ai vatan jab bhi sar-e-dasht koi phuul khilaa — Jafar Tahir

arsa-e-zulmat-e-hayaat kaTe
ham-nafas muskuraa ki raat kaTe

tujhe bhi dekh liyaa ham ne o khudaa-e-ajal
ki teraa zor chalaa bhi to ahl-e-gham pe chalaa

jab bhi dekhi hai kisi chehre pe ik taaza bahaar
dekh kar main tiri tasvir puraani royaa

aapas ki guftugu mein bhi kaTne lagi zabaan
ab doston se tark-e-mulaaqaat chaahiye

ik umr bhaTakte hue guzri hai junun mein
ab kaun fareb-e-nigah-e-yaar mein aae

'taahir' khudaa ki raah mein dushvaariyaan sahi
ishq-e-butaan mein kaun si aasaaniyaan rahin

hai ajab nizaam zakaat kaa mire mulk mein mire des mein
ise kaaTtaa koi aur hai ise baanTtaa koi aur hai

yahaan na peT hi is shaaeri se bhartaa hai
yahaan na qaum hi lauh-o-qalam se jaagti hai

chheDti hai mujhe aa aa ke miri aazaadi
go main qaidi huun mire paanv mein zanjir bhi hai

main bahut kamzor thaa is mulk mein hijrat ke baad
par mujhe is mulk mein kamzor-tar us ne kiyaa

aazaadi ki dhumein hain shohre hain taraqqi ke
har gaam hai paspaai har vaza ghulaamaana

kyaa mol lag rahaa hai shahidon ke khuun kaa
marte the jin pe ham vo sazaa-yaab kyaa hue