Ghazal

"aankhon mein mire gham ki tasvir sanjo loge ye baat na sochi thi daaman ko bhigo loge tum tark-e-taalluq ko kyuun chehre pe likh laae tum ne to kahaa ye thaa ye raaz na khologe jab meraa pata tum se puchheinge gali vaale kuchh kah to na paaoge palkon ko bhigo loge sach-much ye bataao tum kyaa mujh se bichhaD kar bhi in hijr ki raaton mein aaraam se so loge is bhiiD mein logon ki main ro bhi nahin saktaa ik tum ho ki chupke se tanhaai mein ro loge ye kaun hai jo 'ishrat' hai mere taaaqub mein itni baDi duniyaa mein kis kis ko TaTologe"

"raaton kaa karb din ki thakan mere saath hai yaadon kaa ik darida kafan mere saath hai barson se jal rahaa huun main qurbat ki aag mein naa-qaabil-e-bayaan chalan mere saath hai mere liye to saans bhi lenaa muhaal hai maahaul ki ye saari ghuTan mere saath hai aankhon mein bas gai hai kisi shaakh ki tarah har ik qadam pe yaad-e-dakan mere saath hai 'ahd-e-vafaa ko teri tarah kaise toD duun meraa mizaaj meraa chalan mere saath hai"

"the mizaajan ham bhi harjaai bahut par dakan vaalon ki yaad aai bahut dil ke milne aur luTne ke liye ek lamhe ki shanaasaai bahut ban gae hain aaj vo naa-aashnaa jin se thi kal tak shanaasaai bahut jab se un ki qurbatein haasil huiin baDh gai hai dil ki tanhaai bahut"

"zikr ghairon se tumhaaraa nahin hogaa mujh se ye taaaruf bhi gavaara nahin hogaa mujh se mere maulaa miri aankhon mein samundar de de chaar bundon pe guzaara nahin hogaa mujh se dauDtaa hai meri rag rag mein mohabbat kaa lahu dushmanon se bhi kinaara nahin hogaa mujh se mere ikhlaas ki yaarab tu sazaa mat denaa ye hasin jurm dobaara nahin hogaa mujh se jo haqiqat mein miraa dushman-e-jaan hai 'ishrat' hijr us kaa bhi gavaara nahin hogaa mujh se"

"barson tapish-e-gham mein ye ehsaas jale hai tab jaa ke kahin she'r ke saanche mein Dhale hai kuchh aise teri bazm mein baiThaa huun akelaa jis tarah sar-e-raah koi shama jale hai allaah kisi shakhs ko rusvaa na kare yuun mujh se miraa saaya bhi to ab bach ke chale hai is manzil-e-dushvaar se hans hans ke guzar jaa pagle kahin rone se shab-e-hijr Dhale hai har roz nayaa ruup badalti hai teri yaad aahon mein Dhale hai kabhi ashkon mein Dhale hai har shahr mein hone lagi angusht-numaai rusvaai miri mujh se bhi kuchh aage chale hai ik roz use TuuT hi jaanaa thaa bahar-haal dil toD ke tu kyuun kaf-e-afsos male hai"

"mummy banaa ke na show-case mein sajaao mujhe main ek laash huun dafnaao yaa jalaao mujhe ye maslahat hi nahin vaqt kaa taqaaza hai khushi ke din ki tarah tum bhi bhuul jaao mujhe tumhaare saath to chalne mein koi harj nahin magar khudaa ke liye raah to bataao mujhe main vo mataa' huun jis kaa nahin koi vaaris 'aziz dosto chupke se bech khaao mujhe puraane aaine chehron ko chaaT lete hain jo ho sake to nayaa aaina dikhaao mujhe main ban na jaaun kisi ajnabi kaa hamraahi paraae des mein yuun chhoD ke na jaao mujhe"

"sahn-e-maqtal mein har ik zakhm-e-tamannaa rakh do aur qaatil kaa nayaa naam masihaa rakh do ab to rusvaai ki had mein hai meri tishna-labi ab to honThon pe dahaktaa huaa shoala rakh do kitni taarik hai shab mere makaan ki yaaron in munDeron pe koi chaand saa chehra rakh do ab ki baarish mein miraa naam chamak jaaegaa laakh tum ret ki tah mein miraa katba rakh do phir bhi haq baat ke kahne se na baaz aaungaa mere haathon pe bhale daulat-e-duniyaa rakh do niind si aane lagi zulf ke saae mein mujhe phir mire khvaabon pe taptaa huaa sahraa rakh do mere afsaane ko phir moD nayaa saa de do aur unvaan sulagtaa huaa lamha rakh do jo samajhte hi nahin meri zabaan ko 'ishrat' un ke afkaar mein meraa lab-o-lahja rakh do"

