qaid-e-tan se ruuh hai naashaad kyaa — Imdad Imam Asar

"kisi kaa dil ko rahaa intizaar saari raat falak ko dekhaa kiye baar baar saari raat taDap taDap ke tamannaa mein karvaTein badlin na paayaa dil ne hamaare qaraar saari raat idhar to shama thi giryaan udhar the ham giryaan isi tarah pe rahe ashk-baar saari raat khayaal-e-sham-rukh-e-yaar mein jale taa-subh liyaa qaraar na parvaana-vaar saari raat na puchh soz-e-judaai ko ham se ai hamdam jalaa kiyaa ye dil-e-daaghdaar saari raat mizha ke ishq se aai na niind aankhon mein nazar khaTakti rahi ban ke khaar saari raat khayaal-e-zulf-e-siyah mein bahaa kiye aansu bandhaa rahaa mire rone kaa taar saari raat na puchh ham se 'asar' raat kis tarah kaaTi ajab tarah kaa rahaa intishaar saari raat"

"subh-dam roti jo teri bazm se jaati hai shama saaf mere soz-e-gham kaa rang dikhlaati hai shama jis tarah kaale ke man ke ru-ba-ru gul ho charaagh dekh kar taaviz-e-zulf-e-yaar bujh jaati hai shama sirf parvaana adab se dam-ba-khud rahtaa nahin tere roab-e-husn se mahfil mein tharraati hai shama gher lete hain tujhe parvaane us ko chhoD kar jis mein tu ho kab farogh us bazm mein paati hai shama kaarband-e-adl hote hain jo hain raushan-dimaagh bazm mein har samt yaksaan nuur pahunchaati hai shama parda-e-faanus se baahar nahin rakhti qadam ru-ba-ru tere rukh-e-raushan ke sharmaati hai shama jaa-e-girya sohbat-e-ahle--tamaashaa hai 'asar' hai bajaa roti hui jo bazm mein aati hai shama"

"apne dar se jo uThaate hain hamein khaak mein aap milaate hain hamein hai jo manzur jafaa dar-parda munh vo ghairon mein dikhaate hain hamein ghair ko paas biThaa rakhte hain jab kabhi aap bulaate hain hamein garmiyaan ghair ko dikhlaa dikhlaa bazm mein aap jalaate hain hamein shab-e-furqat mein falak ke taare daagh-e-dil yaad dilaate hain hamein un ke andaaz-e-sukhan hain maalum ghair ko kah ke sunaate hain hamein phir kisi gul pe huaa dil maail daagh-e-taaza nazar aate hain hamein chhoD dein aap ki hamraahi ham vaah kyaa raah bataate hain hamein tu hamein raah bataae jis se ghair vo raah bataate hain hamein itr-e-gul se nahin jab dil bhartaa apnaa rumaal sunghaate hain hamein shab ko afsaana-e-dil kah ke 'asar' aap rote hain rulaate hain hamein"

"bahe saath ashk ke lakht-e-jigar tak na ki us ne miri jaanib nazar tak abas sayyaad ko hai bad-gumaani nahin baazu mein apne ek par tak khabar aai mariz-e-dard-o-gham ki kahin pahunche khabar us be-khabar tak nazaakat se lagi bal karne kyaa kyaa abhi gesu na pahunche the kamar tak jiye jaate hain shakl-e-sham-e-sozaan na kuchh baaqi raheinge ham sahar tak agar main yaad hotaa to na aate magar bhule se aae mere ghar tak dam-e-girya thi ghaalib naa-tavaani pahunchte lakht-e-dil kyaa chashm-e-tar tak khudaa jaane 'asar' ko kyaa huaa hai rahaa kartaa hai chup do do pahar tak"

"mere sar mein jo raat chakkar thaa us ke zaanu pe ghair kaa sar thaa apne ghar un ko kyaa bulaate ham boriyaa bhi nahin mayassar thaa zabt-e-dil par bhi us ki mahfil mein apnaa rumaal ashk se tar thaa jaan dene mein soch kyaa karte muflisi par bhi dil tavangar thaa khub-o-zisht-e-jahaan kaa farq na puchh maut jab aai sab baraabar thaa aap jab tak na le chuke the dil kuchh mizaaj aur banda-parvar thaa hijr laahiq huaa visaal ke baad kyaa hi ulTaa miraa muqaddar thaa jaur-e-aadaa ki taab kyaa laataa dil-e-kam-bakht naaz-parvar thaa sohbat-e-hur se hui nafrat main jo teri adaa kaa khugar thaa hai 'asar' yaa nahin khudaa jaane sunte hain us kaa haal abtar thaa"

"gham nahin mujh ko jo vaqt-e-imtihaan maaraa gayaa khush huun tere haath se ai jaan-e-jaan maaraa gayaa tegh-e-abru se dil-e-aashiq ko milti kyaa panaah jo chaDhaa munh par ajal ke be-gumaan maaraa gayaa manzil-e-maa'shuq tak pahunchaa salaamat kab koi rahzanon se kaarvaan kaa kaarvaan maaraa gayaa dosti ki tum ne dushman se 'ajab tum dost ho main tumhaari dosti mein mehrbaan maaraa gayaa zahr se kuchh kam na thi daa'vat miri ghairon ke saath kyaa ghazab hai ghar balaa kar mehmaan maaraa gayaa dasht-e-ghurbat ranj-e-tanhaai hujum-e-dard-o-yaas in balaaon mein tiraa 'aashiq kahaan maaraa gayaa kyaa halaak-e-ishq tere gesuon kaa thaa 'asar' sumbulistaan ho gayaa hai do-jahaan maaraa gayaa"

"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"

"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"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"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"