samaa kar dil mein nazron se nihaan hai — Akhtar Shirani

"bujhaa saa rahtaa hai dil jab se hain vatan se judaa vo sehn-e-baagh nahin sair-e-maahtaab nahin base hue hain nigaahon mein vo hasin kuche har ek zarra jahaan kam ze-aaftaab nahin vo baagh-o-raagh ke dil-chasp-o-dil-nashin manzar ki jin ke hote hue khuld misl-e-khvaab nahin vo juebaar-e-ravaan kaa tarab-fazaa paani sharaab se nahin kuchh kam agar sharaab nahin ba-rang-e-zulf pareshaan vo mauj-haa-e-ravaan ki jin ki yaad mein raaton ko fikr-e-khvaab nahin samaa rahe hain nazar mein vo mahv-shaan-e-haram haram mein jin ke sitaare bhi baaryaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"zamaan-e-hijr miTe daur-e-vasl-e-yaar aae ilaahi ab to khizaan jaae aur bahaar aae sitam-zarifi-e-fitrat ye kyaa muamma hai ki jis kali ko bhi sunghun main bu-e-yaar aae chaman ki har kali aamaada-e-tabassum hai bahaar ban ke miri jaan-e-nau-bahaar aae hain tishna-kaam ham un baadalon se puchhe koi kahaan bahaar ki pariyon ke takht utaar aae tire khayaal ki be-taabiyaan maaaz-allaah ki ek baar bhulaaein to laakh baar aae vo aaein yuun mire aaghosh-e-ishq mein 'akhtar' ki jaise aankhon mein ik khvaab-e-be-qaraar aae"

"miri aankhon se zaahir khun-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai nigaahon se bayaan dil ki kahaani ab bhi hoti hai surur-aaraa sharaab-e-arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai mire qadmon mein duniyaa ki javaani ab bhi hoti hai koi jhonkaa to laati ai nasim atraaf-e-kanaan tak savaad-e-misr mein ambar-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai vo shab ko mushk-bu pardon mein chhup kar aa hi jaate hain mire khvaabon par un ki mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai kahin se haath aa jaae to ham ko bhi koi laa de sunaa hai is jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai hilaal o badr ke naqshe sabaq dete hain insaan ko ki naakaami binaa-e-kaamraani ab bhi hoti hai kahin aghyaar ke khvaabon mein chhup chhup kar na jaate hon vo pahlu mein hain lekin bad-gumaani ab bhi hoti hai samajhtaa hai shikast-e-tauba ashk-e-tauba ko zaahid miri aankhon ki rangat arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai vo barsaatein vo baatein vo mulaaqaatein kahaan hamdam vatan ki raat hone ko suhaani ab bhi hoti hai khafaa hain phir bhi aa kar chheD jaate hain tasavvur mein hamaare haal par kuchh mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai zabaan hi mein na ho taasir to main kyaa karun naaseh tiri baaton se paidaa sargiraani ab bhi hoti hai tumhaare gesuon ki chhaanv mein ik raat guzri thi sitaaron ki zabaan par ye kahaani ab bhi hoti hai pas-e-tauba bhi pi lete hain jaam-e-ghuncha-o-gul se bahaaron mein junun ki mehmaani ab bhi hoti hai koi khush ho miri maayusiyaan fariyaad karti hain ilaahi kyaa jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai buton ko kar diyaa thaa jis ne majbur-e-sukhan 'akhtar' labon par vo navaa-e-aasmaani ab bhi hoti hai"

"ai dil vo aashiqi ke fasaane kidhar gae vo umr kyaa hui vo zamaane kidhar gae viraan hain sahn o baagh bahaaron ko kyaa huaa vo bulbulein kahaan vo taraane kidhar gae hai najd mein sukut havaaon ko kyaa huaa lailaaein hain khamosh divaane kidhar gae ujDe paDe hain dasht ghazaalon pe kyaa bani suune hain kohsaar divaane kidhar gae vo hijr mein visaal ki ummid kyaa hui vo ranj mein khushi ke bahaane kidhar gae din raat mai-kade mein guzarti thi zindagi 'akhtar' vo be-khudi ke zamaane kidhar gae"

"tamannaaon ko zinda aarzuon ko javaan kar luun ye sharmili nazar kah de to kuchh gustaakhiyaan kar luun bahaar aai hai bulbul dard-e-dil kahti hai phulon se kaho to main bhi apnaa dard-e-dil tum se bayaan kar luun hazaaron shokh armaan le rahe hain chuTkiyaan dil mein hayaa un ki ijaazat de to kuchh bebaakiyaan kar luun koi surat to ho duniyaa-e-faani mein bahalne ki Thahar jaa ai javaani maatam-e-umr-e-ravaan kar luun chaman mein hain baham parvaana o shama o gul o bulbul ijaazat ho to main bhi haal-e-dil apnaa bayaan kar luun kise maalum kab kis vaqt kis par gir paDe bijli abhi se main chaman mein chal kar aabaad aashiyaan kar luun bar aaein hasratein kyaa kyaa agar maut itni fursat de ki ik baar aur zinda sheva-e-ishq-e-javaan kar luun mujhe donon jahaan mein ek vo mil jaaein gar 'akhtar' to apni hasraton ko be-niyaaz-e-do-jahaan kar luun"

"hamaare haath mein kab saaghar-e-sharaab nahin hamaare qadmon pe kis roz maahtaab nahin jahaan mein ab koi surat pae-savaab nahin vo mai-kade nahin saaqi nahin sharaab nahin shab-e-bahaar mein zulfon se khelne vaale tire baghair mujhe aarzu-e-khvaab nahin chaman mein bulbulein aur anjuman mein parvaane jahaan mein kaun gham-e-ishq se kharaab nahin gham, aah ishq ke gham kaa koi nahin mausam bahaar ho ki khizaan kab ye iztiraab nahin umid-e-pursish-e-ahvaal ho to kyunkar ho salaam kaa bhi tiri bazm mein javaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"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"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"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"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"