dushman-e-jaan hi sahi saath to ik umr kaa hai — Akhtar Saeed Khan

kaun jiine ke liye martaa rahe
lo sambhaalo apni duniyaa ham chale

kis ko fursat thi ki 'akhtar' dekhtaa meri taraf
main jahaan jis bazm mein jab tak rahaa tanhaa rahaa

band rakkhoge dariche dil ke yaaro kab talak
koi dastak de rahaa hai uTh ke dekho to sahi

charaagh le ke use DhunDne chalaa huun main
jo aaftaab ki maanind ik ujaalaa hai

bahut qarib rahi hai ye zindagi ham se
bahut aziiz sahi e'tibaar kuchh bhi nahin

tu kahaani hi ke parde mein bhali lagti hai
zindagi teri haqiqat nahin dekhi jaati

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

roz-e-jazaa gila to kyaa shukr-e-sitam hi ban paDaa
haae ki dil ke dard ne dard ko dil banaa diyaa

raas aane lagi duniyaa to kahaa dil ne ki jaa
ab tujhe dard ki daulat nahin milne vaali

gham-e-aarzu kaa 'hasrat' sabab aur kyaa bataaun
miri himmaton ki pasti mire shauq ki bulandi