DhunDhtaa huun sar-e-sahraa-e-tamannaa khud ko — Arif Abdul Mateen

"chhupaae dil mein ham akasr tiri talab bhi chale kabhi kabhi tire hamraah be-sabab bhi chale numud-e-gul ke karishme sadaa jilau mein rahe nasim ban ke chale ham chaman mein jab bhi chale jalaao khun-e-shahidaan se irtiqaa ke charaagh ye rasm chalti rahi hai ye rasm ab bhi chale sunaa hai jaada-navardaan-e-subh ke hamraah ba-faiz-e-vaqt kai rah-ravaan-e-shab bhi chale hai shor-e-shabnam-e-aasudgi ke dosh-ba-dosh gul aaj le ke kahin shola-e-ghazab bhi chale kisi kaa hukm-e-zabaan-bandi-e-junun bhi chalaa kisi ke qisse sukhan ban ke zer-e-lab bhi chale hamin ne saaghar-e-gham muntakhab kiyaa 'aarif' vagarna bazm mein kuchh saaghar-e-tarab bhi chale"

"titliyaan rangon kaa mahshar hain kabhi sochaa na thaa un ko chhune par khulaa vo raaz jo khultaa na thaa! tu vo aaina hai jis ko dekh kar raushan huaa main ne apne-aap ko samjhaa kahaan dekhaa na thaa! chaand ban kar tu mire aangan mein utraa hai zarur nuur itnaa baam-o-dar par aaj tak bikhraa na thaa! kaun se aalam mein main ne aaj dekhaa hai tujhe tu dhanak ban kar mire dil mein kabhi utraa na thaa! sakht-jaani se miraa dil bach gayaa varna yahaan kaun saa patthar thaa is shishe pe jo barsaa na thaa! is jahaan-e-rang-o-bu ko main ne samjhaa thaa saraab ik haqiqat thaa ye 'aarif' aankh kaa dhokaa na thaa"

"ham bhi naadaan hain samajhte hain ki chhaT jaaegi tirgi nuur ke paikar mein simaT jaaegi log kahte hain mohabbat se tamannaa jis ko meri shah-e-rag usi talvaar se kaT jaaegi tum jise baanT rahe ho vo sitam-dida-zamin zalzala aaegaa kuchh aisaa ki phaT jaaegi qaid huun gumbad-e-be-dar mein miri apni sadaa mujh tak aaegi magar aa ke palaT jaaegi baanT ji bhar ke use dahr ke mahrumon mein pyaar daulat to nahin hai ki jo ghaT jaaegi baad-e-sarsar se na ghabraa ki ye chal kar 'aarif' kitne chehron se naqaabon ko ulaT jaaegi"

"meri soch laraz uTThi hai dekh ke pyaar kaa ye 'aalam teri aankhon se Tapkaa hai aansu ban kar meraa gham dil ko naaz hai suljhaav par lekin main ne dekhaa hai suljhaane se aur uljhaa hai teri zulf kaa ik ik kham din ke bolte hangaame mein aksar soyaa rahtaa hai karvaT le kar jaag uThtaa hai raat ki chup mein teraa gham hijr ke sanvlaae lamhon mein aas bhi tanhaa chhoD gai kis se puchhun kaun bataae raat hui hai kitni kam teri dhun mein tujh se bhi shaayad aage jaa niklaa huun main tere pahlu mein baiThaa huun phir bhi aankhein hain pur-nam teraa gham ham divaanon ko kis 'aalam mein chhoD gayaa ek zamaana ham se khafaa hai ek jahaan se ham barham"

"main jis ko raah dikhaaun vahi haTaae mujhe main naqsh-e-paa huun koi khaak se uThaae mujhe mahak uThegi fazaa mere tan ki khushbu se main uud huun kabhi aa kar koi jalaae mujhe charaagh huun to faqat taaq kyuun muqaddar ho koi zamaane ke dariyaa mein bhi bahaae mujhe main musht-e-khaak huun sahraa miri tamannaa hai havaa-e-tez kisi taur se uDaae mujhe agar miraa hai to utre kabhi mire ghar mein vo chaand ban ke na yuun duur se lubhaae mujhe vo aaine ki tarah mere saamne aae mujhe nahin to miraa aks hi dikhaae mujhe umanDti yaadon ke aashob se mein vaaqif huun khudaa kare kisi surat vo bhuul jaae mujhe vafaa nigaah ki taalib hai imtihaan ki nahin vo meri ruuh mein jhaanke na aazmaae mujhe"

"ruuh ke jalte kharaabe kaa mudaavaa bhi nahin dard vo baadal hai jo khul kar barastaa bhi nahin shahr ke zindaan ne pahnaa diin vo zanjirein mujhe meri vahshat ko mayassar dil kaa sahraa bhi nahin jis mein bah jaae safine ki tarah meraa vajud meri aankhon se ravaan gham kaa vo dariyaa bhi nahin karb kaa suraj sivaa neze pe hai Thahraa huaa dil miraa hai barf-zaar aisaa pighaltaa bhi nahin mujh ko yakjaai ki hasrat se bhalaa kyaa vaasta main to ji bhar kar sar-e-aafaaq bikhraa bhi nahin muddaton dar par mire vo dastakein detaa rahaa main magar vo niind kaa maataa ki chaunkaa bhi nahin"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"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"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"

"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"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"