' ne ye farmaya
ki tu ne kar diya barbaad mera sarmaya
mera kalam gawayyon ko saunpne wale
nazar na aae tujhe mere qalb ke chhaale
main chahta tha musalman muttahid ho jaen
ye kab kaha tha ki hum bahr-e-munjamid ho jaen
meri ye shan ki dariya bhi tha mera muhtaj
tera ye haal ki mulkon se mangta hai khiraj
kaha tha main ne gharibi mein nam paida kar
ye kab kaha tha ki mal-e-haram paida kar
mera tariq amiri nahin faqiri hai
teri khurak chapati nahin khamiri hai
ilaj aatish-e-rumi ke soz mein hai tera
khayal shabnam o zeba ke pose mein hai tera
mere kalam se tujh ko sabaq zara na mila
kahan ki rah-e-haram ghar ka rasta na mila
khudi buland ho be-shak yahi thi meri rae
ye kab kaha tha ki qawwal is mein hath lagae