ye kaisa ishq hai urdu zaban ka,
maza ghulta hai lafzon ka zaban par
ki jaise pan mein mahnga qimam ghulta hai
ye kaisa ishq hai urdu zaban ka
nasha aata hai urdu bolne mein
gilauri ki tarah hain munh lagi sab istelahen
lutf deti hai, halaq chhuti hai urdu to, halaq se jaise mai ka ghont utarta hai
badi aristocracy hai zaban mein
faqiri mein nawabi ka maza deti hai urdu
agarche mani kam hote hai urdu mein
alfaz ki ifraat hoti hai
magar phir bhi, buland aawaz padhiye to bahut hi mo'tabar lagti hain baaten
kahin kuchh dur se kanon mein padti hai agar urdu
to lagta hai ki din jadon ke hain khidki khuli hai, dhup andar aa rahi hai
ajab hai ye zaban, urdu
kabhi kahin safar karte agar koi musafir sher padh de 'mir', 'ghaalib' ka
wo chahe ajnabi ho, yahi lagta hai wo mere watan ka hai
badi shaista lahje mein kisi se urdu sun kar
kya nahin lagta ki ek tahzib ki aawaz hai, urdu

urdu hai mera nam main 'khusraw' ki paheli
main 'mir' ki hamraaz hun 'ghaalib' ki saheli
dakkan ke 'wali' ne mujhe godi mein khelaya
'sauda' ke qasidon ne mera husn badhaya
hai 'mir' ki azmat ki mujhe chalna sikhaya
main dagh ke aangan mein khili ban ke chameli
urdu hai mera nam main 'khusraw' ki paheli
'ghaalib' ne bulandi ka safar mujh ko sikhaya
'haali' ne murawwat ka sabaq yaad dilaya
'iqbaal' ne aaina-e-haq mujh ko dikhaya
'momin' ne sajai mere khwabon ki haweli
urdu hai mera nam main 'khusraw' ki paheli
hai 'zauq' ki azmat ki diye mujh ko sahaare
'chakbast' ki ulfat ne mere khwab sanware
'fani' ne sajae meri palkon pe sitare
'akbar' ne rachai meri be-rang hatheli
urdu hai mera nam main 'khusraw' ki paheli
kyun mujh ko banate ho tassub ka nishana
main ne to kabhi khud ko musalman nahin mana
dekha tha kabhi main ne bhi khushiyon ka zamana
apne hi watan mein hun magar aaj akeli
urdu hai mera nam main 'khusraw' ki paheli

apne munh se kah rahi hai saf urdu ki zaban
maulid-o-mawa hai mera kishwar-e-hindostan
is ke afal-o-rawabit de rahe hain khud nishan
kis tarah paida hui kyun kar badhi pal kar yahan
roz afzun husn ka har daur ek sayyara hai
hai dabistan lucknow dilli agar gahwara hai
muddaton sarkar-e-dehli mein rahi ye baryab
ab tak urdu-e-mualla hai wahi shahi khitab
daur-daura lucknow mein bhi tha qabl-az-inqalab
kar liya tha nukta-sanjon ne isi ko intikhab
har ada-shirin mazaq-e-parsa-o-rind mein
us ka tuti bolta tha sabza-zar-e-hind mein
tajribe ki aankh se dekha jo is ko honhaar
company ne kar liya apna sharik-e-karobar
daftaron mein mahakmon mein badh gaya uzw-e-waqar
jam gaya chalte hue sikkon pe naqsh-e-e'tibar
jab queen-wictoriya ki ye saheli ho gai
har zaban duniya mein is ki phir to cheli ho gai
farsi hindi ki aamezish se hai is ka wajud
yaadgar-e-ittihad-e-ahl-e-islam-o-hanud
dhup chhan ke rang ki hai wo qaba-e-hast-o-bud
kar-gah-e-hind se mansub jis ke tar-o-pud
suft-o-sangin ya libas-e-ariyat barik hai
jama-zebi se qad-e-mauzun par is ke thik hai
thi mah-e-nau rafta rafta mah-e-kaamil ban gai
shairana mahfilon mein sham-e-mahfil ban gai
husn-e-fitrat ki ada-fahmi ke qabil ban gai
jab zaban ki tez nashtar se rag-e-dil ban gai
kya qayamat hai ki dil par kuchh asar lete nahin
ho raha hai khun is ka tum khabar lete nahin
khinch do uth kar qawaid se hisar-e-afiyat
mil ke sab tayyar kar do jama o mane lughat
dekhte ho aae din jo ho rahi hai is ki gat
ek imarat hai hawa par ho muallaq jis ki chhat
is tarah ilmi sutunon par ise qaem karo
zalzala kaisa hi sakht aae magar jumbish na ho
har zaban ka lafz khap jae ye wusat is mein hai
har lughat ke jazb kar lene ki taqat is mein hai
brij-bhasha mein hai jo lazzat wo lazzat is mein hai
saf qand-e-farsi ki bhi halawat is mein hai
ras juz shir-o-shakar koi nahin is ko khurish
do zabanen chus kar pai hai is ne parwarish