"shikva nahin hai is kaa ki tum ne bhulaa diyaa achchhaa kiyaa ki raah kaa patthar haTaa diyaa gham ko nashaat-e-zist kaa unvaan banaa diyaa us ne miri vafaa kaa ajab saa sila diyaa yuun hans ke us ne toD diyaa rishta-e-ummid jaise kisi ne ret pe likkhaa miTaa diyaa duniyaa ki kam-nigaahi ke shikve ke saath saath ye sochiye ki aap ne duniyaa ko kyaa diyaa kuchh ham hi shab-gazida ujaalon se Dar gae duniyaa ne to adab se hamein raasta diyaa main vo charaagh-e-bazm-e-tamannaa huun dosto jis ko sahar se pahle havaa ne bujhaa diyaa"

"avvalin shart hai insaan kaa insaan honaa baad ki baat hai hindu yaa musalmaan honaa jo bhi aataa hai vo kaliyon ko masal jaataa hai ik hasin khel hai gulshan kaa nigahbaan honaa ahl-e-daanish ne kabhi khvaab mein sochaa bhi na thaa jurm ban jaaegaa is daur mein insaan honaa adl hai maslahat-e-vaqt ke panje se asiir sakht mushkil hai yahaan saahab-e-imaan honaa jashn-e-be-chaargi jis vaqt manaate hon avaam naa-munaasib saa hai us vaqt ghazal-khvaan honaa ban gayaa jehl ke baDhne kaa sabab ai 'ishrat' yak-ba-yak ilm ki shama kaa farozaan honaa"

"kis saadgi se chhoD diyaa hai bahaav par haalaan ki ham savaar hain kaaghaz ki naav par ham khilkhilaa ke hanste hain har taaza ghaav par kuchh log mo'tariz hain isi rakh-rakhaav par ye aag bhi unhin ki lagaai hui to hai jo log haath taap rahe hain alaav par shahr-e-sukhan kaa tarz-e-tijaarat 'ajib hai bikte hain fikr-o-fan bhi to miTTi ke bhaav par rahzan hain ahl-e-qaafila hain aur gard-e-raah rahbar ko chhoD aae hain pichhle paDaav par ham bekason pe itnaa munaasib nahin hai zulm chinTaa bhi kaaT letaa hai aksar dabaav par mumkin nahin hai 'ishq ki baazi ko haar jaaein dil jaisi chiiz ham ne lagaai hai daav par vo shakhs zindagi ki bulandi na chhu sakaa vo jis kaa saans phuul gayaa ho chaDhaav par 'ishrat' khulus-o-mehr-o-vafaa dosti ki laaj bikti hain saari chizein yahaan ek bhaav par"

"ye shahr hai anjaan kahaan raat guzaarun hai jaan-na-pahchaan kahaan raat guzaarun daaman mein liye phirtaa huun main daulat-e-gham ko ghaafil hai nigahbaan kahaan raat guzaarun kuTiyaa to alag saaya-e-divaar nahin hai har raah hai viraan kahaan raat guzaarun is raahguzar par to shajar bhi nahin koi aur sar pe hai tufaan kahaan raat guzaarun bahrupiye phirte hain har ik raahguzar par koi nahin insaan kahaan raat guzaarun dar vaa hai koi aur na daricha hi khulaa hai har kucha hai viraan kahaan raat guzaarun"

"milo to aise andheron ko bhi pata na lage chalo to aise ke jismon mein faasla na lage main aaj gaanv mein chhoDe to jaa rahaa huun tumhein duaa karo ki mujhe shahr ki havaa na lage khudaa vo vaqt na laae hamaare bachchon par ki jis ghaDi unhein maaon ki bhi duaa na lage main us kaa zikr kisi aur se nahin kartaa kahin ye meraa ravayya use buraa na lage ye tai kiyaa hai ki aisaa fasaana likkhungaa vo bevafaa kisi jumle se bevafaa na lage biThaa gayaa thaa koi aise peD ke niche ki jis kaa ek bhi patta mujhe haraa na lage ataa kiye hain yuun hi us ne rat-jage 'ishrat' ye zindagi mujhe khvaabon kaa silsila na lage"

"hijr degaa na kabhi gham ki ghaTaaein degaa paas rakh kar mujhe qurbat ki sazaaein degaa ye khilaune nahin rozi kaa vasila kar do meraa bachcha tumhein din raat du'aaein degaa saari basti thi mire qatl ki saazish mein sharik ek munsif bhalaa kis kis ko sazaaein degaa be-ridaa shahr mein tum khud hi zaraa ye socho meri bahnon ko bhalaa kaun ridaaein degaa dushmani khatm na karnaa ki bhari basti mein phir mujhe aakhir-e-shab kaun sadaaein degaa mujh se milnaa hai to phir sidhe chale aaiyegaa raasta koi tumhein daaein na baaein degaa kisht-e-nafrat mein to jo peD ugegaa 'ishrat' saaya degaa nahin zahrili havaaein degaa"