daar-o-zondaan bhi jam-o-chang bhi hai — Ain Salam

"vo nazar hai suraagh mein dil ke phuul mahke hain daagh mein dil ke hasraton ki na puchh kaifiyyat khun-e-dil hai ayaagh mein dil ke jal bujhi ek ek aas magar gul hai raushan-charaagh mein dil ke vo jo aae to aae subh-e-bahaar ghup andheraa hai baagh mein dil ke phir usi gul-badan ki yaad aai phir mahak si hai daagh mein dil ke yuun jhalaktaa hai pyaar un aankhon mein chaand jaise ayaagh mein dil ke"

"na dil mein gham na honTon par hansi hai khudaavandaa ye kaisi zindagi hai tire vaade pe jiite hain jiyeinge magar ye pairahan bhi kaaghzi hai udhar vo chaand ki dhun mein magan hain udhar apni ye be-baal-o-pari hai chamakti bijliyaan hi bijliyaan hain chaman mein raushni hi raushni hai basaa-auqaat ye hotaa hai mahsus ki nabz-e-zindagi ruk si gai hai"

"na tirgi ke liye huun na raushni ke liye sitaara-e-sahari huun main zindagi ke liye ye kaun vaqt ki surat mujhe badaltaa hai ye kyaa kisi ke liye kuchh huun kuchh kisi ke liye saraab-e-khvaab ki taabir ju-e-aab sahi main sochtaa huun magar dasht-e-tishnagi ke liye vo mutmain huun gumaan ko yaqin samajhtaa huun yaqin ki khud nahin kuchh kam jo gumrahi ke liye kahin vo meri tarah meraa aashnaa hi na ho hazaar khvaab bunun main jis ajnabi ke liye vo aasmaan ho ki sahraa vajud ho ki adam fazaa bani hai ye kis sharh-e-khaamushi ke liye"

"aarzuon ke dhaDakte shahr jal kar rah gae kaise kaise hashr khaamoshi mein Dhal kar rah gae khaatir-e-khasta kaa ab koi nahin pursaan-e-haal kitne dildaari ke unvaan the badal kar rah gae ab kahaan ahd-e-vafaa ki paasdaari ab kahaan jo haqaaeq the vo afsaanon mein Dhal kar rah gae ab kahaan vo saahilon se sair-e-tufaan-e-hayaat ab to vo saahil talaatum mein badal kar rah gae haasil-e-gham yaa gham-e-haasil mayassar kuchh nahin zindagaani ke sabhi asbaab jal kar rah gae haae vo gham jo bayaan ki had mein aa sakte na the qaid-o-ashk-o-aah se aage nikal kar rah gae al-amaan haalaat ki mahshar-khiraami al-amaan Dagmagaae is qadar goyaa sambhal kar rah gae rah gayaa huun ek main tanhaa hujum-e-barq mein ham-navaa saare chaman ke saath jal kar rah gae ban to sakte the vo tufaan-e-qayaamat-khez bhi jo dhaDakte valvale ashkon mein Dhal kar rah gae ek vo hain Daalte hain maah-o-anjum par kamand aur ik ham hain ki khvaabon se bahal kar rah gae jin ko haasil thaa zamaane mein sukun-e-iztiraab apne hi ehsaas ke shoalon mein jal kar rah gae jin ki khaamoshi thi mashhur-e-zamaana ai 'salaam' aaj un ke munh se bhi shikve nikal kar rah gae"

"main vo sukut samaaat kaa huun har pal ki aahaT suntaa huun khud ko dekh ke soch rahaa huun vaisaa kab huun main jaisaa huun jalte hue suraj ke niche main apne saae mein khaDaa huun kyaa qurbat kyaa duuri har-pal ji bhi rahaa huun mar bhi rahaa huun mujh saa koi khush-fahm na hogaa bed ki shaakhon se phal chaahun umr Dhali takmil mein lekin jaisaa thaa ab tak vaisaa huun har imkaan maanind-e-gumaan hai dariyaa huun yaa ik sahraa huun hasti ke is aaine mein tu meraa main aks tiraa huun ye din-raat miraa partav hain Duub rahaa huun ubhar rahaa huun"

"vahshat-e-gham mein sukun ziist ko miltaa bhi kahaan thaa bayaabaan mein divaar kaa saayaa bhi kahaan ek muddat se na yaad aai na jaan taDpi hai dil tujhe bhuul gayaa ho magar aisaa bhi kahaan husn bhi vo na rahaa pahlaa saa dildaar-e-hunar aah pahli si vo ab azmat-e-tesha bhi kahaan maslahat-bin hai agar ishq-e-junun-pesha to kyaa ab vo pahle ki tiraa vusat-e-sahraa bhi kahaan koi manzil hi na thi manzil-e-gham se aage qaafila apni tamannaaon kaa ruktaa bhi kahaan ghair-mahdud khalaaon mein safar kartaa huun aur rasaai kaa ye aalam hai ki bhaTkaa bhi kahaan nikhat-o-nur se maamur fazaa hai phir bhi to ki is raahguzar se abhi guzraa bhi kahaan haram-o-dair se ye sar jo kashida aayaa jhuk gayaa dar pe tire aur ye jhuktaa bhi kahaan khaak uDaataa hai abhi dasht-e-talab hi mein 'salaam' dil-e-rusvaa ye huaa hai abhi rusvaa bhi kahaan"

"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"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"