Kal aur aaj

woh bhi kyaa log thay aasaan thiiN raaheN jin ki

band aaNkheN kiye ik simt chale jaate thay

a'ql-o-dil, Khwaab-o-Haqeeqat ki nah uljhan, nah Khalish

muKhtalif jalwe nigaahoN ko nah bahlaate thay

i'shq saadah bhi thaa, beKhud bhi, junooN peshah bhii

Husn ko apni adaa`oN peh Hijaab aataa thaa

phuul khilte thay to phuuloN meN nash`ah hotaa thaa

raat Dhaltii thee to sheeshoN peh shabaab aataa thaa

chaaNdnii kaif-asar, ruuH-afzaa~ hoti thee

abr aataa thaa to bad-mast bhi ho jaate thay

din meN shorish bhi hu`aa karti thee haNgaame bhii

raat ki go`d meN muNh DhaaNp ke so jaate thay

narm-rau waqt ke dhaare peh safeene thay rawaaN

saaHil-o-baHr ke aaiiN nah badalte thay kabhii

naa-KhudaaoN peh bharosah thaa, muqaddar peh yaqeeN

chaadar-e-aab se tuufaaN nah ubalte thay kabhii

ham keh tuufaanoN ke paale bhi aur sataaye bhii

barq-o-baaraaN meN wohi shama'eN jalaayeN kaise

yeh jo aatish-kadah duniya meN bhaRak uTThaa hai

aaNsu`oN se usay har baar bujhaayeN kaise

kar diyaa barq-o-buKhaaraat ne maHshar barpa

apne daftar meN litaafat ke siwaa kuchh bhi nahiiN

ghir gaye waqt ki be-raHm kashaa-kash meN, magar

paas tehzeeb ki daulat ke siwaa kuchh bhi nahiiN

yeh andheraa, yeh talaatum, yeh hawaa`oN ka Kharosh

iss meN taaroN ki subuk-narm ziyaa~ kyaa kartii

talKhii-e-ziist se kaRwaa hu`aa aashiq kaa mizaaj

nigah-e-yaar ki ma’suum adaa kyaa kartii

safar aasaaN thaa to manzil bhi baRii raushan thii

aaj kiss darjah pur-asraar haiN raaheN apnii

kitni parchhaa`iiyaaN aatii haiN tajallee ban kar

kitne jalwoN se ulajhtii haiN nigaaheN apnii