shikva-e-zulmat-e-shab se to kahin behtar thaa — Ahmad Faraz

sunaa hai log use aankh bhar ke dekhte hain
so us ke shahr mein kuchh din Thahar ke dekhte hain

TuuTaa to huun magar abhi bikhraa nahin 'faraaz'
mere badan pe jaise shikaston kaa jaal ho

'faraaz' ishq ki duniyaa to khub-surat thi
ye kis ne fitna-e-hijr-o-visaal rakkhaa hai

judaaiyaan to muqaddar hain phir bhi jaan-e-safar
kuchh aur duur zaraa saath chal ke dekhte hain

zindagi teri ataa thi so tire naam ki hai
ham ne jaise bhi basar ki tiraa ehsaan jaanaan

umr bhar kaun nibhaataa hai ta'alluq itnaa
ai miri jaan ke dushman tujhe allaah rakkhe

shor din ko nahin sone detaa
shab ko sannaaTaa jagaa detaa hai

har ek shaakh pe viraaniyaan musallat hain
badan-darakht bhi goyaa hai aashiyaan-e-shab

aisi duniyaa mein kab tak guzaaraa karein tum hi kah do ki kaise gavaaraa karein
raat mujh se miri bebasi ne kahaa bebasi ke liye ek taaza ghazal

siyaah raat ke pahlu mein jism ke andar
kisi gunaah ki khvaahish ko paalte rahnaa

zindagi bhar mujhe is baat ki hasrat hi rahi
din guzaarun to koi raat suhaani aae

hamein khabar hai vo mehmaan ek raat kaa hai
hamaare paas bhi saamaan ek raat kaa hai