din Dhalaa shab hui charaagh jale — Akhtar Ziai

"apni qismat mein gham-e-arsa-e-hijraan hai to kyaa ashk minnat-kash-e-gahvaara-e-mizhgaan hai to kyaa husn arbaab-e-haqiqat ko hai naazura-e-haq shaikh ji aap ko andesha-e-imaan hai to kyaa vaqt ke saath fuzun hotaa hai ehsaas-e-ziyaan fahm-o-idraak hi ghaarat-gar-e-insaan hai to kyaa be-muhaabaana masarrat ke taaaqub mein na dauD daam-e-nairang pas-e-sarhad-e-imkaan hai to kyaa ham to ik umr se hain muntazir-e-marg-e-khizaan ab ke logon mein agar zikr-e-bahaaraan hai to kyaa mausam aataa hai to kaanTon hi mein gul khilte hain dast-e-gul-chin mein agar nazm-e-gulistaan hai to kyaa zer-e-taamir isi haal mein hai mustaqbil is mein kuchh rekht kaa pahlu bhi numaayaan hai to kyaa"

"tujh se ai ziist hamein jitne hasin khvaab mile naqsh-bar-aab kabhi surat-e-simaab mile ham ne har mauj-e-havaadis ko kinaaraa samjhaa ham ko har mauj mein lipTe hue girdaab mile gardish-e-vaqt ne gahnaa diye kitne suraj subh ki god mein dam toDte mahtaab mile jab bhi sadiyon ki futuhaat ko muD kar dekhaa khuun mein lithDe hue taarikh ke abvaab mile sail-e-zulmaat mein hai qaafila-e-manzil-e-shab kaash aise mein koi najm-e-ufuq-taab mile ahl-e-kirdaar ko dekhaa hai sar-e-daar aksar ahl-e-guftaar tah-e-saaya-e-mehraab mile fasl-e-gul aai hai yaaro to ghanimat jaano phuul afsurda sahi zakhm to shaadaab mile dil ke har daagh se vaabasta hai rudaad-e-sitam ranj baDhtaa gayaa juun juun mujhe ahbaab mile mujh ko 'akhtar' na mili naala-e-shab-gir ki daad qarya-e-shauq ke sab log garaan-khvaab mile"

"ahd-e-vafaa kaa qarz adaa kar diyaa gayaa mahrumiyon kaa dard ataa kar diyaa gayaa phulon ke daagh-haa-e-farozaan ko dekh kar arzaan kuchh aur rang-e-hinaa kar diyaa gayaa vaaraftgaan-e-shauq kaa shikva sune baghair gulshan supurd-e-ahl-e-jafaa kar diyaa gayaa dil se umang lab se duaa chhin li gai kahne ko qaidiyon ko rihaa kar diyaa gayaa yak-do-nafas bhi kaar-e-ziyaan ham na kar sake khushbu ko pairahan se judaa kar diyaa gayaa maangi thi aafiyat ki duaa aagahi kaa gham pahle se bhi kuchh aur sivaa kar diyaa gayaa 'akhtar' havas-garaan-e-aqidat ke faiz se sab kuchh ravaa ba-naam-e-khudaa kar diyaa gayaa"

"saamaan sad hazaar hain tu jaag to sahi sab vaqf-e-intizaar hain tu jaag to sahi ghaafil nazar uThaa ki vo aasaar-e-subh-e-nau gardun pe aashkaar hain tu jaag to sahi auqaat teri quvvat-e-baazu pe munhasir lamhaat saazgaar hain tu jaag to sahi teraa yaqin teraa amal tere valvale hasti kaa e'tibaar hain tu jaag to sahi o mahv-e-khvaab dida-e-binaa ke vaaste khud jalve be-qaraar hain tu jaag to sahi be-barg be-libaas darakhton ki Tahniyaan paighaam-e-nau-bahaar hain tu jaag to sahi 'akhtar'-ziyaai niind ke maaton ke shahr mein kuchh log hoshiyaar hain tu jaag to sahi"

"burrish-e-tegh bhi hai phuul ki mahkaar bhi hai vo khamoshi ki jo sad maujib-e-izhaar bhi hai chhoDiye un ke shab-o-roz ki rudaad-e-zubun aap ko khaak-nashinon se sarokaar bhi hai maslahat mujh ko bhi malhuz hai ai ham-sukhano par mire pesh-e-nazar vaqt ki raftaar bhi hai maut ke khauf se har saans ruki jaati hai zindagi aaj koi teraa kharidaar bhi hai talkhi-e-haal ko hai ishrat-e-fardaa kaa fareb dil junun-kosh hai aur 'aql tarahdaar bhi hai mere mahbub mujhe vaqf-e-taghaaful na samajh ziist ke laakh taqaaze hain teraa pyaar bhi hai ahl-e-guftaar ki to bhiiD lagi hai 'akhtar' dekhnaa in mein koi saahab-e-kirdaar bhi hai"

"chhupe hue hain sar-e-raah sau khatar khaamosh chale chalo mere yaaraan-e-ham-safar khaamosh fazaa-e-qarya tilism-e-sukut mein gum-sum siyaah raat ke daaman mein baam-o-dar khaamosh hamaare baa'd agar rustakhez ho bhi to kyaa bisaat-e-vaqt se ham to gae guzar khaamosh ba-in navaazish-e-mausam shaguft-e-gul pe na jaa zabaan-e-haal se goyaa ba-chashm-e-tar khaamosh jo arsh-e-jaah sitaara-shikaar the un ko falak ki aankh ne dekhaa faganda-sar khaamosh har ek daur mein gunji hai zarbat-e-farhaad kabhi bhi rah na sake saahab-e-hunar khaamosh zabaan-daraaz 'ziyaai' ko rokiye saahab ye maslahat kaa taqaazaa hai al-hazar khaamosh"

"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"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"