bahte hue patte par bichchhu ghuum rahaa hai — Zeb Ghauri

"koi ghaTaa baalaa-e-baam si lagti hai shaam nahin hai lekin shaam si lagti hai dekhte hi aankhon mein aa jaataa hai surur hinaa tire haathon mein jaam si lagti hai mausam-e-gul bhi baad-e-sabaa bhi hai lekin nikhat-e-gesu mere naam si lagti hai ab main is ko kis gham se taa'bir karun ye shab bhi mujh ko be-naam si lagti hai 'ajab asiri 'ajab hai ye aazaadi bhi khuli fazaa hai lekin daam si lagti hai 'zeb' kivaaDein jab barson ke baa'd khulein taaza havaa bhi ik in'aam si lagti hai"

"kaundh uTThi kabhi bijli kabhi baadal chamkaa khalvat-e-husn kaa har gosha musalsal chamkaa jagmagaati rahi jalvon se tire bazm-e-nigaah kabhi gesu kabhi 'aariz kabhi aanchal chamkaa phuuT nikli kabhi honThon se koi shokh kiran kabhi palkon ki ghani chhaanv mein kaajal chamkaa sail-e-naghmaat mein shab teri sadaa kaa sho'la kabhi ojhal huaa ik pal kabhi ik pal chamkaa gesu-e-shab ke mahakte hue saae ke tale misl-e-aaina tiraa jism jhalaa-jhal chamkaa 'zeb' naghmon ke charaaghaan mein kise hosh thaa kal ik sitaara miri mizhgaan pe musalsal chamkaa"

"ik nazar mujh ko dekhtaa bhi nahin vo khafaa ho to kuchh gila bhi nahin kis qadar meri zaat hai tanhaa aur mujh se koi judaa bhi nahin bujhaa jaataa hai baar-baar charaagh tez kuchh is qadar havaa bhi nahin raaste mein paDi hai laash miri koi is samt dekhtaa bhi nahin saamne raaegaan 'adam kaa hai aur koi 'zeb' raasta bhi nahin"

"raah-guzar ke patthar paani lagne lage lutf-e-safar kyaa jab aasaani lagne lage arz-o-samaa ki gardish soch ke Dar jaaun paanv jamaa luun main vo ravaani lagne lage main ne jidhar bhi us ke havaale se dekhaa saare manzar us ki nishaani lagne lage ik ik harf itnaa dohraayaa phulon ne us ke rang-o-bu ki kahaani lagne lage ek kiran us ke aavezon se phuTi aur dariyaa saahil sab dhaani lagne lage jhaank kar us ki aankhon mein dekhun to mujhe kabhi bahaar kabhi viraani lagne lage kaise chhupaaun dil ke zakhmon ko us se aisi rafaaqat kyaa ki giraani lagne lage itni baasi nazron se mat dekh ki 'zeb' do din mein har chiiz puraani lagne lage"

"hai bahut taaq vo bedaad mein Dar hai ye bhi jaan salaamat na bachaa laaun khatar hai ye bhi dil ki lau phir usi Thahraao pe aa jaaegi ik zaraa der havaaon kaa asar hai ye bhi ju-e-paayaab-e-mohabbat mein javaahir mat DhunDh kisi patthar ko samajh le ki guhar hai ye bhi justuju gauhar-e-maani ki ziyaan vaqt kaa hai kyaa parakhtaa hai unhein sarf-e-nazar hai ye bhi manzilein khatm huiin tark o taalluq ki tamaam ab kisi samt nikal jaa ki safar hai ye bhi ab salaamat kahaan rah paaegaa ye naqsh-e-vafaa kuchh lahu dil kaa bachaa le ki hunar hai ye bhi dasht o dar mein vahi surkhi vahi peDon pe chamak zard phulon ko na dekho to sahar hai ye bhi aage chal ke to kaDe kos hain tanhaai ke aur kuchh duur talak lutf-e-safar hai ye bhi kyaa hai main jis ke tajassus mein pareshaan bhi huun 'zeb' kuchh haath na aaegaa khabar hai ye bhi"

"bahaar kaun si tujh mein jamaal-e-yaar na thi mushaahida thaa tiraa sair-e-laala-zaar na thi mahakti zulfon se khoshe gulon ke chhuT gire kuchh aur jaise ki gunjaaish-e-bahaar na thi ham apne dil hi ko rote the lekin is ke liye jahaan mein kaun si shai thi jo be-qaraar na thi talaash ek bahaana thaa khaak uDaane kaa pata chalaa ki hamein justuju-e-yaar na thi jhukaa hai qadmon mein tere vo sar ki jis ke liye koi jagah bhi munaasib sivaae daar na thi na jaane 'zeb' dil-e-zaar kyuun taDap uTThaa havaa-e-subh thi khushbu-e-zulf-e-yaar na thi"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"