kaha main ne meri aankhon mein pani hai
jawab aaya mohabbat ki nishani hai

kaha main ne lagi dil ki bujhani hai
jawab aaya ye jazba jawedani hai [...]

main boli tere lab par hai hansi meri
wo bola mat badhao bekali meri

main boli shahzade mol kya mera
wo bola shahzadi zindagi meri [...]

bola hain rang kitne zamane ke aur bhi
us ne kaha hain bhed batane ke aur bhi

bola tumhaare dil mein mohabbat ne ghar kiya
main ne kaha hain rog lagane ke aur bhi [...]

kaha takhliq-e-fan bole bahut dushwar to hogi
kaha makhluq bole bais-e-azar to hogi

kaha: hum kya karen is ahd-e-na-pursan mein kuchh kahiye
wo bole koi aakhir surat-e-izhaar to hogi [...]

kal ek adib o shaer o naqid mile hamein
kahne lage ki aao zara bahs hi karen
karne lage ye bahs ki ab hind o pak mein
wo kaun hai ki shaer-e-azam jise kahen
main ne kaha 'jigar' to kaha dead ho chuke
main ne kaha ki 'josh' kaha qadr kho chuke
main ne kaha 'firaq' ki azmat pe tabsira
bole 'firaq' shaer-e-azam ara-rara
main ne kaha 'nadim' to bole ki journalist
main ne kaha 'rais' to bole satirist
main ne kaha ki hazrat-e-'mahir' bhi khub hain
kahne lage ki un ke yahan bhi uyub hain
main ne kaha kuchh aur to bole ki chup raho
main chup raha to kahne lage aur kuchh kaho
main ne kaha ki 'sahir' o 'majruh' o jaan-nisar
bole ki shairon mein na kije inhen shumar
main ne kaha kalam-e-'rawish' la-jawab hai
kahne lage ki un ka tarannum kharab hai
main ne kaha tarannum-e-'anwar' pasand hai
kahne lage ki un ka watan deoband hai
main ne kaha ki un ki ghazal saf-o-pak hai
bole ki un ki shakl badi khaufnak hai
main ne kaha ki ye jo hain 'mahshar'-inayati?
kahne lage ki rang hai un ka riwayati
main ne kaha 'qamar' ka taghazzul hai dil-nashin
kahne lage ki un mein to kuchh jaan hi nahin
main ne kaha 'niyaz' to bole ki aib hain
main ne kaha 'surur' to bole ki nukta-chin
main ne kaha 'zarif' to bole ki gandagi
main ne kaha 'salam' to bole ki bandagi
main ne kaha 'faraaz' to bole ki zer-o-bam
main ne kaha 'adam' to kaha wo bhi kal-adam
main ne kaha 'khumar' kaha fan mein kachche hain
main ne kaha ki 'shad' to bole ki bachche hain
main ne kaha ki tanz-nigaron mein dekhiye
bole ki saikadon mein hazaron mein dekhiye
main ne kaha ki shaer-e-azam hain 'jafari'
kahne lage ki aap ki hai un se dosti
main ne kaha ki ye jo hain 'mahshar'-inayati
kahne lage ki aap hain un ke himayati
main ne kaha 'zamir' ke hiyumar mein fikr hai
bole ye kis ka nam liya kis ka zikr hai
main ne kaha ki ye jo dilawar-figar hain
bole ki wo to sirf zarafat-nigar hain
main ne kaha mizah mein ek baat bhi to hai
bole ki is ke sath khurafat bhi to hai
main ne kaha to shaer-e-azam koi nahin
kahne lage ki ye bhi koi lazmi nahin
main ne kaha to kis ko mein shaer bada kahun
kahne lage ki main bhi isi kashmakash mein hun
payan-e-kar khatm hua jab ye tajziya
main ne kaha huzur to bole ki shukriya

is bar wo mila to ajab us ka rang tha
alfaz mein tarang na lahja dabang tha
ek soch thi ki bikhri hui khal-o-khat mein thi
ek dard tha ki jis ka shahid ang ang tha
ek aag thi ki rakh mein poshida thi kahin
ek jism tha ki ruh se masruf-e-jang tha
main ne kaha ki yar tumhein kya hua hai ye
us ne kaha ki umr-e-rawan ki ata hai ye
main ne kaha ki umr-e-rawan to sabhi ki hai
us ne kaha ki fikr-o-nazar ki saza hai ye
main ne kaha ki sochta rahta to main bhi hun
us ne kaha ki aaina rakkha hua hai
dekha to mera apna hi aks-e-jali tha wo
wo shakhs main tha aur 'himayat-ali' tha wo