aur kyaa mere liye arsa-e-mahshar hogaa — Ahmad Zafar

"siyaah raat ki har dilkashi ko bhuul gae diye jalaa ke hamin raushni ko bhuul gae kisi kali ke tabassum ne bekali di hai kali hansi to ham apni hansi ko bhuul gae jahaan mein aur rah-o-rasm-e-aashiqi kyaa hai fareb-khurda tiri be-rukhi ko bhuul gae yahi hai sheva-e-ahl-e-vafaa zamaane mein kisi ko dil se lagaayaa kisi ko bhuul gae zaraa si baat pe daaman chhuDaa liyaa ham se tamaam umr ki vaabastagi ko bhuul gae khudaa-parast khudaa se to lau lagaate rahe khudaa ki shaan magar aadmi ko bhuul gae vo jis ke gham ne gham-e-zindagi diyaa hai 'zafar' usi ke gham mein gham-e-zindagi ko bhuul gae"

"apne hi kisi saae se Takraayaa huun phir bhi mahsus ye hotaa hai yahaan aaya huun phir bhi kaaghaz pe siyaahi ki tarah phail rahaa huun ye harf-e-nadaamat nahin sharmaayaa huun phir bhi har-chand safar dard ke dariyaa kaa safar thaa saahil ke kisi khvaab se ghabraayaa huun phir bhi saaghar mein sar-e-shaam lahu meraa milaa hai ik nashsha-e-be-naam mein lahraayaa huun phir bhi har-chand kisi jitne vaale ne sadaa di haare hue logon mein chalaa aaya huun phir bhi milte hi rahe zakhm miri kisht-e-badan ko ehsaas ke har phuul kaa sarmaaya huun phir bhi suraj ke muqaabil thaa 'zafar' dasht-e-sahar mein main pyaas ke sahraa mein koi saayaa huun phir bhi"

"din huaa kaT kar giraa main raushni ki dhaar se khalq ne dekhe lahu mein raat ke anvaar se uD gayaa kaalaa kabutar muD gai khvaabon ki rau saaya-e-divaar ne kyaa kah diyaa divaar se jab se dil andhaa huaa aankhein khuli rakhtaa huun main us pe martaa bhi huun ghaafil bhi nahin ghar-baar se khaak par uDti bikharti purza purza aarzu yaad hai ye kuchh havaa ki aakhiri yalghaar se ab to baarish ho hi jaani chaahiye us ne kahaa taaki bojh utre puraani gard kaa ashjaar se ishq to ab sher kahne kaa bahaana rah gayaa harf ko rakhtaa huun raushan shoala-e-afkaar se shahr ke naqshe se main miT bhi chukaa kab kaa 'zafar' chaar-su lekin chamakte hain mire aasaar se"

"yuun zamaane mein miraa jism bikhar jaaegaa mire anjaam se har phuul nikhar jaaegaa jaam khaali hai suraahi se lahu bahtaa hai aaj ki raat vo mahtaab kidhar jaaegaa sail-e-girya miri aankhon se ye kah jaataa hai bastiyaan roein to diyaa bhi utar jaaegaa to koi abr-e-guhar-baar samundar ke liye dil ke sahraa se jo chup-chaap guzar jaaegaa aaj ye zulf-e-pareshaan hai zamaane ke liye kal yahi daur kisi taur sanvar jaaegaa teri har baat pe mar jaataa huun martaa bhi nahin ki miri maut mein insaan koi mar jaaegaa ashk moti se bikhar jaaeinge raahon mein jahaan su-e-manzil bhi miraa dida-e-tar jaaegaa main makin huun na makaan shahr-e-mohabbat kaa 'zafar' dil musaafir na kisi ghair ke ghar jaaegaa"

"phuul ki rangat main ne dekhi dard ki rangat dekhe kaun pyaar kaa giit sunaa hai sab ne dhun thi kaisi soche kaun dhuup ne tan-man phunk diyaa to saae mein aa baiThaa thaa shaakh shaakh mein aag chhupi hai peD ke niche baiThe kaun apne dard ko gard samajh kar manzil manzil chhoD diyaa aaine par dhuul jami hai aaine mein dekhe kaun ang ang se rang rang ke phuul baraste dekhe kaun rang rang se shole barse kaise barse soche kaun fan tartib kaa zevar le kar gulshan gulshan ubhraa hai be-tartibi husn hai jis kaa us fankaar se uljhe kaun mere coat kaa mailaa collar aur numaayaan hotaa hai paagal saj-dhaj rakhne vaale tere saamne baiThe kaun"

"derina khvaahishon se sajaayaa gayaa mujhe maqtal mein kis fareb se laayaa gayaa mujhe baar-e-samar se shaakh-e-shajar jhuk gai to kyaa main be-samar thaa phir bhi jhukaayaa gayaa mujhe sayyaara-e-zamin hai kahaan sochtaa huun main paataal mein falak se giraayaa gayaa mujhe main naqsh-e-hijr-e-yaar huun shab ki fasil par jaltaa huaa charaagh banaayaa gayaa mujhe laae hain reza reza kisi aaine ke paas meraa hi jism jaise dikhaayaa gayaa mujhe patthar mein jab gulaab mahakte dikhaa diye ye moajiza nahin hai bataayaa gayaa mujhe chashmon ke paas ho ke bhi pyaasaa huun main 'zafar' reg-e-ravaan kaa raqs dikhaayaa gayaa mujhe"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"