din ko bhi itna andhera hai mere kamre mein
saya aate hue darta hai mere kamre mein

gham thaka-haara musafir hai chala jaega
kuchh dinon ke liye thahra hai mere kamre mein [...]

chalne ka hausla nahin rukna muhaal kar diya
ishq ke is safar ne to mujh ko nidhaal kar diya

ai meri gul-zamin tujhe chah thi ek kitab ki
ahl-e-kitab ne magar kya tera haal kar diya [...]

is basti ke ek kuche mein ek 'insha' nam ka diwana
ek nar pe jaan ko haar gaya mashhur hai us ka afsana

us nar mein aisa rup na tha jis rup se din ki dhup dabe
is shahr mein kya kya gori hai mahtab-rukhe gulnar-labe [...]

kabhi saya hai kabhi dhup muqaddar mera
hota rahta hai yun hi qarz barabar mera

tut jate hain kabhi mere kinare mujh mein
dub jata hai kabhi mujh mein samundar mera [...]

'athar' tum ne ishq kiya kuchh tum bhi kaho kya haal hua
koi naya ehsas mila ya sab jaisa ahwal hua

ek safar hai wadi-e-jaan mein tere dard-e-hijr ke sath
tera dard-e-hijr jo badh kar lazzat-e-kaif-e-visal hua [...]

baat niklegi to phir dur talak jaegi
log be-wajh udasi ka sabab puchhenge
ye bhi puchhenge ki tum itni pareshan kyun ho
jagmagate hue lamhon se gurezan kyun ho
ungliyan utthengi sukhe hue baalon ki taraf
ek nazar dekhenge guzre hue salon ki taraf
chudiyon par bhi kai tanz kiye jaenge
kanpte hathon pe bhi fiqre kase jaenge
phir kahenge ki hansi mein bhi khafa hoti hain
ab to 'ruhi' ki namazen bhi qaza hoti hain
log zalim hain har ek baat ka tana denge
baaton baaton mein mera zikr bhi le aaenge
in ki baaton ka zara sa bhi asar mat lena
warna chehre ke tassur se samajh jaenge
chahe kuchh bhi ho sawalat na karna un se
mere bare mein koi baat na karna un se
baat niklegi to phir dur talak jaegi