be-qaraari thi sab ummid-e-mulaaqaat ke saath — Altaf Hussain Hali

ek raushan dimaagh thaa na rahaa
shahar mein ik charaagh thaa na rahaa

aa rahi hai chaah-e-yusuf se sadaa
dost yaan thoDe hain aur bhaai bahut

jaanvar aadmi farishta khudaa
aadmi ki hain saikaDon qismein

ham ne avval se paDhi hai ye kitaab aakhir tak
ham se puchhe koi hoti hai mohabbat kaisi

gul-o-gulchin kaa gila bulbul-e-khush-lahja na kar
tu giraftaar hui apni sadaa ke baais

farishte se baDh kar hai insaan bannaa
magar is mein lagti hai mehnat ziyaada

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

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

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

ham kis ko dikhaate shab-e-furqat ki udaasi
sab khvaab mein the raat ko bedaar hamin the

phir is ke baad miri raat be-misaal hui
udhar vo shola-badan thaa idhar main paani thaa

raat mein tiir andhe chalaane lage
aur nishaane pe un ke nishaane lage