lagtaa hai ki is dil mein koi qaid hai 'ashfaaq' — Ahmad Ashfaq

biktaa rahtaa sar-e-baazaar kai qiston mein
shukr hai mere khudaa ne mujhe shohrat nahin di

kisi ki shakhsiyat majruh kar di
zamaane bhar mein shohrat ho rahi hai

faasle ye simaT nahin sakte
ab paraayon mein kar shumaar mujhe

meri kam-goi pe jo tanz kiyaa karte hain
meri kam-goi ke asbaab se naa-vaaqif hain

chikh uThtaa hai dafatan kirdaar
jab koi shakhs bad-gumaan ho jaae

ajab Thahraao paidaa ho rahaa hai roz o shab mein
miri vahshat koi taaza aziyyat chaahti hai

gham hai na ab khushi hai na ummid hai na yaas
sab se najaat paae zamaane guzar gae

husn jalva dikhaa gayaa apnaa
ishq baiThaa rahaa udaas kahin

jab ki pahlu se yaar uThtaa hai
dard be-ikhtiyaar uThtaa hai

vaqt ke saath 'sadaa' badle ta'alluq kitne
tab gale milte the ab haath milaayaa na gayaa

'kanval' khushi ki huaa karti hai yunhi takmil
gham-e-hayaat ke har bahr-e-be-karaan se guzar

us ik diye se hue kis qadar diye raushan
vo ik diyaa jo kabhi baam-o-dar mein tanhaa thaa