aahan mein dhalti jaegi ikkiswin sadi
phir bhi ghazal sunaegi ikkiswin sadi

baghdad dilli masco london ke darmiyan
barud bhi bichhaegi ikkiswin sadi [...]

nizam-e-zar mein kisi aur kaam ka kya ho
bas aadmi hai kamane ka aur khane ka

is bhare shahr mein koi aisa nahin
jo mujhe rah chalte ko pahchan le

aur aawaz de o be o sar-phire
donon ek dusre se lipat kar wahin [...]

subh hote hi nikal aate hain bazar mein log
gathriyan sar pe uthae hue imanon ki

bis baras se khade the jo is gati nahr ke dwar
jhumte kheton ki sarhad par banke pahre-dar
ghane suhane chhanw chhidakte bor lade chhitnar
bis hazar mein bik gae sare hare bhare ashjar
jin ki sans ka har jhonka tha ek ajib tilism
qatil teshe chir gae un sawanton ke jism
giri dhadam se ghayal pedon ki nili diwar
katte haikal jhadte pinjar chhatte barg-o-bar
sahi dhup ke zard kafan mein lashon ke ambar
aaj khada main sochta hun is gati nahr ke dwar
is maqtal mein sirf ek meri soch lahakti dal
mujh par bhi ab kari zarb ek ai aadam ki aal

yahan horn bajaane ki ijazat nahin
aur main ne tamanna ka bharam khol diya hai ki samundar ki hawa
sine se takrae to parda na rahe
us ki mahak sar pe kafan bandh ke nikli hai
har ek raste har mod pe aawaz lagati hai
magar koi nahin rukta basant aai hai
sab bhag rahe hain koi aawaz nahin deta
koi mud ke nahin dekhta
petrol lahu aur hawa dast-o-gareban hain
jidhar dekho patangen hi patangen hain
zaminon pe utarne ke liye dolti par taulti
bal khati hui
subah ko katti hain magar sham ko sadkon pe utarti hain
to wo kaun hai jo
aankhon ke sae se gurezan hain
magar subh hi subh chupke se sau sidhiyan
chadh jata hai thakta hi nahin
aur nai aag dahakti hai
nae range hue kaghazon se hashr chamak uthta hai
sab aurten aur mard jawan ladkiyan aur ladke
nai texiyan aur motaren aur rikshe
unhen lutne nikle hain basant aai hai
aa jao yahan lut machi hai aao
dar-o-diwar ko hasrat ki nazar dekhna mat bhulna
ek dusre ko raundte
ek dusre ko khun mein bhige hue
sar pitte aur chikhte chillate sabhi bhag rahe hain
koi aawaz nahin deta
yahan maon aur bahnon se aur biwiyon se
aakhiri boson ki ijazat hai
magar horn bajaane ki ijazat nahin