Ghazal

"ik sehr-e-tahayyur thaa ki ehsaas ki rau thi din ko bhi nigaahon mein shabih-e-mah-e-nau thi ham log to vaabasta-e-yak-taar-e-nazar the maa'lum nahin is ke sivaa bhi koi lau thi tab zehn pe zulmaat kaa partav na paDaa thaa jhilmil the kamaalaat khayaalaat mein zau thi phir khvaab-e-khirad-khvaar se bedaar hue to har zehn pe zangaar thaa har chashm giro thi khas-khaana-e-afkaar mein kuchh bhi to nahin thaa chand ek sharaare the aur un ki tag-o-dau thi"

"kis or le chali hai havaa-e-numu mujhe miltaa hai gaam-gaam ik aashufta-rau mujhe kahnaa to aur kuchh thaa dam-e-guftugu mujhe ik or samt Daal gae rang-o-bu mujhe donon hi dard-kesh the donon hi besh the main tujh ko kam samajhtaa rahaa aur tu mujhe bazm-e-numud-o-naam saji shor saa uThaa main chal diyaa ki raas na thi haao-hu mujhe 'akhtar' baDi kaDi thi masaafat aur us ke baad mujh par khulaa ki apni hi thi justuju mujhe"

"main dekh hi rahaa thaa ki yak-dam bhanvar phiraa ghumaa sadaf nigaah mein us mein guhar phiraa sidhe subhaav ziist samajhnaa muhaal hai is kaam ko bhi chaahiye mujh saa hi sar-phiraa ham to sadaa se basta-e-yak-taar-e-chashm hain khadsha saa teri samt se hai tu agar phiraa yak-dam kisi ki yaad mein aankhein bhar aai thiin ik din yunhi khayaal su-e-chashm-e-tar phiraa 'akhtar' zar-e-sukhan ki kisi ko talab nahin main to ise uThaae hue dar-ba-dar phiraa"

"vo bhi na khulaa basta-e-pindaar the ham bhi khaamosh thaa vo surat-e-divaar the ham bhi had-bandi-e-ehsaas rahi umr-e-muayyan aur daaera-e-kaar mein parkaar the ham bhi ai nargis-e-vaa-chashm tire auj ke din hain teri hi tarah dida-e-bedaar the ham bhi ham bhi the unhi mein jo zabaan se na phire the phir khalq ne dekhaa ki sar-e-daar the ham bhi aajir se jo ujrat hamein pahunchi yahi pahunchi jab qasr giraa thaa tah-e-divaar the ham bhi"

"jab duur hain tujh se to ye uftaad bhi aae tufaan-e-shab-e-dasht mein tu yaad bhi aae hairaan hai is baat pe amboh-e-aasiraan par khulne ki taqrib mein sayyaad bhi aae haare hue lashkar kaa alam gir bhi chukaa hai ab kyaa jo kisi samt se imdaad bhi aae ik umr hui nazr-e-kharaabaat hamaari sad-shukr sar-e-qarya-e-aabaad bhi aae ik bu ki baghal-gir hui dasht mein ham se jaise yahaan pahle kabhi ajdaad bhi aae"

"fareb-khaana-e-duniyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ravaa-ravi mein tamaashaa bhi dekhte chaliye khud apnaa maskan-e-fardaa bhi dekhte chaliye ab aa gae hain to sahraa bhi dekhte chaliye na-jaane phir ye talaatum nasib ho ki na ho is auj mauj mein dariyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ba-qadr-e-sairi-e-irfaan koi bhi rang nahin dukaan-e-zist ko jitnaa bhi dekhte chaliye charaagh-e-naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa jalaaiye har-su magar havaa kaa ishaara bhi dekhte chaliye"

"tire baghair kahaan ki ghazal-saraai hai sadaa se pahle kabhi baazgasht aai hai tire jamaal ki tajsim sahl kaam nahin ye moajiza bhi mire sher ki safaai hai zamin ke hijr mein rahnaa mujhe qubul nahin falak se aage bhi yuun to miri rasaai hai main apne aap ko tartib de rahaa huun abhi miraa maqaam vahaan hai jahaan ikaai hai"

"shuur-e-faasla-e-khair-o-shar diyaa hai mujhe tiri nigaah ne tabdil kar diyaa hai mujhe miraa maqaam kahin aur thaa pa lagtaa hai kisi ne rau mein kahin aur dhar diyaa hai mujhe bas ik gila saa tiri chashm-e-nim-baaz se hai ki us ne vaqt bahut mukhtasar diyaa hai mujhe mujhe khabar nahin saudaa hai yaa tajassus hai mire khamir ne kyaa dard-e-sar diyaa hai mujhe main apni raah banaa lungaa kohsaaron mein khirad ne koh-kani kaa hunar diyaa hai mujhe"

