baraae naam sahi din ke haath piile hain — Sultan Akhtar

"main laDkhaDaayaa to mujh ko gale lagaane lage gunaahgaar bhi meri hansi uDaane lage miri qadim rivaayat ko aazmaane lage mukhaalifin bhi ab kashtiyaan jalaane lage dil-e-haris se taamir ki havas na gai vo sath-e-aab pe kaaghaz kaa ghar banaane lage kisi ki raah-e-munavvar mein moajaza ye huaa hamaare naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi jagmagaane lage na jaane kis kaa hamein intizaar rahne lagaa ki taaq-e-dil pe diyaa roz ham jalaane lage hue kuchh itne mohazzab ki saans ghuTne lagi junun-pasand gale tak baTan lagaane lage jinhon ne kaanTon pe chalnaa hamein sikhaayaa thaa hamaari raah mein vo phuul ab bichhaane lage shurua ho gayaa aankhon mein jashn-e-khush-khvaabi hui jo raat to har samt shaamiyaane lage"

"jhuuT raushan hai ki sachchaai nahin jaante hain log ab vahm o gumaan ko hi yaqin jaante hain ye alag baat ki aati nahin duniyaa-daari ahl-e-duniyaa ko magar gosha-nashin jaante hain taaq o mehraab kaa ronaa ho ki divaar kaa gham baam o dar par jo guzarti hai makin jaante hain varaq-e-dil pe abhi naqsh hai shab-naama-e-gham phir bhi har subh ko ham subh-e-hasin jaante hain jhuk ke milte to hain vo khaak-nashinon se magar aasmaan vaalon ko ham ahl-e-zamin jaante hain sab ke honTon pe munavvar hain hamaare qisse aur ham apni kahaani bhi nahin jaante hain koi dar qaabil-e-taazim nazar to aae sar jhukaanaa hai kahaan ahl-e-jabin jaante hain"

"ye jo ham atlas o kim-khvaab liye phirte hain azmat-e-rafta ke aadaab liye phirte hain dekh kar un ko laraz jaati hai har mauj-e-balaa apni kashti mein jo girdaab liye phirte hain tiir kitne hain laiin aur tire tarkash mein dekh ham sina-e-be-taab liye phirte hain dekhnaa un ko bhi Das legi kaDe vaqt ki dhuup vo jo kuchh khvaahish-e-shaadaab liye phirte hain apni tahzib kaa ab koi talabgaar nahin be-sabab ham par-e-surkhaab liye phirte hain meraa bhi kaasa-e-taabir hai khaali khaali vo bhi aankhon mein kai khvaab liye phirte hain tirgi shahr-e-ghazaalaan se nikalti hi nahin laakh vo surat-e-mahtaab liye phirte hain ye to sadqa hai husain-ibn-e-ali kaa 'akhtar' tishnagi ham jo sar-e-aab liye phirte hain"

"apni tahzib ki divaar sambhaale hue hain mere bachche miraa ghar-baar sambhaale hue hain tu ne kuchh bhi na diyaa ham ko aziyyat ke sivaa zindagi ham tujhe bekaar sambhaale hue hain koi aataa nahin ab un ki qadam-bosi ko donon haathon se vo dastaar sambhaale hue hain vaqt se aage nikal jaaeinge jab chaaheinge dil-girafta abhi raftaar sambhaale hue hain muflisi jhaankti hai rauzan o dar se lekin ham larazti hui divaar sambhaale hue hain ye bhi ik turfa tamaashaa hai khudaa-vand-e-jahaan teri duniyaa ko gunahgaar sambhaale hue hain faaqa-masti mein bhi jiite hain ba-aaghaaz-e-junun zindagi ham tiraa pindaar sambhaale hue hain aabdida kabhi hone nahin dete 'akhtar' mujh ko ab tak mire gham-khvaar sambhaale hue hain"

"haraa shajar na sahi khushk ghaas rahne de zamin ke jism pe koi libaas rahne de kahin na raah mein suraj kaa qahr TuuT paDe tu apni yaad mire aas-paas rahne de bikhar chuke hain samaaat ke talkh shiraaze ab apne naram labon ki miThaas rahne de vo dekh Dah chukin vahm-o-gumaan ki divaarein yaqin chikh rahaa hai qayaas rahne de baDaa latif andheraa hai raushni na jalaa urus-e-shab ko abhi khush-libaas rahne de tasavvuraat ke lamhon ki qadr kar pyaare zaraa si der to khud ko udaas rahne de"

"kisi ke vaaste jiitaa hai ab na martaa hai har aadmi yahaan apnaa tavaaf kartaa hai sab apni apni nigaahein sameT lete hain vo khush-libaas sar-e-shaam jab bikhartaa hai main jis ki raah mein har shab diye jalaataa huun vo maahtaab zamin par kahaan utartaa hai hamaaraa dil bhi hai viraan haveliyon ki tarah tamaam raat yahaan koi aah bhartaa hai main us ke naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi chhu nahin saktaa vo tez-gaam havaaon ke par katartaa hai na baam-e-aarzu raushan na saaebaan-e-talab saraa-e-dil mein kahaan koi ab Thahartaa hai sab apne aap se khaaif hain in dinon 'akhtar' har ek shakhs yahaan aaine se Dartaa hai"

"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"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"choT par choT khaa rahaa huun main 'aadatan muskuraa rahaa huun main us ke uupar to kuchh asar hi nahin apnaa dil kyon jalaa rahaa huun main aaj tanhaai mein jo baiThe ho kyaa tumhein yaad aa rahaa huun main kaun aaegaa mujh se milne ko apnaa ghar kyon sajaa rahaa huun main aaj ji bhar ke dekh lo mujh ko ab bahut duur jaa rahaa huun main kyaa tumhein ab bhi kuchh shikaayat hai ab to sab kuchh kamaa rahaa huun main haath mein Digriyaan sajaae hue Thokarein kitni khaa rahaa huun main ab mujhe peT in se bharnaa hai ye jo khanjar banaa rahaa huun main kal koi is ko bhi na chhoDegaa ye jo paudaa lagaa rahaa huun main"

"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"