main jo chup thaa hama-tan-gosh thi basti saari — Abbas Rizvi

bahut aziiz thi ye zindagi magar ham log
kabhi kabhi to kisi aarzu mein mar bhi gae

kyaa karun khilat o dastaar ki khvaahish ki mujhe
ziist karne kaa saliqa bhi ziyaan se aayaa

vo habs thaa ki tarasti thi saans lene ko
so ruuh taaza hui jism se nikalte hi

khauf aisaa hai ki duniyaa ke sataae hue log
kabhi mimbar kabhi mehraab se Dar jaate hain

tamaam umr ki be-taabiyon kaa haasil thaa
vo ek lamha jo sadiyon ke pesh-o-pas mein rahaa

vahshat ke is nagar mein vo qaus-e-quzah se log
jaane kahaan se aae the jaane kidhar gae

main baDaa ho gayaa huun magar bachpanaa
mere dil se kabhi bhi gayaa hi nahin

chup-chaap sunti rahti hai pahron shab-e-firaaq
tasvir-e-yaar ko hai miri guftugu pasand

har-chand miri quvvat-e-guftaar hai mahbus
khaamosh magar tab-e-khud-aaraa nahin hoti

har taraf ik muhib sannaaTaa
dil dhaDaktaa to hai magar khaamosh

baazaar hain khaamosh to galiyon pe hai sakta
ab shahr mein tanhaai kaa Dar bol rahaa hai

izhaar-e-khamoshi mein hai sau tarah ki fariyaad
zaahir kaa ye parda hai ki main kuchh nahin kahtaa