tazkira dehli-e-marhum kaa ai dost na chheD — 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

bil-aakhir thak haar ke yaaro ham ne bhi taslim kiyaa
apni zaat se ishq hai sachchaa baaqi sab afsaane hain

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

kaabe ko jaataa kis liye hindostaan se main
kis but mein shahr-e-hind ke shaan-e-khudaa na thi

yaad aai hai to phir TuuT ke yaad aai hai
koi guzri hui manzil koi bhuli hui dost

baat karnaa pyaar ki aasaan se aasaan hai
ishq karnaa karte rahnaa hai kaThin se bhi kaThin

khudaa ke haath mein mat saunp saare kaamon ko
badalte vaqt pe kuchh apnaa ikhtiyaar bhi rakh