yahi hain yaadgaar-e-ghuncha-o-gul is zamaane mein — Akhtar Ansari Akbarabadi

kuchh andhere hain abhi raah mein haail 'akhtar'
apni manzil pe nazar aaegaa insaan ik roz

abhi bahaar ne sikhi kahaan hai dil-jui
hazaar daagh abhi qalb-e-laala-zaar mein hain

zulm sahte rahe shukr karte rahe aai lab tak na ye daastaan aaj tak
mujh ko hairat rahi anjuman mein tiri kyuun hain khaamosh ahl-e-zabaan aaj tak

dushmani ko buraa na kah ai dost
dekh kyaa dosti hai ghaur se dekh

ajiib bhul-bhulayyaan hai shaahraah-e-hayat
bhaTakne vaale yahaan justuju ki baat na kar

bachaa bachaa ke guzarnaa hai daaman-e-hasti
sharik-e-khaar bhi kuchh jashn-e-nau-bahaar mein hain

mere khvaabon ke jharokon ko sajaate rahiye
na sahi vasl magar yaad to aate rahiye

sab ko ham bhuul gae josh-e-junun mein lekin
ik tiri yaad thi aisi jo bhulaai na gai

fikr-e-maaash o ishq-e-butaan yaad-e-raftagaan
in mushkilon se ahd-baraai na ho saki

ab to main aur bhi buraa huun ki
ab ziyaada sudhar gayaa huun main

ik bahaana hai tujhe yaad kiye jaane kaa
kab saliqa hai mujhe varna ghazal gaane kaa

huun vo barbaad ki qismat mein nasheman na qafas
chal diyaa chhoD kar sayyaad tah-e-daam mujhe