nuqsan ho raha hai bahut karobar mein
abba pade hain jab se padosan ke pyar mein

sau koshishon se aae the chandiya pe chaar baal
do aarzu mein kat gae do intizar mein [...]

is martaba bhi aae hain number tere to kam
ruswaiyon ka kya meri daftar banega tu
bete ke munh pe de ke chapat bap ne kaha
phir fail ho gaya hai minister banega tu

kya ab bhi wahan ka har shaer
tanqid ka mara hai ki nahin
aflas ki aankh ka tara hai
wo raj-dulara hai ki nahin
wo ek ghasiyara hai ki nahin
o des se aane wale bata
kya ab bhi wahan par ganja-sar
scholar samjha jata hai
kya ab bhi wahan ka har ma
'ghaalib' par kuchh farmata hai
aur jel ki zulmat mein kho kar
'iqbaal' se bhi takraata hai
o des se jaane wale bata
kya ab bhi wahan ke sab shauhar
raaton ko chhup kar rote hain
kya ab bhi wo qismat ke mare
daftar mein aksar sote hain
tanon ka nishana bante hain
jab ghar mein kabhi wo hote hain
aakhir mein ye hasrat hai ki bata
rehana ke kitne bachche hain
rehana ke 'wo' kis haal mein hain
kya ab bhi wo pension pate hain
kuchh baal to the jab main tha wahan
kya ab wo mukammal ganje hain
o des se aane wale bata

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

mohabbat jis ko kahte hain badi mushkil se hoti hai
faqat ek bar hoti hai khulus-e-dil se hoti hai
jahan-e-film mein, ulfat ka har nakhra nirala hai
ye aisi dal hai jis dal mein kala hi kala hai
agar bazar mein ladki phisal jae mohabbat hai
sahaara pa ke ladke ka sambhal jae mohabbat hai
kisi ladki ko daku se chhuda kar lao ulfat ho
kisi ki bicycle se bicycle takrao ulfat ho
ye filmi ishq ne kaisa naya pahlu nikala hai
police-kaptan ki ladki ka aashiq rikshe wala hai
muqaddar ko kahin se saz-gari hi nahin milti
wahi milti hai aur koi sawari hi nahin milti
amiri par gharibi ka wo yun sikka jamata hai
kiraya tak nahin leta magar chaddi khulata hai
sar-e-bazar hero se jo accident ho jae
to us ka ishq accident se disent ho jae
ba-zahir dekhne mein sirf ek motor ki takkar hai
kisi dil-phenk se lekin kisi dilbar ki takkar hai
wo heroine ko motor mein shifa-khane bhi laega
aur us ke dil ko bahlane ko gana bhi sunaega
wo gana jis mein haal-e-dil ki puri tarjumani ho
magar ye shart hai bharpur donon ki jawani ho
wo phir motor se takkar ki shikayat bhul jaegi
wo zakhm-e-dil ke aage har jarahat bhul jaegi
janab-e-seth-sahab ki jo ek be-man ki bachchi hai
nihayat ladli hai umr pukhta aql kachchi hai
aur us ko seth ke daftar ke ek babu se ulfat hai
manager aur babu ke liye wajh-e-raqabat hai
natije mein wilen nashad hero shad hota hai
taraqqi pa ke babu seth ka damad hota hai
kabhi ladki pe jo tanha safar ka saneha guzre
to chalti rail mein bhi ishq ka ye hadsa guzre
ki hero rail ke sandas se dabbe mein aaega
aur is ke baad heroine ko bas behosh paega
wo us ke sar ko phir zanu pe rakh kar gal thapkega
aur us ki aankh se ek ishq ka aansu bhi tapkega
to heroine bhi bas ghabra ke aankhen khol dalegi
ye us ka dil sambhaalega wo is ka dil sambhaalegi
hon do bahnen badi ka un mein iklauta mangetar ho
mohabbat se bapa donon ke dil mein ek mahshar ho
ki chhoti ko bhi ulfat us se hogi barmala hogi
wo apne hone wale dulha-bhai pe fida hogi
firaq-e-yar mein gane ka ye andaz hota hai
wo jangal ho ki basti ho yaqinan saz hota hai
ghazal aadhi jo hero ne kisi jangal mein gai hai
usi ki aadhi heroine ne basti mein sunai hai
jo sazinde, pyano, woilin, tabla bajate hain
kabhi jangal mein jate hain kabhi basti mein aate hain
ye filmi ishq hai, le de ke bas is ka ye hasil hai
hamari qaum ke bachchon ke haq mein zahr-e-qatil hai
'zarif' anjam kya hoga jo mera dil bhi kho jae
kahin aisa na ho, mujh ko bhi filmi ishq ho jae

mushaire ka bhi tafrih aim hota hai
mushaire mein bhi cricket ka game hota hai
wahan jo log khiladi hain wo yahan shaer
yahan jo sadr-nashin hai wahan hai empire
wahan pe shart ki ho zor-e-bazu-e-mahmud
yahan ye qaid ki ho lahn-e-hazrat-e-daood
wahan tamaddun-e-mashriq ki maut ka gham hai
yahan adab ke janaza pe shor-e-matam hai
wahan riyaz-e-musalsal se kaam chalta hai
yahan gale ke sahaare kalam chalta hai
wahan bhi khel mein no-ball ho to faul hai
yahan bhi sher mein ihmal ho to faul hai
wahan hai lbw yahan ye chakkar hai
ki andalib muannas hai ya muzakkar hai
wahan bhi sirf muqaddar ka khel hota hai
jo unlucky hai yahan bhi wo fail hota hai
wahan hai ek hi kaptan puri team ki jaan
yahan har ek player bajae khud kaptan
yahan kuchh aise bhi kaptan pae jate hain
jo ran banate nahin hit lagae jate hain
wahan jo log anadi hain waqt katte hain
yahan bhi kuchh mutashaer dimagh chatte hain
hua kare agar score us ka zero hai
yahan jo shakhs phisaddi hai wo bhi hero hai
nigah jin ki pahunchti hai hashw o ita par
bana diya hai yahan un ko back stoper
adab-nawaz pe shout yahan bhi hote hain
ye bad-nasib ran-out yahan bhi hote hain
'hanif' bhi koi bogus cricketer to nahin
magar 'asar' se ziyaada free-hiter to nahin
baja hai 'fazl' ke sixer pe marhaba kahna
magar 'firaq' ki baundary ka kya kahna
mere khayal ko ahl-e-nazar karenge catch
mushaira bhi hai ek tarah ka cricket match