ye jo ik sail-e-fanaa hai mire pichhe pichhe — Ahmad Fareed

"sar-ba-sar pyaas mein Duubaa nazar aataa hai mujhe jis jagah bhi koi dariyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe jaam-e-jam se bhi sivaa hai ye miraa jaam-e-sifaal kyaa kahun is mein bhi kyaa kyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe kyaa banegaa miri aankhon kaa mire shishagaro jo yahaan jaisaa hai vaisaa nazar aataa hai mujhe koi dekhe to dikhaaun use manzar kaa maaal koi puchhe to kahun kyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe kabhi hotaa thaa jo 'ghaalib' ke muqaabil shab-o-roz raat-din ab vo tamaashaa nazar aataa hai mujhe"

"ab ke vahshat mein koi raah nikaalungaa main khud dasht vo de vahaan divaar banaa lungaa main khud kyon koi mere parindon ki nigah-daari kare zakhm khud paale hain to in ko sanbhaalungaa main khud aap bas mujh ko miraa chaak inaayat kar dein apni miTTi se koi shakl banaa lungaa main khud mere ghaasib se kaho meraa kharaaba mujhe de ban paDaa mujh se to ye shahr basaa lungaa main khud mere dushman se kaho aab-e-baqaa hai to pilaae zahr kaa kyaa hai kisi roz ye khaa lungaa main khud tujh se miltaa koi mil jaae to ai jaan-e-tilism hu-bahu us ko tire jaisaa banaa lungaa main khud abr mushkil hai to chal saaya-e-divaar hi de jab chalungaa to use saath chalaa lungaa main khud log kahte hain mire harf-e-duaa mein hai asar vaaqai hai to kabhi apni duaa lungaa main khud meri ustaad hai khud meri jibillat 'ahmad' jaisi miTTi ho qadam apne jamaa lungaa main khud"

"asr-e-aashur se is arsa-e-shab tak ab tak istighaase ki sadaa aati hai sab tak ab tak dar se duuri kaa sabab kuchh bhi ho par shahr ke biich log pahunche hi nahin rahmat-e-rab tak ab tak ahl-e-imaan pe hui jin ki mohabbat vaajib ham nahin siikh sake un kaa adab tak ab tak chaudah sau saal mein daavaa to bahut-son ne kiyaa koi pahunchaa nahin ik mard-e-ajab tak ab tak ham ne un ko bhi sanad ibn-e-sanad maan liyaa jin kaa maalum nahin naam-o-nasab tak ab tak koi labbaik kahe yaa na kahe par 'ahmad' istighaase ki sadaa aati hai sab tak ab tak"

"jab se ik chaand ki chaahat mein sitaaraa huaa huun shahr-e-shab-zaad ki aankhon ko sahaaraa huaa huun ai mire dard ke dariyaa ki ravaani mujhe dekh main tire qurb se kaT-kaT ke kinaaraa huaa huun bujh gae jab mire sab khvaab-o-charaag-o-maahtaab shahr-e-zulmat ko main tab jaa ke gavaaraa huaa huun zindagi tujh saa munaafiq bhi koi kyaa hogaa tiraa shahkaar huun aur teraa hi maaraa huaa huun zakhm gintaa huun shab-e-hijr mein aur sochtaa huun main to apnaa bhi na thaa kaise tumhaaraa huaa huun saamne phir mire apne hain so main jaantaa huun jiit bhi jaaun to ye jang main haaraa huaa huun main payambar huun na ho saktaa huun phir bhi 'ahmad' aisaa lagtaa hai sar-e-khaak utaaraa huaa huun"

"zindagi tere liye raushni laate hue log jal-bujhe aatish-e-idraak churaate hue log uTh ke dekhaa to main khud bhi vahaan maujud na thaa le gae mujh ko mire khvaab se jaate hue log dard ki gard mein aankhein bhi ganvaa baiThe hain ai gham-e-dil tiri tasvir banaate hue log un ke bachche bhi inhi galiyon mein rahte hain to phir sochte kyon nahin shahron ko jalaate hue log apne kheton mein agar aag hi boi hai to phir raakh ho jaaeinge ye fasl uThaate hue log"

"ism paDhaa aur jism se uTh kar ishq uThaayaa dil darvesh ne mast qalandar ishq uThaayaa farsh pe arsh ke baad mukarrar ishq uThaayaa ruuh ne ab ke jism ke andar ishq uThaayaa shaair suufi falsafa-daan vali paighambar sab ne apne zarf baraabar ishq uThaayaa niind se jaage sar par duniyaa-daari Dhoi aankh lagi aur khvaab ke andar ishq uThaayaa us ko ishq khud aap uThaa kar le gayaa aage jis ne himmat ki aur baDh kar ishq uThaayaa sachchaa jhuTaa khaam haqiqi aur majaazi lekin ham ne sab se behtar ishq uThaayaa jis din sab apne haathon mein naame laae ham ne to us din bhi sar par ishq uThaayaa hazrat-e-qais ne khud aa kar gaThDi uThvaai main ne jab apne kaandhon par ishq uThaayaa ek badan do jism huaa thaa jis khvaahish par us khvaahish ne paikar paikar ishq uThaayaa ye divaangi divane-pan se nahin aai ham ne 'ahmad' soch-samajh kar ishq uThaayaa"

"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"