fikr-e-insan par teri hasti se ye raushan hua
hai par-e-murgh-e-takhayyul ki rasai ta-kuja

tha sarapa ruh tu bazm-e-sukhan paikar tera
zeb-e-mahfil bhi raha mahfil se pinhan bhi raha [...]

tum ko dawa hai sukhan-fahmi ka
jao 'ghaalib' ke taraf-dar bano

'saz' jab khula hum par sher koi 'ghaalib' ka
hum ne goya baatin ka ek suragh sa paya

wo tabassum hai ki 'ghaalib' ki tarah-dar ghazal
der tak us ki balaghat ko padha karte hain

zindagi se bhi kab hue maghlub
apne uslub par hi jite the
har hawale se munfarid 'ghaalib'
dadhi rakhte sharab pite the

london mein jashn-e-hazrat-e-'ghaalib' ki raat thi
tarikh-e-shaeri mein ye ek wardat thi
is jashn mein sharik the har mulk ke wafud
hal ho gaya tha masala-e-wahdat-ul-wajud
jannat se mirza ko jo kankard le chala
pur ho gaya safar se jo tha rah mein khala
mirza ke pas box mein tambaku thi faqat
custam ke afsaron ne use samjha hi ghalat
afsar ne passport jo un se talab kiya
kahne lage ki aap ne ye kya ghazab kiya
sach baat to yahi hai wo ab nek ho ki bad
mulkon ki sarhadon ko nahin mante 'asad'
tarikh ki hai fikr na jughrafie ki hai
shaer hun main talash mujhe qafiye ki hai
aam aadmi ki tarah mera passport kyun
main andalib-e-gulshan-e-na-afrida hun
main kab yahan makan banane ko aaya hun
london mein apna jashn manane ko aaya hun
angrez ke qaside jo likkhe the yaad hain
nazmen kuchh aur bhi hain jo muhtaj-e-dad hain
mujh ko numud-o-nam ki parwa nahin magar
bulwaya bbc ne to pahunchunga waqt par
'ghaalib' jo restoran mein pahunche ba-waqt-e-sham
baire se ye kaha ki karo mera intizam
mangwao wo jo aatish-e-sayyal pas hai
is balghami mizaj ko garmi hi ras hai
stage par jo ho gae ab jalwa-gar asad
ustad 'zauq' jalne lage az-rah-e-hasad
nazim mushaere ka ye bola ki hazirin
'ghaalib' ko dekhne ko na aaen tamash-bin
'ghaalib' ki shakhsiyyat mein mahasin hain be-shumar
ye aadmi wali tha na hota jo baada-khwar
ye shakhs jis ko waqt ne budha banaya hai
hum ne ise baraat ka dulha banaya hai
biwi se baat kije na sali se puchhiye
'ghaalib' ka kya maqam hai haali se puchhiye
sehhat se kam nahin hai use bahra-pan ka rog
bahra jo is ko kahte hain be-bahra hain wo log
be-tegh kyun ladega ye shaer jo hai jari
sau pusht se hai pesha-e-aba sipah-gari
ye chahta hai ghar mein teri jalwa-gah ho
dekho ise jo dida-e-ibrat nigah ho
tahzib o fan ko rang-e-mughal is ne de diya
urdu ko ek taj mahal is ne de diya
is ne zaban-e-'mir' ko hindi ka ras diya
urdu ghazal ko is ne naya canwas diya
'ghaalib' jo apne jashn mein baithe hain shan se
in ka kalam suniye ab in ki zaban se
'ghaalib' ne tis ghazlen sunain jo subh tak
har sher note karta raha munshi-e-falak
taqrib jab ye khatm hui subh ke qarib
stage ko jo dekha to ghaeb the sab adib
jalsa mein muhtamim ka bhi koi pata na tha
dariyan thin gao takiye the aur shamiyana tha
kya puchhte ho haal jo 'ghaalib' ka aaj tha
pocket mein ek paisa na tha sar pe taj tha