dil hi rah-e-talab mein na khonaa paDaa mujhe — Akhtar Muslimi

"naale mire jab tak mire kaam aate raheinge ai zauq-e-nazar vo lab-e-baam aate raheinge ai zauq-e-talab tu jo salaamat hai to kyaa gham lab tak mire khud jaam pe jaam aate raheinge dil zinda agar ho to phir ai ziist ke taalib har gaam pe jiine ke payaam aate raheinge manzil ki tamannaa hai to Thukraa ke nikal jaa sayyaad liye daana-o-daam aate raheinge khaa jaao na dhokaa kahin manzil ke gumaan par raste mein kuchh aise bhi maqaam aate raheinge 'akhtar' agar aabaad rahe gul-kada-e-dil! phir is mein to kuchh mast khiraam aate raheinge"

"aansuon ke tufaan mein bijliyaan dabi rakhnaa sard sard aahon mein garmiyaan dabi rakhnaa kaifiyat gham-e-dil ki ho ayaan na chehre se parda-e-tabassum mein talkhiyaan dabi rakhnaa kaun sunne vaalaa hai be-hison ki duniyaa mein apne gham ki siine mein daastaan dabi rakhnaa kis qadar anokhaa hai sheva ahl-e-duniyaa kaa miThi miThi baaton mein talkhiyaan dabi rakhnaa khuub hai tumhaaraa bhi ye kalaam-e-fan 'akhtar' saada saada sheron mein shokhiyaan dabi rakhnaa"

"maail-e-lutf hai aamaada-e-be-daad bhi hai vo saraapaa-e-mohabbat sitam-ijaad bhi hai shab-e-tanhaai bhi hai saath tiri yaad bhi hai dil kaa kyaa haal kahun shaad bhi naashaad bhi hai daulat-e-gham se har ik gosha hai is kaa maamur dil ki duniyaa miri aabaad bhi barbaad bhi hai be-sabab to nahin ehsaas khalish kaa mujh ko bhulne vaale tire dil mein miri yaad bhi hai kyuun na aasaan ho rah-e-ishq ki mere ham-raah jazba-e-'qais' bhi hai himmat-e-'farhaad' bhi hai jal gayaa apnaa nasheman magar afsos ye hai phunkne vaalon mein ik barq-e-chaman-zaad bhi hai meraa vijdaan muharrik hai mire naghmon kaa tab-e-mauzun miri paaband bhi aazaad bhi hai kyaa bataaun main tumhein kyaa hai navaa-e-'akhtar' naghme kaa naghma hai fariyaad ki fariyaad bhi hai"

"tum apni zabaan khaali kar ke ai nukta-varo pachhtaaoge main khuub samajhtaa huun us ko jo baat mujhe samjhaaoge ik main hi nahin huun tum jis ko jhuTaa kah kar bach jaaoge duniyaa tumhein qaatil kahti hai kis ko kis ko jhuTlaaoge yaa raahat-e-dil ban kar aao yaa aafat-e-dil ban kar aao! pahchaan hi lungaa main tum ko jis bhes mein bhi tum aaoge har baat bisaat-e-aalam mein maanind-e-sadaa-e-gumbad hai auron ko buraa kahne vaalo tum khud bhi bure kahlaaoge phir chain na paaoge 'akhtar' is dard ki maari duniyaa mein is dar se agar uTh jaaoge dar, dar ki Thokar khaaoge"

"shikva is kaa to nahin hai jo karam chhoD diyaa hai sitam ye ki sitamgar ne sitam chhoD diyaa le gayaa chhin koi sab sar-o-saamaan-e-hayaat haan magar ek sulagtaa huaa gham chhoD diyaa lag gai in ko bhi shaayad tire kuche ki havaa mai-kada rind ne zaahid ne haram chhoD diyaa haae us rah-rav-e-barbaad ki manzil ai dost jis ne ghabraa ke tiraa naqsh-e-qadam chhoD diyaa"

"kahaan jaaein chhoD ke ham use koi aur us ke sivaa bhi hai vahi dard-e-dil bhi hai dosto vahi dard-e-dil ki davaa bhi hai miri kashti laakh bhanvar mein hai na karungaa main tiri minnatein ye pataa nahin tujhe naakhudaa mire saath meraa khudaa bhi hai ye adaa bhi us ki ajiib hai ki baDhaa ke hausla-e-nazar mujhe izn-e-did diyaa bhi hai mire dekhne pe khafaa bhi hai miri samt mahfil-e-ghair mein vo adaa-e-naaz se dekhnaa jo khataa-e-ishq ki hai sazaa to miri vafaa kaa sila bhi hai jo hujum-e-gham se hai aankh nam to labon pe naale hain dam-ba-dam use kis tarah se chhupaaein ham kahin raaz-e-ishq chhupaa bhi hai ye bajaa ki 'akhtar'-e-muslimi hai zamaane bhar se buraa magar use dekhiye jo khulus se to bhalon mein ek bhalaa bhi hai"

"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"