Ghazal

"paarsaaon ne baDe zarf kaa izhaar kiyaa mujh ko bhi hurmat-e-zebaa kaa kharidaar kiyaa vo jo thaa khud ki numaaish kaa taraf-daar badan khud ko khvaabida kiyaa aur mujhe bedaar kiyaa baandh kar shaakh labon par vo tabassum ke gulaab meri maa'sum tamanna ko talabgaar kiyaa tum ne tohfe mein diye the jo dahakte bose un ki khushbu ne hi rusvaa sar-e-baazaar kiyaa ek lamhe ko sahi diid kaa mausam Thahre kuchh saraabon ne mujhe tishna-e-didaar kiyaa qalb aashob-zada 'isyaan se hotaa kyon hai roz-e-mahshar kaa mujhe jis ne khataavaar kiyaa apni sochon ki lakiron se taraashaa thaa tumhein khitta-e-jaan pe magar tum ne hi aazaar kiyaa dard ki dhuup mein saaya thaa sukunat kaa jo shaam aai to lipaT kar mujhe bezaar kiyaa jis ki maa'sum adaaon pe yaqin thaa 'akhtar' us ne paakizgi se mujh ko gunahgaar kiyaa"

"mumkin kahaan ghamon kaa nayaa silsila na ho jo ramz-e-iltifaat se dil aashnaa na ho vasl-e-nigaar ki nahin manzil ho dastyaab raah-e-talab mein koi agar naqsh-e-paa na ho hai mauj-e-dard ki baDi be-ghairati agar parvaaz dard-e-'ishq ki be-intihaa na ho jab husn ke hijaab mein aayaa hai inqalaab tab ishtihaa-e-did bhi kyun-kar sivaa na ho rusvaaiyon se pur hai agar 'ishq kaa mizaaj behtar hai tab dilon mein koi raabta na ho ashkon kaa khaandaan hai arfa' na mo'tabar khun-e-jigar kaa is mein agar zaaiqa na ho duniyaa maqaam-e-ibtilaa hai jaante hain sab phir kyaa javaaz-e-hashr jo mutlaq khataa na ho 'akhtar' na hogi nudrat-e-fikr-e-sukhan agar nok-e-qalam mein zauq-e-tajassus bharaa na ho"

"aahon ke silsile mire siine mein gaaD kar vo le gayaa hai jism se dil ko ukhaaD kar main huun buraa to kyaa sabhi achchhon mein hain shumaar har tanz ko main rakhtaa huun aksar pachhaaD kar rahne de muztarib mujhe 'ishq-e-zalil mein raatein tavil kar sabhi din ko pahaaD kar ik bosa sabt karne kaa e'laan kar diyaa honTon kaa jis ne rakh diyaa huliya bigaaD kar ab khaak ho na jaaein tamannaaein vasl ki jismon ke darmiyaan nahin itni daraaD kar raaton ko puchhti hai talab mujh se ye savaal kyon hijr ne rakhaa mire ghar ko ujaaD kar patthar ke jism mein nahin 'akhtar' bachaa hai kuchh kyaa faaeda hai jism ko ab chheD chhaaD kar"

"ik zalzala sukut kaa tanhaaiyon mein hai kitnaa sukun 'ishq ki rusvaaiyon mein hai hote rahein tavil nigaahon ke faasle dil kaa milan to yaadon ki gahraaiyon mein hai sab se baDaa fareb hai duniyaa ki zindagi duniyaa to chand roz ki shahnaaiyon mein hai ghultaa hai ab nigaahon mein nisfunnahaar-e-mehr itni tapish jamaal ki angDaaiyon mein hai karne lage hain log gunah ki vazaahatein paakizgi nigaahon ki sachchaaiyon mein hai 'akhtar' ko hai gumaan ki adab kaa hai vo nisaab lekin ghazal to qaafiya-paimaaiyon mein hai"

