rakht-e-safar kaa main ne iraada nahin kiyaa — Naeem Saba

"nashaat-e-mai hai ki jaam-e-sharaab hai kyaa hai vo khvaab-e-husn hai yaa husn-e-khvaab hai kyaa hai nigaar-e-husn-e-ghazaalaan bahaar raahat-e-jaan sahar kaa nuur hai vo maahtaab hai kyaa hai havaa chali vahi khushbu-badan ki yaad aai ye khvaab hai ki haqiqat saraab hai kyaa hai shab-e-visaal jo guzri ki tere chehre par sabaa kaa lams hai rang-e-hijaab hai kyaa hai ye shaam-e-gham bhi nahin yaad-e-raftagaan bhi nahin ajiib si hai khalish iztiraab hai kyaa hai chaman mein nikhat-e-gul hai na ab nasim-e-bahaar dhuaan saa phailaa huaa hai sahaab hai kyaa hai charaagh ab bhi tiri rahguzar mein jaltaa hai miri vafaa kaa sila hai hisaab hai kyaa hai vo shams hai ki sitaaraa vo chaand hai ki sahar vo shakhs jaan-e-'sabaa' hai saraab hai kyaa hai"

"gila hai apne muqaddar ki be-hisi se hamein aur is se baDh ke shikaayat hai zindagi se hamein kabhi nigaar-e-lab-e-shoala-vash kaa zikr chalaa kabhi hisaar-e-gham-e-jaan milaa kisi se hamein kabhi thaa qurb mein ik iztiraab kaa aalam kabhi qaraar milaa teri be-rukhi se hamein kabhi malaal huaa iltifaat-e-paiham se kabhi khushi thi bahut tark-e-dosti se hamein kabhi gumaan ki ye duniyaa hai ik fareb-e-nazar yaqin bhi hai khudaa ke vajud hi se hamein hayaat-e-jehd-e-musalsal mein kyon hai sargardaan zaraa pataa to chale ilm-o-aagahi se hamein agarche dil ko mili thi naved-e-subh-e-jamaal najaat mil na saki shab ki tirgi se hamein khaDe hain dasht-e-balaa-khez mein barahna-paa milaa hai izn-e-safar jazba-e-khudi se hamein 'sabaa' ye kaun si manzil hai dasht-e-imkaan mein na aashnaa se gharaz hai na ajnabi se hamein"

"kaf-e-ghubaar mein malbus meraa paikar thaa ye saaneha to azal se miraa muqaddar thaa har ek samt se mujh par hui thi baarish-e-sang zahe-nasib main apne makaan ke andar thaa sukut-e-shab mein ye aavaaz mujh ko di kis ne vo raaste kaa musaafir thaa yaa ki rahbar thaa usi kaa aks rahaa aaine mein jalva-fagan vo apni zaat kaa shaayad khud aaina-gar thaa tire jamaal se thi zindagi mein raanaai mire vajud kaa tu hi azal se mehvar thaa andheri raat mein saaya bhi saath de na sakaa nasheb-e-raah mein khud hi main apnaa rahbar thaa miri nazar mein baresham thaa silk pairaahan guhar bhi mere liye raaste kaa patthar thaa mire safar ki 'sabaa' intihaa yahi to nahin qadam thaa ret pe aur saamne samundar thaa"

"firaaq-e-yaar mein aisi bhi ek shab aai charaagh jal gayaa aankhon mein niind jab aai umid-o-bim ke aalam mein thi nigaah-e-shauq kisi ki yaad mire dil mein nim-shab aai sahar ke baad bhi thaa teraa intizaar mujhe nigaah dar se har ik baar tishna-lab aai na shaghl-e-baada-kashi hai na shauq-e-raamish-o-rang ye kis maqaam par ab mahfil-e-tarab aai khum-o-subu bhi hain labrez ab sharaabon se ye dekhnaa hai ki rindon ko niind kab aai main tere shahr mein tujh se bhi sar-kashida huun tu mujh se milne sar-e-raah be-sabab aai sitaare Duub gae aur shab tamaam hui charaagh bujh gayaa aankhon mein niind tab aai na dil mein mauj-e-tamannaa na lab pe harf-e-vafaa ye kis ravish pe 'sabaa' zindagi hai ab aai"

"ye tere hijr kaa mausam saraab jaisaa hai har ek lamha musalsal azaab jaisaa hai labon pe us ke tabassum ke phuul khilte hain vo ek chehra moattar gulaab jaisaa hai kisi ne jaam uThaayaa kisi ki zulf khuli havaa ke dosh pe mausam sahaab jaisaa hai ba-naam-e-laala-rukhaan kuchh to zahr-e-gham pi lein tire labon mein halaahil sharaab jaisaa hai vo mere paas hai lekin ye haal hai apnaa sukun dil kaa bhi ab iztiraab jaisaa hai qaraar-e-jaan bhi vahi iztiraab-e-jaan bhi vahi vo ek shakhs mujassam-shabaab jaisaa hai khalish hai dil mein kasak si hai bekali bhi hai 'sabaa' ye hosh kaa aalam bhi khvaab jaisaa hai"

