saaf baatin der se hain muntazir — Mirza Mohammad Hadi Aziz Lakhnavi

"partav-e-husn kahin anjuman-afroz to ho dil-e-pur-daagh miraa maaya-e-sad-soz to ho kam se kam koi to saamaan tire aane kaa karun atlas-e-charkh to ho bistar-e-gul-doz to ho rang-e-pairaa-e-chaman-josh mein kaliyaan chaTkein khol de band-e-naqaab aaj ki nau-roz to ho dil mein paivast na ho jo vo nazar hi kyaa hai tiir tarkash mein agar ho to jigar-doz to ho na sahi sohbat-e-firdaus jahannam hi sahi mahfil-e-aish na ho anjuman-e-soz to ho kyaa natija hai 'aziz' aisi jabin-saai se but kaa sajda ho magar naasiya-afroz to ho"

"ishq jo mearaaj kaa ik ziina hai ye hamaaraa mazhab-e-paarina hai ab to khud-bini ibaadat ho gai raat-din pesh-e-nazar aaina hai vaaiz ab bhi jurm hai kyaa mai-kashi chaandni hai aur shab-e-aadina hai jab se zulfon kaa paDaa hai us mein aks dil miraa TuuTaa huaa aaina hai sar-ba-mohr-e-daagh karte hain 'aziz' dil hamaaraa ishq kaa ganjina hai"

"vo nigaahein kyaa kahun kyuun kar rag-e-jaan ho gaiin dil mein nashtar ban ke Dubin aur pinhaan ho gaiin thiin jo kal tak jalva-afrozi se sham-e-anjuman aaj vo shaklein charaagh-e-zer-e-daamaan ho gaiin ik nazar ghabraa ke ki apni taraf us shokh ne hastiyaan jab miT ke ajzaa-e-pareshaan ho gaiin dam rukaa thaa jis ki uljhan se mire siine mein aah phir vahi zulfein mire gham mein pareshaan ho gaiin phunk di ik ruuh dekhaa zor-e-ejaaz-e-junun jitni saansein main ne liin taar-e-garebaan ho gaiin ishq ke qisse ko ham saada samajhte the magar jab varaq ulTe to aankhein sakht hairaan ho gaiin chand tasvirein miri jo mukhtalif vaqton ki thiin baad mere zinat-e-divaar-e-zindaan ho gaiin uD ke dil ki khaak ke zarre gae jis jis taraf rafta rafta vo zaminein sab bayaabaan ho gaiin aaine mein aks hai aur aks mein jazb-e-khalish dil mein jo faansein chubhin tasvir-e-mizgaan ho gaiin us ki shaam-e-gham pe sadqe ho miri subh-e-hayaat jis ke maatam mein tiri zulfein pareshaan ho gaiin shaam-e-vaada aaiye to aap us ki fikr kyaa phir banaa dungaa agar zulfein pareshaan ho gaiin kis dil-aavaara ki mayyat ghar se nikli hai 'aziz' shahr ki aabaad raahein aaj viraan ho gaiin"

"kar chuke barbaad dil ko fikr kyaa anjaam ki ab hamein de do ye miTTi hai hamaare kaam ki Duub de de baada-e-gul-rang mein zaahid agar dekhiye ranginiyaan phir jaama-e-ehraam ki aks-e-abru dekhte hain baada-e-sar-josh mein iid hai saaqi-paraston mein hilaal-e-jaam ki ibtidaa-e-ishq hai aur bujh rahaa hai dil miraa ho chali dhimi abhi se lau charaagh-e-shaam ki aankh mein aansu hain maathe par araq hai maut kaa le khabar umr-e-ravaan apne chhalakte jaam ki ho gai baazicha-e-atfaal be-zauq-o-shuur shaairi jo thi muraadif maani-e-ilhaam ki pukhtagi samjhe hue hain jo tanaasub ko faqat chaahiye islaah un ko is khayaal-e-khaam ki hai ye naazuk fan jo shaayaan-e-tahi-maghzi nahin daur-e-majlis mein zarurat kyaa hai khaali jaam ki hai 'aziz' aaina-e-lafzi muraaaatun-nazir husn-e-maani jab nahin phir shaairi kis kaam ki"

"saamne aaina thaa masti thi un par ik shaan-e-khud-parasti thi mujh ko kaabe mein bhi hamesha shaikh yaad-e-ayyaam-e-but-parasti thi sirf dil hi nahin jalaa meraa zarre zarre mein us ke basti thi kyuun zulekhaa tiri adaalat mein husn ki jins aisi sasti thi sujhtaa thaa na intizaar mein kuchh dekhne ko nigah tarasti thi dekhne ham gae the qabr-e-'aziz' haae kyaa bekasi barasti thi"

"dil kushta-e-nazar hai mahrum-e-guftugu huun samjho mire ishaare main surma-dar-gulu huun muddat se kho gayaa huun sargarm-e-justuju huun apnaa hi muddaaa huun apni hi aarzu huun surat-e-savaal huun main puchho na meraa matlab main apne muddaaa ki tasvir hu-ba-hu huun hai dil mein josh-e-hasrat rukte nahin hain aansu risti hui suraahi TuuTaa huaa subu huun zakhmon se dil kaa aalam kyaa puchhte ho kyaa hai gulzaar-e-be-khizaan huun duniyaa-e-rang-o-bu huun jalve hijaab-afgan aankhein halaak-hasrat to mahv-e-parda-daari mein vaqf-e-justuju huun paamaal yuun huaa huun pinhaan hai mujh mein aalam ek musht-e-khaak ho kar sahraa-e-aarzu huun rukh se kafan haTaa do kyaa puchhte hain puchhein parde mein khaamushi ke sargarm-e-guftugu huun kis se 'aziz' rakkhun ummid dosti ki sarkash hai nafs jab tak apnaa hi main adu huun"

"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"