raat sunsaan hai gali khaamosh — Nasir Zaidi

main be-hunar thaa magar sohbat-e-hunar mein rahaa
shuur bakhshaa hama-rang mahfilon ne mujhe

haan ye khataa hui thi ki ham uTh ke chal diye
tum ne bhi to palaT ke pukaaraa nahin hamein

dekhaa use to aankh se aansu nikal paDe
dariyaa agarche khushk thaa paani tahon mein thaa

vo yuun milaa hai ki jaise kabhi milaa hi na thaa
hamaari zaat pe jis ki inaayatein thiin bahut

ye kis maqaam pe tanhaai saunpte ho mujhe
ki ab to tark-e-tamannaa kaa hausla bhi nahin

vo bhi kyaa din the ki jab ishq kiyaa karte the
ham jise chaahte the chuum liyaa karte the

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

shor din ko nahin sone detaa
shab ko sannaaTaa jagaa detaa hai

aisi duniyaa mein kab tak guzaaraa karein tum hi kah do ki kaise gavaaraa karein
raat mujh se miri bebasi ne kahaa bebasi ke liye ek taaza ghazal

ishq ho jaaegaa meri daastaan-e-ishq se
raat bhar jaagaa karoge is kahaani ke liye

bachaa liyaa tiri khushbu ke farq ne varna
main tere vahm mein tujh se lipaTne vaalaa thaa

yahi din mein Dhalegi raat 'akhtar'
yahi din kaa ujaalaa raat hogaa