aaj kal lucknow mein ai 'akhtar' — Wajid Ali Shah Akhtar

turaab-e-paa-e-hasinaan-e-lakhnau hai ye
ye khaaksaar hai 'akhtar' ko naqsh-e-paa kahiye

mujhi ko vaaizaa pand-o-nasihat
kabhi us ko bhi samjhaayaa to hotaa

dar-o-divaar pe hasrat se nazar karte hain
khush raho ahl-e-vatan ham to safar karte hain

be-muravvat ho bevafaa ho tum
apne matlab ke aashnaa ho tum

yahi tashvish shab-o-roz hai bangaale mein
lucknow phir kabhi dikhlaae muqaddar meraa

ulfat ne tiri ham ko to rakkhaa na kahin kaa
dariyaa kaa na jangal kaa samaa kaa na zamin kaa

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

nahin nahin main bahut khush rahaa huun tere baghair
yaqin kar ki ye haalat abhi abhi hui hai

ai chaman vaalo chaman mein yuun guzaaraa chaahiye
baaghbaan bhi khush rahe raazi rahe sayyaad bhi

ye zindagi hai apni kabhi khush kabhi udaas
is kashmakash se mujh ko khudaayaa rihaai de

gham hai to koi lutf nahin bistar-e-gul par
ji khush hai to kaanTon pe bhi aaraam bahut hai

dil khush na huaa zulf-e-pareshaan se nikal kar
pachhtaae ham is shaam-e-gharibaan se nikal kar