us raat aasmaan pe taarey they is kadaR
dushwar ho raha tha safar mahtaab ka
Ik bekinaar hijaR ka dasht-e-chaman numa
aa’ttki hui thi nakhl-e-tamanna ki shaakh paR
fasal-e-paReeda rang ki masli hui qaba
Ik ajnabi duwa
khilney lagey they dast-e-hawa par khizaN key phool
jaati hui bahaar k tootey huwey asool
chehRa azal ki aag tha aaNkheN abad ki dhool!
us raat tootey huwy taaroN ki goonj meiN
ham kitni deR chaltey rahy kuch pata nahi
kab tak ham apney an-kahey lafzoN ki kirchiyaN
farsh-e-hawa se chuntey rahey kuch pata nahi
shabnam k saath saath chamkey tamaam shab
taarey they k wo aks meray aaNsu’oN key they!
kyuN kurbatoN k shor meiN ghutney laga tha dam
kismat k they k halqey terey baazu’oN k they
Kuch pata nahi
gard is qadaR hai aaina-o-maah-o-saal paR
khaaboN k aks apney khad-o-khaal kho gaye
aaNkhoN k rang ley gai taaroN ki roshni
chehroN k naksh ray’et ki tehreeR ho gaye
taktey they dil ki simt jo qarnoN ki ott sey
benaam khaahishoN k wo mosam badal gaye
soorat garoob ho gaye, mehtaab dhal gaye
taair shaheed ho gaey, ashjaar jal gaye
saahil ka jhaag ho k mitey ya k rizq-e-abr
aata nahi palat k kabhi jo gaya — gaya
lekin ye kya k aaj bhi jis raat mehtaab
taaroN k bekinaaR meiN rasta na paa sakey
aa’NkhoN meiN jilmilaatey huwy aaNsu’oN k paaR
milti heiN is tarhaN sey zamaanoN ki sarhadeN
chalta nahi pata
ham peechey reh gaye heiN k aagey nikal gaye!sighz*
