sochtaa huun ki us se bach niklun — Sarvat Husain

saya-e-abr se puchho 'sarvat'
apne hamraah agar le jaae

shahzaadi tujhe kaun bataae tere charaag-kade tak
kitni mehraabein paDti hain kitne dar aate hain

kyuun girafta-dil nazar aati hai ai shaam-e-firaaq
ham jo tere naaz uThaane ke liye maujud hain

jise anjaam tum samajhti ho
ibtidaa hai kisi kahaani ki

ik daastaan ab bhi sunaate hain farsh o baam
vo kaun thi jo raqs ke aalam mein mar gai

teri aashufta-mizaaji ai dil
kyaa khabar kaun nagar le jaae

jinhein ye fikr nahin sar rahe rahe na rahe
vo sach hi kahte hain jab bolne pe aate hain

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

aql mein yuun to nahin koi kami
ik zaraa divaangi darkaar hai

pahle se maraasim na sahi phir bhi kabhi to
rasm-o-rah-e-duniyaa hi nibhaane ke liye aa

faaeda kyaa soch aakhir tu bhi daanaa hai 'asad'
dosti naadaan ki hai ji kaa ziyaan ho jaaegaa

hansi-khushi se bichhaD jaa agar bichhaDnaa hai
ye har maqaam pe kyaa sochtaa hai aakhir tu