pakkaa rasta kachchi saDak aur phir pagDanDi — Saud Usmani

itni siyaah-raat mein itni si raushni
ye chaand vo nahin miraa mahtaab aur hai

vo chaahtaa thaa ki dekhe mujhe bikharte hue
so us kaa jashn ba-sad-ehtimaam main ne kiyaa

kisi alaav kaa shoala bhaDak ke boltaa hai
safar kaThin hai magar ek baar aakhiri baar

barun-e-khaak faqat chand Thekre hain magar
yahaan se shahr mileinge agar khudaai hui

un se bhi meri dosti un se bhi ranjishein
siine mein ek halqa-e-ahbaab aur hai

ye to duniyaa bhi nahin hai ki kinaaraa kar le
tu kahaan jaaegaa ai dil ke sataae hue shakhs

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

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

ye aansu ponchh lijiye aur muskuraaiye
chaara nahin hai koi bhi rukhsat kiye baghair

husn jalva dikhaa gayaa apnaa
ishq baiThaa rahaa udaas kahin

main ne apni palkon par gham-kade sajaae hain
aarzu ke maatam mein sogvaar hasti hai

ham haal to kah sakte hain apnaa pa kahein kyaa
jab vo idhar aate hain to tanhaa nahin aate