"jo vahm hai Dar hai pas-e-parda nahin niklaa basti se abhi tak vo bagulaa nahin niklaa hinda ki tarah jism udheDaa thaa havaa ne lekin mire siine se kaleja nahin niklaa kuchh ham tire meaar pe puure nahin utre kuchh tu bhi ki mashhur thaa jaisaa nahin niklaa go shahr mein paimaaish-e-qad aam hai lekin ik shakhs bhi ham-qaamat-e-saaya nahin niklaa poshaak-e-rafu-kaar ke kyaa kahne ki 'akhtar' ik taar garebaan mein apnaa nahin niklaa"

"apne pahle makaan tak ho aauun main zaraa aasmaan tak ho aauun koi paikar pukaartaa hai mujhe saamne ki chaTaan tak ho aauun jhaDtaa jaataa hai jism roz-ba-roz kuza-gar ki dukaan tak ho aauun sehr-e-tashkik! ab rihaai de main koi dam gumaan tak ho aauun vaqt ab dastaras mein hai 'akhtar' ab to main jis jahaan tak ho aauun"

"har aks miraa aks ho itnaa bhi nahin main is aaina-khaane mein kahin tu hai kahin main ye mere badan par jo sulagne ke nishaan hain yuun hain ki zaraa bhar ko huaa us ke qarin main ik vaqt mein kitne hi gumaanon se guzar kar likhtaa huun ye kuchh lafz sar-e-lauh-e-yaqin main ye aalam-e-naabud hai yaa buud hai kyaa hai main kahtaa huun main huun koi kahtaa hai nahin main vo dar to banaa hai na banegaa kabhi 'akhtar' jis ke liye phirtaa huun liye apni jabin main"

"milo ki baad mein shaayad ye silsila na rahe ye rang-o-gul na rahein sohbat-e-sabaa na rahe qarib-tar hai vo ahd-e-ziyaan-nasib ki jab bashar bashar na rahe aur khudaa khudaa na rahe vahaan bhi raah bujhaati hai apne lafz ki lau charaagh-e-chashm jahaan gul ho raasta na rahe safar mein chand maraahil kaDe paDe hain to kyaa hamein junun thaa ki rasta bujhaa bujhaa na rahe hamaare naam pe ghunghaT uThaa nigaar-e-salib hamaare sar pe tiraa koi bhi gila na rahe"

"abhi to par bhi nahin taultaa uDaan ko main bilaa-javaaz khaTaktaa huun aasmaan ko main mufaahamat na sikhaa dushmanon se ai saalaar tiri taraf na kahin moD duun kamaan ko main miri talab ki koi chiiz shash-jihat mein nahin hazaar chhaan chukaa huun tiri dukaan ko main nahin qubul mujhe koi bhi nai hijrat kaTaaun kyuun kisi balve mein khaandaan ko main tujhe nakhil-e-falak se paTakh na duun aakhir tire samet giraa hi na duun machaan ko main ye kaaenaat mire saamne hai misl-e-bisaat kahin junun mein ulaT duun na is jahaan ko main jise pahunch nahin saktaa falaasfa kaa shuur yaqin ke saath milaataa huun us gumaan ko main"

"ik ranj ba-pairaaya-e-zar kyon nahin jaataa kashkol-e-havas hai to ye bhar kyon nahin jaataa vo aaina-ru hai to miraa ruup dikhaae main us ke muqaabil huun sanvar kyon nahin jaataa dariyaa kaa talaatum to bahut din ki kathaa hai lekin mire andar kaa bhanvar kyon nahin jaataa kahte ho ki ho usva-e-shabbir pe qaaem darbaar mein kyon jaate ho sar kyon nahin jaataa jab ruuh se kahte ho ki labbaik husainaa phir ji se yazidon kaa ye Dar kyon nahin jaataa tum saahib-e-maanaa ho to timsaal pe mat jaao ilzaam kabhi aaine par kyon nahin jaataa lo shaam gai raat hai kaabus hai main huun main subh kaa bhulaa huun to ghar kyon nahin jaataa har sang-e-duaa mujh ko lagaa phuul se baDh kar jab itni duaaein hain to mar kyon nahin jaataa 'akhtar' tiri guftaar-e-fusun-kaar mein kyaa hai jo bhi idhar aataa hai udhar kyon nahin jaataa"

"jahaan ko khatt-e-tanaasub pe laa banaayaa hai kisi ne khaak se dekho to kyaa banaayaa hai is ehtimaam se paikar tiraa taraashtaa huun gumaan guzre ki jaise banaa-banaayaa hai mire charaagh ki lau kaa safar havaa ke khilaaf mire junun ne nayaa raasta banaayaa hai kisi ke marqad-e-khasta se aa rahi hai sadaa hamaare baad ki naslon ne kyaa banaayaa hai"