yaad aao mujhe lillaah na tum yaad karo — 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"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"