bas ik tasalsul-e-takraar-e-qurb-o-duri thaa — Akbar Hyderabadi

"hain sau tarah ke rang har ik naqsh-e-paa mein dekh insaan kaa husn aaina-e-irtiqaa mein dekh yuun hi nahin ye bartari-e-nasl-e-aadmi guzre hain kaise haadse sai-e-baqaa mein dekh sarf-e-nazar hain vaqt ki pinhaaiyaan tamaam duniyaa-e-naa-rasaa miri fikr-e-rasaa mein dekh ye raushni to lau hai isi ik charaagh ki tazin-e-dahr zehn ki nashv-o-numaa mein dekh is kaarobaar jaan-o-jasad par nigaah Daal hain kaisi kaisi ne'matein aab-o-havaa mein dekh yaan kitne log mar ke amar ho gae na puchh kyaa suratein baqaa ki hain raah-e-fanaa mein dekh sun to khiraam-e-vaqt mein hain kaisi aahaTein kyaa rang pur-fishaan hain ghubaar-e-havaa mein dekh 'akbar' hai ek mahshar-e-ilm-o-khabar dimaagh shor-e-hayaat khaana-e-bim-o-rajaa mein dekh"

"duur tak bas ik dhundalkaa gard-e-tanhaai kaa thaa raaston ko ranj meri aabla-paai kaa thaa fasl-e-gul rukhsat hui to vahshatein bhi miT gaiin haT gayaa saaya jo ik aaseb-e-sahraai kaa thaa toD hi Daalaa samundar ne tilism-e-khud-sari zom kyaa kyaa saahilon ko apni pahnaai kaa thaa aur mubham ho gayaa paiham mulaaqaaton ke saath vo jo ik mauhum saa rishta shanaasaai kaa thaa khaak ban kar pattiyaan mauj-e-havaa se jaa milin der se 'akbar' gulon par qarz purvaai kaa thaa"

"kahkashaan ke tanaazur mein ham kyaa hamaaraa sitaara hai kyaa an-ginat aaftaabon ki aqlim mein ik sharaara hai kyaa kaun samjhe zabaan barg-o-ashjaar ki dasht-o-kohsaar ki kaun jaane ki is be-karaan khaamushi mein ishaara hai kyaa ham mohabbat ko ik mansab-e-aashiqaana samajhte rahe ye na sochaa mohabbat ki saudaagari mein khasaara hai kyaa ye tilism-e-tamaashaa hai saaraa jahaan ik tilism-e-nazar raushni kaa samundar hain aankhein magar aashkaara hai kyaa vo hai be-misl us ko usi ke havaale se samjhaa karo us ke idraak mein dakhl-e-tashbih kyaa istiaara hai kyaa ek miTTi ke ghar mein jiye umr bhar aur miTTi hue kul jahaan yuun to 'akbar' hamaare liye par hamaaraa hai kyaa"

"shaakh-e-buland-e-baam se ik din utar ke dekh ambaar-e-barg-o-baar-e-khizaan mein bikhar ke dekh miTTi ke saadgi mein alag saa jamaal hai rangon ki nikhaton ki qabaa taar karke dekh imkaan ki vusaton ke ufuq zaar khul gae par tolne lage hain parinde sahar ke dekh zulmat ki kashtiyon ko bhanvar hai ye raushni dar khul rahe hain daanish-o-ilm-o-khabar ke dekh kyaa jaane gham ki aanch kaa partav kahaan paDe angDaai le rahe hain hayule sharar ke dekh sangin haadson ki hikaayat tavil hai koh-e-giraan ki baat na kar zakhm sar ke dekh apni basaaraton ko jasaarat ki aanch de manzar isi nazar se jahaan-e-digar ke dekh pindaar-e-sar-nigun kaa junun mo'atabar nahin bujhte hue charaagh ki lau tez karke dekh 'akbar' nidaa-e-shab ko navaa-e-sahar samajh lau de rahe hain hausle ahl-e-nazar ke dekh"

"ye kaun meri tishnagi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa ki lau charaagh-e-dard ki baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa ye meraa dil hi jaantaa hai kitnaa sang-dil hai vo ki mujh se apni dosti baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa bichhaD ke us se zindagi vabaal-e-jaan ho gai vo dil mein shauq-e-khud-kushi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa karun to ab main kis se apni vusat-e-nazar ki baat vo mujh mein hiss-e-aagahi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa na diid ki umiid ab na lutf-e-naghma-e-visaal ki lai vo saaz-e-hijr ki baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa vo aayaa 'akbar' is adaa se aaj mere saamne ki ik jhalak si khvaab ki dikhaa dikhaa ke chal diyaa"

