vo kabhi mil jaaein to kyaa kijiye — 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"

"samaa kar dil mein nazron se nihaan hai mujhe yaad aane vaale tu kahaan hai khudaai kahkashaan kahti hai jis ko vo azraa kaa khiraam-e-raaegaan hai andhere baadalon se puchh zaahid miri khoi hui tauba kahaan hai ye kis ne pyaar ki nazron se dekhaa ki mere dil ki duniyaa phir javaan hai javaani raaegaan jaae to achchhaa javaani ek khvaab-e-raaegaan hai"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"