taa-umr tiraa naqsh-e-farozaan rahe mujh mein — Arshad Jamal Sarim

dekh ai meri zabun-haali pe hansne vaale
vaqt ki dhuup ne kis darja nikhaaraa mujh ko

na jaane us ne khule aasmaan mein kyaa dekhaa
parinda phir se jahaan-e-qafas mein lauT aayaa

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

zindagi tu bhi hamein vaise hi ik roz guzaar
jis tarah ham tujhe barson se guzaare hue hain

bas itnaa rabt kaafi hai mujhe ai bhulne vaale
tiri soi hui aankhon mein akasr jaagtaa huun main

kis ki tanvir se jal uTThe basirat ke charaagh
kis ki tasvir ye aankhon se lagaai gai hai

kam-umri mein sunet hain
mar jaate hain achchhe log

main tujh se saath bhi to umar bhar kaa chaahtaa thaa
so ab tujh se gilaa bhi umar bhar kaa ho gayaa hai

zindagi ik imtihaan hai imtihaan kaa Dar nahin
ham andheron se guzar kar raushni kahlaaeinge

zindagi kis tarah kaTegi 'saif'
raat kaTti nazar nahin aati

vo bhi na aayaa umr-e-guzishta ke misl hi
ham bhi khaDe rahe dar-o-divaar ki tarah

koi hayaat ke maani bataa ke samjhaae
tavil kyaa hai bhalaa mukhtasar kaa kyaa matlab