jaan rahe yaa na rahe naam rahe — 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"

"taavil-e-ahd-e-fan hi to vahshat kaa hal nahin pesh-e-nazar junun hai yaaro ghazal nahin ab is ke baad ahd ki taarik raat hai ye ikhtitaam-e-shaam hai subh-e-azal nahin ai dost ishq mansab-e-fahm-o-shuur hai ye irtiqaa hai zehn kaa koi khalal nahin ik umr ratjagon ki aziyyat mein kaaT di ab mere khvaab niind kaa radd-e-amal nahin kyaa kyaa ataa-e-neamat-e-rabb-e-karim hai lekin 'samir' dard kaa nemul-badal nahin"

"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"

"bahut shaadaab ho lekin bayaabaani nahin jaati ki baam-e-auj chhune se bhi arzaani nahin jaati kai chehron ne aavaazon ne dil aabaad rakkhaa hai magar aankhon mein raqsaan hai jo viraani nahin jaati mujhe apni numu ke vaaste tum se bichhaDnaa hai tumhaare saath rahne se tan-aasaani nahin jaati main is dil ki sabhi sachchaaiyaan taslim kartaa huun magar ik baat aisi bhi hai jo maani nahin jaati hujum-e-shor-o-ghul mein kaun thaa kis ne pukaaraa thaa yahaan to apni bhi aavaaz pahchaani nahin jaati 'samir' is ishq mein insaan kyaa itnaa badaltaa hai main khud par ghaur kartaa huun to hairaani nahin jaati"

"vo tijaarat mein kahaan koi ziyaan chhoDtaa hai ruuh le letaa hai aa'saab yahaan chhoDtaa hai hai ye patthar miraa shishe se tire baalaa-tar kam se kam zulm ke maathe pe nishaan chhoDtaa hai bazm-e-anjum mein uThaa laae ho ye kis kaa diyaa nuur to kuchh nahin detaa hai dhuaan chhoDtaa hai ham se khud-sar su-e-maidaan-e-vighaa jaate hue ye nahin sochte hain kaun kahaan chhoDtaa hai 'ishq vo mo'jiza-e-kun hai nishaan jo apne jahaan hoti nahin ummid vahaan chhoDtaa hai qasr-e-fir'aun idhar aur udhar vaadi-e-misr dekhnaa ye hai kidhar aab-e-ravaan chhoDtaa hai ai khirad-baakhta shaddaad iram par tiri tuf itne saste mein koi baagh-e-jinaan chhoDtaa hai vahshatein khinch liye jaati hain sahraa mein 'safar' apni marzi se bhalaa kaun makaan chhoDtaa hai"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"

"kis ajab saaat-e-naayaab mein aayaa huaa huun tujh se milne main tire khvaab mein aayaa huaa huun phir vahi main huun, vahi hijr kaa dariyaa-e-amiq koi dam aks-e-sar-e-aab mein aayaa huaa huun kaise aaine ke maanind chamaktaa huaa main ishq ke shahr-e-abad-taab mein aayaa huaa huun meri har taan hai az-roz-e-azal taa-ba-abad ek sur ke liye mizraab mein aayaa huaa huun koi parchhaain kabhi jism se karti hai kalaam? be-sabab saaya-e-mahtaab mein aayaa huaa huun har guzarte hue lamhe mein Tapaktaa huaa mein dard huun, vaqt ke aasaab mein aayaa huaa huun kaisi gahraai se niklaa huun adam ki 'irfaan' kaise paayaab se taalaab mein aayaa huaa huun"