main samajhtaa thaa haqiqat aashnaa ho jaaegaa — 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"

"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"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"