"lahu ki dhaar se jazbon ki tughyaani se niklungaa main sajda ban ke ik din teri peshaani se niklungaa tiri aankhon se honTon kaa safar mamnu' hai to phir samundar ban ke teri aankhon ke paani se niklungaa chamak aai hai aankhon mein musalsal ratjage paa kar main suraj ban ke furqat ki faraavaani se niklungaa agar uljhungaa lahje se tire ho jaaungaa paspaa main apne zabt ki had se pareshaani se niklungaa mohabbat ki shu'aa'on se bikhar kar rah gai hasti main kaise hasraton ki ab nigahbaani se niklungaa basaayaa hai muqaddar ne mujhe teri lakiron mein agar niklaa to main apni hi naadaani se niklungaa miri hasti miTaa denaa nahin mumkin hai kuza-gar agar miTTi mein gundhegaa to main paani se niklungaa main khud apni musibat aap ban ke aayaa huun 'akhtar' fanaa ho kar hi ab main soz-e-laafaani se niklungaa"

"ugaa rahe hain sabhi aankhon mein babulon ko ki jis se noch sakeinge badan ke phulon ko chalan jo dekhaa zamaane kaa bad-chalan jaisaa to main ne tark kiyaa jiine ke usulon ko tilaai bundon ki jhaDiyaan lagin jo saavan mein kunvaariyon ne shajar pe lagaayaa jhulon ko jigar pighaltaa hai to shaa'iri mein Dhaltaa hai to kaun rokegaa phir she'r ke nuzulon ko kisi kaa 'aib chhupaanaa bhi ik 'ibaadat hai farogh detaa nahin 'aib ke husulon ko buDhaapaa aayaa to aayaa khudaa bhi yaad 'akhtar' rulaa rahaa huun javaani ki apni bhulon ko"

"ik jang ke andaaz mein guftaar khaDi thi bad-rang anaa miTne ko tayyaar khaDi thi kyon 'ishq ke hi shahr pe TuuTaa thaa faqat qahr jab husn ki basti bhi gunahgaar khaDi thi ik khvaab bhi sharminda-e-taa’bir nahin thaa ik niind shabistaan mein bedaar khaDi thi aahaT hui gungi yaa samaa'at hui bahri darvaaze pe yaa phir koi divaar khaDi thi qadmon ki jasaarat rahi manzil ki taraf-daar par raahon se lipTi hui raftaar khaDi thi ehsaas ke par kaaT ke dil kar ke shikasta honTon se lagi tanz ki talvaar khaDi thi kyon husn ke baazaar mein chaltaa miraa sikka jab chashm-e-‘adu dil ki kharidaar khaDi thi ik aanch thi har naqsh-e-rukh-e-yaar mein pinhaan vo husn thaa yaa aatishi yalghaar khaDi thi rotaa rahaa 'akhtar' main gunaahon se lipaT kar aur meri khirad ik taraf bimaar khaDi thi"

"vaqt ik sang ko shahkaar bhi kar saktaa hai bikne vaale ko kharidaar bhi kar saktaa hai daavat-e-‘ishq ki bejaa na karo naa-qadri ye 'amal 'ishq ko bezaar bhi kar saktaa hai gosha-e-lab hai tabassum ki qabaa oDhe hue vo kisi dil ko giraftaar bhi kar saktaa hai ik vo manzil jo taDapti ho lipaTne ke liye ik musaafir hai jo inkaar bhi kar saktaa hai hausla chaahe to raaton mein ugaa de suraj dhuup mein saaya-e-divaar bhi kar saktaa hai ulfatein jiine kaa aayaa hai saliqa mujh mein ab masihaa mujhe bimaar bhi kar saktaa hai"

"bahr-e-khalish mein rah ke guzaari ye zindagi kab tak rahegi meri savaari ye zindagi bechaargi pe khud ki main royaa thaa zaar-zaar jab aasmaan se mujh ko utaari ye zindagi us ki jabin pe koi shikan tak na aa saki jis ki khushi ke vaaste haari ye zindagi ye dil-lagi shaghaf ki qayaamat se kam nahin dil tak pahunch gai hai shikaari ye zindagi shahr-e-vafaa mein phuul saa lahja bikher kar ab tak fareb-e-zan ki hai maari ye zindagi mi'aad zindagi ki to misl-e-habaab hai muddat sameT leti hai saari ye zindagi is zindagi mein khu-e-vafaadaariyaan nahin jaise ki maut ki ho udhaari ye zindagi 'akhtar' ise qazaa ne suhaagan banaa diyaa muddat se ji rahi thi kunvaari ye zindagi"