umr bhar dukh sahte sahte aakhir itnaa to huaa — Ahmad Mushtaq

khoyaa hai kuchh zarur jo us ki talaash mein
har chiiz ko idhar se udhar kar rahe hain ham

dukh ke safar pe dil ko ravaana to kar diyaa
ab saari umr haath hilaate raheinge ham

koi tasvir mukammal nahin hone paati
dhuup dete hain to saayaa nahin rahne dete

mohabbat mar gai 'mushtaaq' lekin tum na maanoge
main ye afvaah bhi tum ko sunaa kar dekh letaa huun

tire aane kaa din hai tere raste mein bichhaane ko
chamakti dhuup mein saae ikaTThe kar rahaa huun main

paani mein aks aur kisi aasmaan kaa hai
ye naav kaun si hai ye dariyaa kahaan kaa hai

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

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

ishq udaasi ke paighaam to laataa rahtaa hai din raat
lekin ham ko khush rahne ki aadat bahut ziyaada hai

husn jalva dikhaa gayaa apnaa
ishq baiThaa rahaa udaas kahin

jab bhi vo mujh se milaa rone lagaa
aur jab tanhaa huaa rone lagaa

halki si khalish dil mein nigaahon mein udaasi
shaayad yunhi hoti hai mohabbat ki shuruaat