koi ghaTaa baalaa-e-baam si lagti hai — Zeb Ghauri

"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"

"jhuke hue peDon ke tanon par chhaap hai chanchal dhaare ki haule haule Dol rahi hai ghaas nadi ke kinaare ki kasi hui mirdang saa paani havaa ki thaap se bajtaa hai lahar tarang se uThti hai jhankaar kisi ektaare ki khuli fazaa mein nikle to zang-e-yaksaani duur huaa ek havaa ke jhonke ne rangat badli angaare ki abr ki tah mein bijli chamki us kaa tabassum thaa magar aur lafzon mein pahchaan na paae thi jo baat ishaare ki dekh rahaa huun band khudaa ki muTThi hone vaali hai subh ke moti par ab bhi hai dhimi aanch sitaare ki sakht chaTaanein shisha paani gul-buTe sab zaaea the sang-o-shajar ko maani de gai taan kisi banjaare ki"

"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"

"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"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"saanvli dhuup surmai mausam phir vahi ham hain phir vahi mausam khair ho saaebaan-e-gum-gashta jhelne paD gae kai mausam daastaan-e-tazaad hai goyaa shahr-e-khubaan samundari mausam ham ne apni bayaaz mein likkhe dil pe biite hue sabhi mausam ik ta'alluq hai 'aarzi yaa'ni mausam-e-gul hai 'aarzi mausam dil-figaaron ko kaun samjhaae lauTte kab hain makhmali mausam"

"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"

"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"

"ab tire lams ko yaad karne kaa ik silsila aur divaana-pan rah gayaa tu kahin kho gayaa aur pahlu mein teri shabaahat liye ik badan rah gayaa vo saraapaa tiraa vo tire khaal-o-khad meri yaadon mein sab muntashir ho gae lafz ki justuju mein laraztaa huaa nim-vaa saa faqat ik dahan rah gayaa harf ke harf se kyaa tazaadaat hain tu ne bhi kuchh kahaa main ne bhi kuchh kahaa tere pahlu mein duniyaa simaTti gai mere hisse mein harf-e-sukhan rah gayaa tere jaane se mujh par ye uqda khulaa rang-o-khushbu to bas teri miraas the ek hasrat saji rah gai gul-ba-gul ek maatam chaman-dar-chaman rah gayaa ek be-naam khvaahish ki paadaash mein teri palkein bhi baaham piro di gaiin ek vahshat ko sairaab karte hue mein bhi aankhon mein le kar thakan rah gayaa arsa-e-khvaab se vaqt maujud ke raaste mein ganvaa di gai guftugu ek israar ki bebasi rah gai ek inkaar kaa baankpan rah gayaa tu sitaaron ko apni jilau mein liye jaa rahaa thaa tujhe kyaa khabar kyaa huaa ik tamannaa dariche mein baiThi rahi ek bistar kahin be-shikan rah gayaa"