achchhi thi yaa buri thi bas ik haal par gai — Salik Lakhnavi

"hujum-e-shahr se hai ab talaash-e-viraana khirad ki bhiiD se ghabraa gayaa hai divaana kushaada zarf hai kitni ye bazm-e-rindaana janaab-e-shaikh ko samjhaa nahin hai begaana kitaab-e-zist hai majmua ik fasaanon kaa usi mein hai kahin meraa bhi ek afsaana pilaa kuchh aur ai saaqi ki hosh hai ab tak kisi ki yaad mein haail hai shor-e-mai-khaana jise bhi dekhiye maatam-guzaar-e-qismat hai havas ne kar diyaa duniyaa ko ik azaa-khaana hamin se mai-kada 'saalik' hamin rahein pyaase chalo uTho ki badal dein nizaam-e-mai-khaana"

"mileinge raah mein sahraa bahut bahut gulshan ye dekhnaa hai kahaan rokti hai apni thakan chale chalo ki hai aaraasta rah-e-manzil kahin hai daar ba-qadr-e-junun kahin hai rasan rah-e-hayaat mein ik rang mein the kitne rang ulajh ke rah gayaa dil ki nigaah kaa daaman thi gul-misaal miri guftugu tire rukh se churaa liyaa tire honTon se main ne rang-e-sukhan kahaan kahaan na jali teri yaad ki qindil kahaan kahaan na hui dil ki justuju raushan"

"mire siine mein soz-e-aarzu kis ki inaayat hai subu meraa mai-e-naab-e-subu kis ki inaayat hai jahaan-e-khaak-zaa mein ek zarra hai vajud apnaa magar zarre mein zauq-e-justuju kis ki inaayat hai garebaan kahkashaan kaa thaam leti hai nazar apni junun-o-shauq shor-e-haa-o-hu kis ki inaayat hai ye maanaa baaghbaan main huun ye sehn-e-gulsitaan meraa magar phulon mein josh-e-rang-o-bu kis ki inaayat hai musavvir huun ye mere rang hain ye mu-qalam meraa magar tasvir mein rang-e-numu kis ki inaayat hai ye mizraab-o-surud-o-saaz-e-mahfil sab mire lekin mughanni kaa dil-e-aahang-ju kis ki inaayat hai ye mumkin hai nigaah-e-ishq se pinhaan rahe jalva magar ehsaas-e-zulf-e-mushk-bu kis ki inaayat hai ye meri bandish-e-alfaaz ye meri ghazal 'saalik' mire sheron mein pinhaan guftugu kis ki inaayat hai"

"dil-e-be-qaid ne baa-nur-e-imaan kaafiri ki hai haram mein sar jhukaayaa hai buton ki chaakari ki hai ba-sad bechaargi roz-e-azal se ibn-e-aadam ne khudaa ke har tasavvur par kisi ki but-gari ki hai khudaa shaahid inhin haathon ne toDe hain hazaaron but khudaa shaahid inhin haathon ne aksar aazari ki hai mataaa-e-bandagi bakhshish ki khaatir le kar aaya thaa sar-e-mahshar khudaa ke saath bhi saudaagari ki hai mashiyyat thi rahe majbur-e-mahkumi amal mere kabhi ki hai azaazili kabhi paighambari ki hai bas ik dar ke sivaa ye sar kahin jhukne nahin paayaa faqiri mein bhi is dil ne baDi iskandari ki hai kabhi taarikh-saazi ki kabhi afsaane bun Daale kabhi 'saalik' ne un ki yaad mein kuchh shaairi ki hai"

"har aaine se meraa dil puchhtaa hai ye 'saalik' vahi hai tu pahchaantaa hai vo sach laae jitne vo sab jhuTh nikle mujhe jhuTaa kahte hain vo intihaa hai khudaa aazmaae sanam aazmaae sanam jaante hain khudaa jaantaa hai bahut suuni suuni hain lailaa ki raahein ki majnun kaa dil be-sadaa ho gayaa hai ye maanaa ki sab hain ravaan su-e-manzil jise dekho vo qaafile se judaa hai main tauba-zada huun mujhe ye bataao mire baad maikhaane kaa haal kyaa hai"

"Dartaa rahtaa huun ham-nashinon mein ek patthar huun aabginon mein baat karnaa jinhein nahin aati aaj vo bhi hain nukta-chinon mein jo bhanvar ko samajhte hain saahil aise bhi log hain safinon mein mohtasib gin le ungliyon hi par chand hi rind hain kaminon mein khizr guzre the shahr se apne ham bhi the ek raah-binon mein baiat-e-haq ki baat kyaa karte haath larzaan the aastinon mein faiz-e-shahr-e-'anis' se 'saalik' sher kahte hain in zaminon mein"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"