har sadaa se bach ke vo ehsaas-e-tanhaai mein hai — Hayat Lakhnavi

ab dilon mein koi gunjaaish nahin milti 'hayaat'
bas kitaabon mein likkhaa harf-e-vafaa rah jaaegaa

silsila khvaabon kaa sab yunhi dharaa rah jaaegaa
ek din bistar pe koi jaagtaa rah jaaegaa

khudaa ke vaaste mohr-e-sukut toD bhi de
tamaam shahr tiri guftugu kaa pyaasaa hai

ye jazba-e-talab to miraa mar na jaaegaa
tum bhi agar miloge to ji bhar na jaaegaa

muddaaa ham apnaa kaaghaz par raqam kar jaaeinge
vaqt ke haathon mein apnaa faislaa rah jaaegaa

chehre ko tere dekh ke khaamosh ho gayaa
aisaa nahin savaal tiraa laa-javaab thaa

gham hai na ab khushi hai na ummid hai na yaas
sab se najaat paae zamaane guzar gae

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

ishq udaasi ke paighaam to laataa rahtaa hai din raat
lekin ham ko khush rahne ki aadat bahut ziyaada hai

husn jalva dikhaa gayaa apnaa
ishq baiThaa rahaa udaas kahin

'ishq ki fitrat sadaa aazaad hai
qaid mein dair-o-haram ki kab rahaa

be-kasi ke dard ne lau di jal uTThaa ik charaagh
rafta rafta us se phir saaraa jahaan raushan huaa