dekh ke arzaan lahu surkhi-e-manzar khamosh — Aslam Mahmood

"kiyaa gardishon ke havaale use chaak par rakh diyaa ki banne bigaDne kaa har faisla khaak par rakh diyaa mujhe qasr-e-taabir ki us ne sab kunjiyaan saunp diin magar chhin kar khvaab aankhon se aflaak par rakh diyaa sivaa raakh hone ke ab koi chaara bachaa hi nahin sharaar-e-havas kis ne ye mere khaashaak par rakh diyaa koi hai jo girdaab-e-gham se bachaae hue hai mujhe ki ik mehrbaan haath phir chashm-e-namnaak par rakh diyaa koi kaam 'aslam' banaa hi nahin vahshaton ke baghair jalaa kar charaagh-e-junun taaq-e-idraak par rakh diyaa"

"ai mire ghubaar-e-sar tu hi to nahin tanhaa raaegaan to main bhi huun mere har khasaare par mere ye mukhaalif kyaa shaadmaan to main bhi huun dasht ye agar apni vusaton pe naazaan hai mujh ko is se kyaa lenaa zarra hi sahi lekin meri apni vusat hai be-karaan to main bhi huun dar-ba-dar bhaTakti hai dasht o shahr o sahraa mein apnaa sar paTakti hai ai havaa-e-avaara teri hi tarah be-ghar be-amaan to main bhi huun kuuch kar gae jaane kitne qaafile jin kaa kuchh nishaan nahin miltaa main bhi huun kamar-basta yaani rah-rav-e-raah-e-raftagaan to main bhi huun tu jo ek shoala hai chob-e-khushk huun main bhi apnaa haal yaksaan hai der hai bhaDakne ki phir to raakh hai tu bhi phir dhuaan to main bhi huun"

"bujh gae manzar ufuq par har nishaan maddham huaa lamha lamha saaraa rang-e-aasmaan maddham huaa thak gae ham-raah mere jaagne vaale sabhi aakhir-e-shab mujh mein bhi ik shor-e-fughaan maddham huaa mahv ho jaaungaa main bhi ek din har zehn se aainon mein jaise aks-e-raftagaan maddham huaa raat Dhalte Dhalte aai subh ki dahliz tak dil ne lai tabdil kar di saaz-e-jaan maddham huaa haasil o darkaar ki har fikr zaail ho gai ik nazar uTThi har ik rang-e-ziyaan maddham huaa ab kahaan vo sahraa-zaad o paas-daaraan-e-junun sahraa sahraa vahshaton kaa har nishaan maddham huaa harf-e-dil-daari nahin rasm-e-dil-aazaari nahin lahja-e-har-mehrbaan naa-mehrbaan maddham huaa ik charaagh ik aaina meri mataa-e-be-bahaa rah gayaa harf-e-yaqin naqsh-e-gumaan maddham huaa har nishaan-e-baam-dar jab miT gayaa 'aslam' to kyaa zor-e-tufaan tham gayaa aab-e-ravaan maddham huaa"

"main hajv ik apne har qaside ki rad mein tahrir kar rahaa huun ki aap-apne se huun mukhaatab khud apni tahqir kar rahaa huun kahaan hai fursat nashaat o gham ki ki khud ko taskhir kar rahaa huun lahu mein girdaab Daaltaa huun nafas ko shamshir kar rahaa huun miri kahaani raqam hui hai havaa ke auraaq-e-muntashir par main khaak ke rang-e-ghair-faani ko apni tasvir kar rahaa huun main sang-o-khisht-e-anaa ki baarish mein kab kaa mismaar ho chukaa huun ab inkisaari ki narm miTTi se apni taamir kar rahaa huun ye ishq ki hai fusun-taraazi ki vahshaton ki karishma-saazi kamand khushbu pe Daaltaa huun havaa ko zanjir kar rahaa huun shanvaa-vari ke usuul mujh ko bataaegaa koi kyaa ki main ne kiyaa hai maujon kaa khair-maqdam bhanvar ki tauqir kar rahaa huun tum apne dariyaaon par biThaao hazaar pahre magar mujhe kyaa main saare khvaabon ko sab saraabon ko apni jaagir kar rahaa huun"

"mizha pe khvaab nahin intizaar saa kuchh hai bahaar to nahin aks-e-bahaar saa kuchh hai mujhe milaa na kabhi farsh-e-gul pe bhi aaraam yahi lagaa ki kahin nok-e-khaar saa kuchh hai jo paas thaa isi saudaa-e-sar ki nazr huaa na dhajjiyaan hi bachi hain na taar saa kuchh hai tamaam umr jise main ubuur kar na sakaa darun-e-zaat mire be-kanaar saa kuchh hai guzar gai mujhe chhu kar kisi khayaal ki rau ufuq se taa-ba-ufuq rang-zaar saa kuchh hai khayaal-o-khvaab hue sab visaal ke lamhe nazar mein sirf chamaktaa ghubaar saa kuchh hai ye haal hai ki havaaon se uljhaa jaataa huun lahu mein ab ke ajab intishaar saa kuchh hai"

"rang saare apne andar raftagaan ke hain ham ki barg-e-raaegaan nakhl-e-ziyaan ke hain shisha-e-umr-e-ravaan se khauf aataa hai aks is mein saaat-e-kam-mehrbaan ke hain ham ko kyaa laa-haasili hi ishq mein gar hai ham to khugar yuun bhi kaar-e-raaegaan ke hain tere kuche ki havaa puchhe hai ab ham se naam kyaa hai kyaa nasab hai ham kahaan ke hain ham ko kyaa arz o samaa ke sab khazaanon se ham to aashiq ek ism-e-jaavedaan ke hain mere partav ne tilism-e-tirgi toDaa aur ab raushan manaazir khaak-daan ke hain ham ko kyaa mauj-e-fanaa se khauf aaegaa muntazir ham khud zavaal-e-rang-e-jaan ke hain imtihaan ye sakhtiyaan ye gardishein 'aslam' sab ishaare ek chashm-e-mehrbaan ke hain"

"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"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"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"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"