charaagh-e-anjuman ko ye khabar kyaa — Athar Ziai

"jab se tu kaaba-e-dil mein hai sanam ki surat dair mujh ko nazar aataa hai haram ki surat is qadar chuur hai aaina-e-ehsaas miraa ab na vo rang-e-masarrat hai na gham ki surat ye haqiqat hai mohabbat bhi asar karti hai kabhi tiryaak ki surat kabhi sam ki surat raamish-o-rang se hai shahr-e-nigaaraan maamur dil hai viraan magar shahr-e-adam ki surat is qadar vaqt ke suraj ne tapaayaa 'athar' ro diye dekh ke ham abr-e-karam ki surat"

"kam kisi kushta-e-aalaam ki pursish ki hai varna duniyaa ne to khud apni parastish ki hai ham hi kam fahm the samjhe sitam ijaad tumhein tum ne to ham pe inaayaat ki baarish ki hai sach to ye hai ki baraabar ke hain mujrim donon aap ki nazron ne dil se mire saazish ki hai zindagi qarz samajh kar main jiye jaataa huun ab tamanna na sile ki na sataaish ki hai hain bahut ahl-e-karam yuun to zamin par 'athar' baat kuchh aur magar us ki navaazish ki hai"

"farogh-e-kasrat-e-jalva se khud tamaashaa huun main us ke saamne baiThaa huun aur tanhaa huun nigaah-e-shauq-o-dil-e-muztarib hain zaad-e-safar shikasta-paa huun sar-e-rahguzaar baiThaa huun baDhaaun dast-e-talab kyaa ki zarf maane hai lab-e-furaat khaDaa huun main aur pyaasaa huun main apni zaat mein ik kaaenaat huun khud bhi agarche zarra huun lekin muhit-e-sahraa huun bikhertaa huun fazaaon mein qahqahe 'athar' mataa'-e-dard ko dil mein chhupaae phirtaa huun"

"yahi nahin ki faqat baam-o-dar se bach ke chalun talaash-e-yaar mein shams-o-qamar se bach ke chalun ye rang-o-nur hain daaman-kash-e-hayaat magar hai maslahat kaa taqaazaa udhar se bach ke chalun ye pech-o-kham ye nasheb-o-faraaz-e-raah-e-hayaat kahaan se ho ke chalun aur kidhar se bach ke chalun jo saath de na sake taa-harim-e-jalva-e-naaz main chaahtaa huun har us rahguzar se bach ke chalun jahaan jabin ko na haasil ho rifat-e-aflaak us aastaane se us sang-e-dar se bach ke chalun main mutmain nahin raftaar-e-kaarvaan se hanuz khataa muaaf agar raahbar se bach ke chalun main rang-e-gardish-e-dauraan ko dekh kar 'athar' ye sochtaa huun ki shaam-o-sahar se bach ke chalun"

"faiz-e-junun se mahram-e-asraar ho gae itne fareb khaae ki hushyaar ho gae jab aashnaa-e-lazzat-e-aazaar ho gae har gham ke naqd-e-jaan se kharidaar ho gae kuchh kam na thaa surur-e-gham-e-zindagi hamein kam-zarf the vo log jo mai-khvaar ho gae kyaa maarke zamin ke sar ho chuke tamaam kyon aasmaan se barsar-e-paikaar ho gae baar-e-gunaah lenaa paDaa apne sar zarur lekin tire karam ke sazaa-vaar ho gae"

"chaman hai kaisaa ye kaisi bahaar hai saaqi lahu se sehn-e-chaman laala-zaar hai saaqi ye chira-dasti-e-ahl-e-junun maaaz-allaah qabaa-e-laala-o-gul taar taar hai saaqi hai zad mein aatish-o-aahan ki shahr-e-raamish-o-rang udaas shaam sahar sogvaar hai saaqi ye zakhm zakhm badan aur ye sokhta laashein ajiib marhala-e-gir-o-daar hai saaqi ye kyaa sitam hai ki qaatil hai surakh-ru lekin huaa jo qatl vahi sharmsaar hai saaqi na jaane mausam-e-gul kaa shabaab kyaa hogaa agar ye aamad-e-fasl-e-bahaar hai saaqi bajaa ki vaqt taghayyur-pazir hai har dam magar hayaat kaa kab e'tibaar hai saaqi"

"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"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"