ajiib baat hai kichaD mein lahlahaae kanval — Ibn

din ke bhule ko raat Dasti hai
shaam ko vaapsi nahin hoti

chaand kaa husn bhi zamin se hai
chaand par chaandni nahin hoti

likhne ko likh rahe hain ghazab ki kahaaniyaan
likkhi na jaa saki magar apni hi daastaan

husn banaa jab bahti gangaa
ishq huaa kaaghaz ki naav

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

zamin ki kokh hi zakhmi nahin andheron se
hai aasmaan ke bhi siine pe aaftaab kaa zakhm

vo na aaegaa hamein maalum thaa is shaam bhi
intizaar us kaa magar kuchh soch kar karte rahe

ghazal mein jab talak ehsaas ki shiddat na ho shaamil
faqat alfaaz ki kaarigari mahsus hoti hai

gul kiyaa jis ne vo thaa aur magar
shama ne shikva havaaon se kiyaa

maarka garm to ho lene do khun-rezi kaa
pahle shamshir ke niche hamin jaa baiTheinge

zindagi phaili hui thi shaam-e-hijraan ki tarah
kis ko itnaa hausla thaa kaun ji kar dekhtaa

ab tak miri yaadon se miTaae nahin miTtaa
bhigi hui ik shaam kaa manzar tiri aankhein