rang laaegi hamaari tang-dasti ek din — Shaad Aarfi

jab chali apnon ki gardan par chali
chuum luun munh aap ki talvaar kaa

jahaan-e-dard mein insaaniyat ke naate se
koi bayaan kare meri daastaan hogi

shaikh par haath uThaane ke nahin ham qaael
haath uThaane ki jo Thaani hai to baatil se uThaa

ab unhein tashrif laanaa chaahiye
raat mein likhti hai raani raat ki

kahin fitrat badal sakti hai naamon ke badalne se
janaab-e-shaikh ko main barhaman kah duun to kyaa hogaa

dekh kar shaair ne us ko nukta-e-hikmat kahaa
aur be-soche zamaane ne use ''aurat'' kahaa

ret par ik nishaan hai shaayad
ye hamaaraa makaan hai shaayad

shaahraahein dafatan shoale ugalne lag gaiin
ghar ki jaanib chal paDaa hai shahr gheraa kar tamaam

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

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

ghulaami mein na kaam aati hain shamshirein na tadbirein
jo ho zauq-e-yaqin paidaa to kaT jaati hain zanjirein

aasmaan jhaank rahaa hai 'khaalid'
chaand kamre mein mire utraa hai