"aaina ik khayaal kaa huun shishagar nahin main vo makaan huun jis kaa koi baam-o-dar nahin kis samt jaa rahaa huun ye mujh ko khabar nahin main jis ki huun talaash mein ye vo sahar nahin aaya huun ajnabi ki tarah shahr-e-dard mein jo rahguzar mili vo tiri rahguzar nahin apni salib-e-jaan pe khaDaa huun barahna sar ik jaam huun sifaal kaa main kuza-gar nahin ik dasht-e-be-gumaan mein hai manzil ki justuju ik karb-e-laa-zavaal hai jis se mafar nahin tanhaaiyon ke zahr se be-kal hai zindagi meraa rafiq-e-shab bhi miraa ham-safar nahin har shaakh par salib kaa hotaa hai ab gumaan be-barg har shajar hai ki jis mein samar nahin aksar ye sochtaa huun safar kaa nishaan mile shaayad rah-e-hayaat abhi mukhtasar nahin paani ki buund ko bhi tarasti hai ye zamin abr-e-bahaar kaa bhi yahaan se guzar nahin taair ki tarah main huun 'sabaa' ab shikasta par parvaaz ki havas hai magar baal-o-par nahin"

"mahv-e-hairat huun miraa khaar ne rasta dekhaa ek kirdaar kaa kirdaar ne rasta dekhaa kaun kahtaa hai talabgaar ne rasta dekhaa ek be-daar kaa bedaar ne rasta dekhaa kam-nasibi ki mulaaqaat se mahrum rahe khush-nasibi ki mire yaar ne rasta dekhaa anginat aae ruke aur ravaana bhi hue kab kisi shakhs kaa sansaar ne rasta dekhaa apne vaalon ne musibat mein bhulaayaa lekin dosti ke liye aghyaar ne rasta dekhaa main ne sachchaai ko jis roz se apnaayaa hai meraa aksar rasan-o-daar ne rasta dekhaa tujh se 'mahmud' use pyaar bahut thaa shaayad marte dam tak tire bimaar ne rasta dekhaa"

"dushmani chalti rahi yaaron ke biich phuul bhi khilte rahe khaaron ke biich ho agar imaan-e-kaamil aaj bhi raqs ho saktaa hai angaaron ke biich dosti ki chhat banaanaa chaahiye ham ko bhi rahnaa hai divaaron ke biich aap ko to chaand kahte the sabhi aap kyon dhundlaa gae taaron ke biich khud-farebi ne sahaaraa de diyaa mil gayaa iqraar inkaaron ke biich khuub hai 'muztar' kaa rang-e-shaairi khuun ki surkhi hai ghazal-paaron ke biich"

"miri jaanib nigaah-e-naaz kar aahista aahista mire dil ke jazire mein utar aahista aahista mohabbat donon jaanib hai tafaavut sirf itnaa hai idhar hai tez-rau lekin udhar aahista aahista tiri beTi kaa qad tere baraabar ho gayaa shaayad tu apni khud-kushi par ghaur kar aahista aahista sahar aai na aae vo sitaaro jaao so jaao ki ab chalte hain ham bhi apne ghar aahista aahista jo kal tak meri barbaadi ki qasmein khaate phirte the vahi ab ho rahe hain dar-ba-dar aahista aahista na jaane rah-ravaan-e-raah kaa ab hashr kyaa hogaa bhaTakte jaa rahe hain raahbar aahista aahista khudaa ke vaaste samjhaa-bujhaa kar rok le koi vo dekho jaa rahe hain ruuTh kar aahista aahista adaavat dil mein rakhnaa muskuraa kar guftugu karnaa sabhi ko aa gayaa hai ye hunar aahista aahista nimaT luun doston ki dosti se pahle ai 'hamza' to lungaa dushmanon ki bhi khabar aahista aahista"

"ek dariyaa saa musalsal hai ravaan jaante hain ham zamaane se zamaane ko yahaan jaante hain raah-e-haq par hamein rakhnaa hain akele hi qadam saath degaa na hamaaraa ye jahaan jaante hain ham ne jo baat kahi vo bhi na samjhi tum ne dost to dost ki khaamosh zabaan jaante hain laakh aaraaishein mil jaaein magar un ke baghair ghar na ho paaegaa ham se ye makaan jaante hain daa'vaa karte hain khudaa ko bhi samajhne kaa magar ham yahaan Thiik se khud ko bhi kahaan jaante hain jism ke zakhm to sab bhar gae kab ke lekin ruuh par ab bhi jo hain ham vo nishaan jaante hain 'aarzu' kyon ho hamein ‘umr-daraazi ki jab zindagi ham tire sab sud-o-ziyaan jaante hain"

"ek ujli du'aa kaa saaya hai masjid-e-jaan mein kaun aaya hai aane vaale dinon ki soch zaraa ye jo teraa hai sab paraayaa hai zakhm detaa hai sirf apnon ko us ne bhi kyaa mizaaj paayaa hai vaqt ab kyaa mutaalbe hain tire ham ne har qarz to chukaayaa hai haar kar tum se dil mohabbat mein aansuon kaa kharaaj laayaa hai ham andhere parakhne vaalon ne raushni se fareb khaayaa hai dosti pyaar e'tibaar 'anis' 'umr bhar bas ye dhan kamaayaa hai"

"apni khudi ko tum sar-e-baazaar bech kar zinda ho kaise daulat-e-kirdaar bech kar yaarab ye kyaa 'azaab hai nasl-e-jadid par karti hai aish purkhon ki dastaar bech kar haasil ki us ke beTe ne kursi mudir ki itnaa paDhaayaa baap ne akhbaar bech kar us bad-nasib baap ki majburiyaan na puchh khushiyaan kharidtaa hai jo ghar-baar bech kar mahngi bahut paDi mujhe suraj ki dosti pachhtaa rahaa huun saaya-e-divaar bech kar jin ko shu’ur-e-bandagi kartaa hai rab 'ataa jangal kharid lete hain ghar-baar bech kar 'aalam' isi tarah se jo ham muntashir rahe khaa jaaeinge vatan ko ye ghaddaar bech kar"