zarra-e-naa-tapida ki khvaahish-e-aaftaab kyaa — Ali Jawad Zaidi

"junun se raah-e-khirad mein bhi kaam lenaa thaa har ek khaar se izn-e-khiraam lenaa thaa faraaz-e-daar pe daaman kisi kaa thaam liyaa junun-e-shauq ko bhi intiqaam lenaa thaa hazaar baar nataaej se ho ke be-parvaa usi kaa naam liyaa jis kaa naam lenaa thaa ilaaj-e-tishna-labi sahl thaa magar saaqi jo dast-e-ghair mein hai kab vo jaam lenaa thaa junun ki raah mein tadbir-e-sarkhushi ke liye bas ek valvala-e-tez-gaam lenaa thaa shikasta laakh thi kashti hazaar thaa tufaan khayaal mein koi daaman to thaam lenaa thaa nasim ek ravish tak pahunch ke tham si gai ki naa-shagufta kali kaa payaam lenaa thaa shab-e-firaaq mein bhi kuchh diye chamakne lagein nigaah-e-shauq se itnaa to kaam lenaa thaa hazaar baar tiri bazm mein huaa mahsus liyaa jo ghair ne mujh ko vo jaam lenaa thaa main ek jura-e-masti pe sulh kyuun kartaa mujhe to jaam mein maah-e-tamaam lenaa thaa ghazab huaa ki in aankhon mein ashk bhar aae nigaah-e-yaas se kuchh aur kaam lenaa thaa kisi ne aag lagaai ho koi mujrim ho hamein to apne hi sar ittihaam lenaa thaa nigaah-e-shokh yahi fath aur kuchh hoti jo gir rahe the unhein baDh ke thaam lenaa thaa ye bazm-e-khaas kaa aish-e-do-roza kyaa hogaa gham-e-avaam se aish-e-davaam lenaa thaa"

"tai kar chuke ye zindagi-e-jaavedaan se ham aage baDheinge aur uThe hain jahaan se ham kis ko sadaa dein kis se kahein saath le chalo pichhe rahe ghubaar-e-rah-e-kaarvaan se ham dil mein jo dard hai vo nigaahon se hai ayaan ye baat aur hai na kahein kuchh zabaan se ham chaunkaa diyaa qafas ne hamein gahri niind se vaabasta ho chale the bahut aashiyaan se ham gar aa bhi jaae meri jabin tak vo aastaan laaeinge sajda-rezi ki aadat kahaan se ham faiz-e-junun se fursat-e-fariyaad hi na thi naa-aashnaa hi rah gae tarz-e-fughaan se ham dekhi hain ham ne un ki pashimaan-nigaahiyaan kahnaa ho laakh phir bhi kahein kis zabaan se ham"

"dabi aavaaz mein karti thi kal shikve zamin mujh se ki zulm o jaur kaa ye bojh uTh saktaa nahin mujh se agar ye kashmakash baaqi rahi jahl o tamaddun ki zamaana chhin legaa daulat-e-ilm-o-yaqin mujh se tumhin se kyaa chhupaanaa hai tumhaari hi to baatein hain jo kahti hai tamannaa ki nigaah-e-vaapsin mujh se nigaahein chaar hote hi bhalaa kyaa hashr uTh jaataa yaqinan is se pahle bhi mile hain vo kahin mujh se dikhaa di main ne vo manzil jo in donon ke aage hai pareshaan hain ki aakhir ab kahein kyaa kufr o diin mujh se ye maanaa zarra-e-aavaara-e-dasht-e-vafaa huun main nibhaanaa hi paDegaa tujh ko duniyaa-e-hasin mujh se sar-e-manzil pahunch kar aaj ye mahsus hotaa hai ki laakhon laghzishein har gaam par hoti rahin mujh se udhar saari tamannaaon kaa markaz aastaan un kaa idhar barham tamannaa par miri sarkash jabin mujh se"

"ghair puchhein bhi to ham kyaa apnaa afsaana kahein ab to ham vo hain jise apne bhi begaana kahein vo bhi vaqt aayaa ki dil mein ye khayaal aane lagaa aaj un se ham gham-e-dauraan kaa afsaana kahein kyaa pukaare jaaeinge ham aise divaane vahaan hosh-mandon ko bhi jis mahfil mein divaana kahein shab ke aakhir hote hote donon hi jab jal bujhe kis ko samjhein sham-e-mahfil kis ko parvaana kahein aur kuchh kahnaa to gustaakhi hai shaan-e-shaikh mein haan magar naa-vaaqif-e-aadaab-e-mai-khaana kahein aaj tanhaai mein phir aankhon se Tapkaa hai lahu ji ke bahlaane ko aao apnaa afsaana kahein un se raunaq qatl-gah ki un se garmi bazm ki kahne vaale ahl-e-dil ko laakh divaana kahein hain baham mauj-e-sharaab o sail-e-ashk o ju-e-khun laaiq-e-sajda hai jis ko khaak-e-mai-khaana kahein un ki is chin-e-jabin kaa kuchh taqaazaa ho magar kyaa gham-e-dil ki haqiqat ko bhi afsaana kahein"

"aish hi aish hai na sab gham hai zindagi ik hasin sangam hai jaam mein hai jo mishal-e-gul-rang teri aankhon kaa aks-e-mubham hai ai gham-e-dahr ke giraftaaro aish bhi sarnavisht-e-aadam hai nok-e-mizhgaan pe yaad kaa aansu mausam-e-gul ki sard shabnam hai dard-e-dil mein kami hui hai kahin tum ne puchhaa to kah diyaa kam hai miTti jaati hai banti jaati hai zindagi kaa ajiib aalam hai ik zaraa muskuraa ke bhi dekhein gham to ye roz roz kaa gham hai puchhne vaale shukriya teraa dard to ab bhi hai magar kam hai kah rahaa thaa main apnaa afsaana kyuun tiraa daaman-e-mizha nam hai gham ki taarikiyon mein ai 'zaidi' raushni vo bhi hai jo maddham hai"

"ham-safar gum raaste naa-paid ghabraataa huun main ik bayaabaan dar bayaabaan hai jidhar jaataa huun main bazm-e-fikr o hosh ho yaa mahfil-e-aish o nashaat har jagah se chand nishtar chand gham laataa huun main aa gai ai naa-muraadi vo bhi manzil aa gai mujh ko kyaa samjhaaeinge vo un ko samjhaataa huun main un ke lab par hai jo halke se tabassum ki jhalak us mein apne aansuon kaa soz bhi paataa huun main shaam-e-tanhaai bujhaa de jhilmilaati sham' bhi in andheron mein hi aksar raushni paataa huun main himmat-afzaa hai har ik uftaad raah-e-shauq ki Thokarein khaataa huun girtaa huun sambhal jaataa huun main un ke daaman tak khud apnaa haath bhi baDhtaa nahin apnaa daaman ho to har kaanTe se uljhaataa huun main shauq-e-manzil ham-safar hai jazba-e-dil raahbar mujh pe khud bhi khul nahin paataa kidhar jaataa huun main"

"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"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"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"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"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"