Har roz aik nazm likhne keliye baiThtaa hoon
har roz binaa likhay phir mein uThtaa hoon
kya karoon ke hazaaron mazmoon zehn nasheen hain
kya likhoon ke har aik khyaal mujhe dilnasheen hai?
Kabhi murgh-e-khird uRtay hain tassawuf ke aasmaanon mein
kabhi jee chaahata hai likhoN kuchh maikhaanoN mein
kabhi dil midhat-e-Sarwar-e-Kainaat chaahita hai
kabhi zikr-e-ashraf-e-makhlooqat aajaata hai!
kabhi sochtaa hoon ke sair karooN madinay ki galliyon ki
kabhi tafreeH karta hooN puraanay maashuq ki galliyon ki!
na aik jaggah khyaal Tehrtaa hai aur na qalam chalti hai
chand aik ilfaaz likh kar, phir meri syaahee jaa rukti hai!
issi jid-o-jehad-e-dunyaa-o-deen mein paRa rehta hooN
kabhi paa-e-Shaikh, kabhi mast-e-mai paRa rehta hooN
kabhi jazbaat choo lete hain Zaat-e-Haq ki tammanaoN ko
aur kabhi maan leti hai nafs hawas ke iraadoN
ko
kabhi hum-kalaam e Saadi aur Hafiz, Rumi o Jami
kabhi hum pyaala-e-rind o sharaabi, faasiq o jahannami!
kabhi soonGhtaa hooN behisht ki taaza mehak ko
kabhi tarasta hooN garam bistar ki lipak ko!
kabhi paakeezah phool khilte hain mere khyaaloN mein
kabhi mughelaaN aate hain inhee bayaabaanon mein
baaz awqaat ishq ki intehaa chahataa hooN
kabhi aashiqoN ki sirf sazaa chaahataa hooN
aakhir har roz nateeja nikalta hai yehi
aur nawaai-e-sarosh aata hai yehi:
kyon nahin tu qaaim rehta, ay Asif, aik hi raah par
kyoon larztaa rehta hai tu pul-Siraat par!
Idhar noor hai udhar naar hai
Aur tu naa aar hai, na paar hai!
Asif (extempore)
(repost from ages ago!)