farogh-e-chashm hai taskin-e-dil hai be-guman urdu
har ek aalam mein hai goya bahaar-e-gul-fishan urdu
koi dekhe to is ki quwwat-e-takhliq ka aalam
bana sakti hai zer-e-charkh lakhon aasman urdu
muqallid jo nahin is ka wo pahunchega na manzil par
sar-e-har-jada-e-manzil hai mir-e-karwan urdu
muhafiz apni quwwat se hai tahzib-o-tamaddun ki
na kyun ho irtiqa-e-zindagi ki raaz-dan urdu
gulistan-e-adab mein jis qadar the muntashir jalwe
munazzam kar chuki hai un ko misl-e-jism-o-jaan urdu
faza-e-ilm-o-fan par ye misal-e-abr chhai hai
mazaq-e-justuju ban kar rag-e-dil mein samai hai
zabanen aur bhi duniya mein kuchh garmi-e-mahfil hain
magar manzil hai urdu aur wo sab gard-e-manzil hain
har ek andaz raushan har bayan pur-kaif hai is ka
adaen jis qadar bhi hain wo sharh-e-jazba-e-dil hain
zamin-e-sher is ki ek chaman-zar-e-mohabbbat hai
hain jitne git wo sab naghma-e-fitrat ka hasil hai
riyazi ho ki mantiq falsafa ho ya tasawwuf ho
sab is ki bazm mein maujud hain aur jaan-e-mahfil hain
mili hain jalwa-e-fitrat ki sab ranginiyan is ko
muraqqe is ke sine se laga lene ke qabil hain
riwaj is ka jahan ki wusaton mein be-takalluf hai
ye pakiza zaban hai aur latif is ka tasarruf hai
mita sakta hai kaun aisi zaban-e-pak-fitrat ko
daya dars-e-wafa jis ne mazaq-e-mulk-o-millat ko
jumud-e-zindagi mein hashr barpa kar diya is ne
ata ki hain isi ne bijliyan ehsas-e-ulfat ko
nizam-e-zindagani par bada ehsan hai is ka
bahut aasaniyan is mein milen tabligh-e-fitrat ko
rahe shan-e-talaqat lafz-o-mani hain ki gul-bute
zahe auj-e-hazaqat jaan de di murda hikmat ko
ye mumkin hai ki qaumon ko mita de gardish-e-alam
magar koi mita sakta nahin urdu ki azmat ko
har ek tahrik is ki tarjuman jazb-e-kaamil hai
ki har aahang-e-urdu hamnawa-e-barbat-e-dil hai

wallah kya zaban hai urdu zaban hamari
fitrat ki tarjuman hai urdu zaban hamari
aaba ki dastan hai urdu zaban hamari
mazlum ki fughan hai urdu zaban hamari
hindu bhi bolte hain muslim bhi bolte hain
do jism ek jaan hai urdu zaban hamari
tamir ki hai is ki khud ko mita mita kar
aslaf ka nishan hai urdu zaban hamari
mitha ek ek jumla pur-kaif har maqala
al-haq shakar-fishan hai urdu zaban hamari
alfaz chand tare ban kar chamak rahe hain
rifat mein aasman hai urdu zaban hamari
'ghaalib' 'nasim' 'kaifi' chakbast 'zauq' 'sarshaar'
har shakhs ki zaban hai urdu zaban hamari
ek ek kitab is ki phula-phala chaman hai
gulzar-e-be-khizan hai urdu zaban hamari
'munshi-prem' is par hote na kyun tasadduq
mani hui zaban hai urdu zaban hamari
har aadmi ke dil mein ghar kar rahi hai 'shatir'
mahbub mehrban hai urdu zaban hamari

chahaton ka jahan hai urdu
rahaton ka nishan hai urdu
ishq ka e'tibar aur waqar
husn ki aan-ban hai urdu
dil-faza zau-kada sabahat ka
aur malahat ki kan hai urdu
nasr ka hai khiram-e-khush-hangam
shairi ki udan hai urdu
zinda hai apna zauq-o-shauq is se
aarzuon ki jaan hai urdu
lutf hasti ka rang masti ka
khushnuma karwan hai urdu
zikr-e-araish-e-kham-e-kakul
kaif-e-hindostan hai urdu
daftar-e-ittihad-o-yak-jehti
pyar ki dastan hai urdu
ekta hai anekta mein bhi
dost-dari ka man hai urdu
'ghaalib'-o-'mir' is ke shaida the
jin ki ruh-e-rawan hai urdu
'atish' o 'momin' o 'nazir' o 'jigar'
jin ki rangin zaban hai urdu
is ke aashiq 'nasim' aur chakbast
jin ke jazbon ki shan shan hai urdu
dost is ke 'surur' aur 'sarshaar'
is liye shadman hai urdu
dard-mand is ke 'premchand' rahe
jin ke bais jawan hai urdu
is ke mushtaq 'mulla' aur 'firaq'
jin ke dil ka bayan hai urdu
nara-zan 'josh' ka kharosh is mein
josh ki tarjuman hai urdu
'faiz' o 'iqbaal' o kirshn-chandar se
wusat-e-be-karan hai urdu
dhum 'mahrum' ki hui is mein
aur 'munawar' ki aan hai urdu
'rashid' o 'mira-ji' ki albeli
shokh-ada raazdan hai urdu
fitnat-o-fan ki daulat-e-bedar
'krishn-mohan' ki jaan hai urdu