"haan yahi shahr mire khvaabon kaa gahvaara thaa inhi galiyon mein kahin meraa sanam-khaana thaa isi dharti pe the aabaad saman-zaar mire isi basti mein miri ruuh kaa sarmaaya thaa thi yahi aab-o-havaa nashv-o-numaa ki zaamin isi miTTi se mire fan kaa khamir uTThaa thaa ab na divaaron se nisbat hai na baam-o-dar se kyaa isi ghar se kabhi meraa koi rishta thaa zakhm yaadon ke sulagte hain miri aankhon mein khvaab in aankhon ne kyaa jaaniye kyaa dekhaa thaa mehrbaan raat ke saae the munavvar aise ashk aankhon mein liye dil ye saraasima thaa ajnabi lagte the sab kucha o baazaar 'akbar' ghaur se dekhaa to vo shahr miraa apnaa thaa"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"khel duniyaa-e-'aarzi kaa huun ek kirdaar zindagi kaa huun mujh ko rakkhaa gayaa andhere mein main bhi haqdaar raushni kaa huun intihaa ke qarib hai duniyaa aadmi aakhiri sadi kaa huun dil ko ehsaas ho gayaa teraa mo'tarif teri dosti kaa huun main ne ghurbat mein 'ilm sikhaa hai main to maqruz muflisi kaa huun pur na hogaa jo mere baa'd kabhi ek aisaa khalaa kami kaa huun meraa dushman nahin 'khayaali' koi dost bhi main kisi kisi kaa huun"

"nahin piitaa main par navaazish hui hai baDi mausamon ki sifaarish hui hai bahut din se sahraa ke jaisaa ye dil hai na baadal ghire hain na baarish hui hai yahaan hai bulandi jo kirdaar ki to vahaan khaal-o-khad ki numaaish hui hai tiri jhiil jaisi jo dekhi hain aankhein miri Duub jaane ki khvaahish hui hai chhalaktaa nahin khuun zakhmon se aise kahin naakhunon ki bhi kaavish hui hai hamein 'ishq mein mubtalaa kar rahe hain nazar aur dil mein ye saazish hui hai vahaan dushmanon ki baDi yaad aai jahaan doston ki navaazish hui hai vafaa-daariyon kaa sila mil rahaa hai hamaari sadaa aazmaaish hui hai pareshaaniyon mein jo ham mubtalaa hain yaqinan koi ham se laghzish hui hai vahin apni aankhon ko ham chhoD aae jahaan manzaron ki numaaish hui hai raqibon ko hai chhuT mahfil mein un ki mire aane jaane pe bandish hui hai ghazal kahnaa 'faaruq' main chhoD dungaa isi baat par un se ranjish hui hai"

"jab se aayaa huun tere gaanv mein rang hi rang hain fazaaon mein aa ki dukh sukh ki koi baat karein baiTh kar shishamon ki chhaanv mein main bhi kartaa huun zabt ki koshish to bhi takhfif kar adaaon mein vo tiraa dafatan bichhaD jaanaa vo miraa dekhnaa khalaaon mein ho agar koi gosh-bar-aavaaz ik khamoshi bhi hai sadaaon mein yahi mere liye ghanimat hai saans le luun khuli fazaaon mein"

"bas ki ik lams ki ummid pe vaare hue hain so tire saamne ye khaak pasaare hue hain jaane kab un ko bujhaa baiThe koi baad-e-alam sar-e-mizhgaan-e-tamannaa jo sitaare hue hain zindagi tu bhi hamein vaise hi ik roz guzaar jis tarah ham tujhe barson se guzaare hue hain nit-nae naqsh karein us pe aziyyat ke raqam aa ki ham takhti-e-dil apni pachaare hue hain kab kuchal jaaein kisi paanv se ham barg-e-vajud vaqt ki dhuup mein vaise hi karaare hue hain jaante hain ki tu hi ishq-badan ko hai libaas ham tiraa ruup jo aashuftagi dhaare hue hain apni jurat ki sataaish ho ki ham chob-mizaaj rabt rakhte hain sadaa un se jo aare hue hain"