duur tak bas ik dhundalkaa gard-e-tanhaai kaa thaa — Akbar Hyderabadi

"hain sau tarah ke rang har ik naqsh-e-paa mein dekh insaan kaa husn aaina-e-irtiqaa mein dekh yuun hi nahin ye bartari-e-nasl-e-aadmi guzre hain kaise haadse sai-e-baqaa mein dekh sarf-e-nazar hain vaqt ki pinhaaiyaan tamaam duniyaa-e-naa-rasaa miri fikr-e-rasaa mein dekh ye raushni to lau hai isi ik charaagh ki tazin-e-dahr zehn ki nashv-o-numaa mein dekh is kaarobaar jaan-o-jasad par nigaah Daal hain kaisi kaisi ne'matein aab-o-havaa mein dekh yaan kitne log mar ke amar ho gae na puchh kyaa suratein baqaa ki hain raah-e-fanaa mein dekh sun to khiraam-e-vaqt mein hain kaisi aahaTein kyaa rang pur-fishaan hain ghubaar-e-havaa mein dekh 'akbar' hai ek mahshar-e-ilm-o-khabar dimaagh shor-e-hayaat khaana-e-bim-o-rajaa mein dekh"

"kahkashaan ke tanaazur mein ham kyaa hamaaraa sitaara hai kyaa an-ginat aaftaabon ki aqlim mein ik sharaara hai kyaa kaun samjhe zabaan barg-o-ashjaar ki dasht-o-kohsaar ki kaun jaane ki is be-karaan khaamushi mein ishaara hai kyaa ham mohabbat ko ik mansab-e-aashiqaana samajhte rahe ye na sochaa mohabbat ki saudaagari mein khasaara hai kyaa ye tilism-e-tamaashaa hai saaraa jahaan ik tilism-e-nazar raushni kaa samundar hain aankhein magar aashkaara hai kyaa vo hai be-misl us ko usi ke havaale se samjhaa karo us ke idraak mein dakhl-e-tashbih kyaa istiaara hai kyaa ek miTTi ke ghar mein jiye umr bhar aur miTTi hue kul jahaan yuun to 'akbar' hamaare liye par hamaaraa hai kyaa"

"shaakh-e-buland-e-baam se ik din utar ke dekh ambaar-e-barg-o-baar-e-khizaan mein bikhar ke dekh miTTi ke saadgi mein alag saa jamaal hai rangon ki nikhaton ki qabaa taar karke dekh imkaan ki vusaton ke ufuq zaar khul gae par tolne lage hain parinde sahar ke dekh zulmat ki kashtiyon ko bhanvar hai ye raushni dar khul rahe hain daanish-o-ilm-o-khabar ke dekh kyaa jaane gham ki aanch kaa partav kahaan paDe angDaai le rahe hain hayule sharar ke dekh sangin haadson ki hikaayat tavil hai koh-e-giraan ki baat na kar zakhm sar ke dekh apni basaaraton ko jasaarat ki aanch de manzar isi nazar se jahaan-e-digar ke dekh pindaar-e-sar-nigun kaa junun mo'atabar nahin bujhte hue charaagh ki lau tez karke dekh 'akbar' nidaa-e-shab ko navaa-e-sahar samajh lau de rahe hain hausle ahl-e-nazar ke dekh"

"ye kaun meri tishnagi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa ki lau charaagh-e-dard ki baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa ye meraa dil hi jaantaa hai kitnaa sang-dil hai vo ki mujh se apni dosti baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa bichhaD ke us se zindagi vabaal-e-jaan ho gai vo dil mein shauq-e-khud-kushi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa karun to ab main kis se apni vusat-e-nazar ki baat vo mujh mein hiss-e-aagahi baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa na diid ki umiid ab na lutf-e-naghma-e-visaal ki lai vo saaz-e-hijr ki baDhaa baDhaa ke chal diyaa vo aayaa 'akbar' is adaa se aaj mere saamne ki ik jhalak si khvaab ki dikhaa dikhaa ke chal diyaa"

"badan se rishta-e-jaan mo'tabar na thaa meraa main jis mein rahtaa thaa shaayad vo ghar na thaa meraa qarib hi se vo guzraa magar khabar na hui dil is tarah to kabhi be-khabar na thaa meraa main misl-e-sabza-e-begaana jis chaman mein rahaa vahaan ke gul na the mere samar na thaa meraa na raushni na haraarat hi de sakaa mujh ko paraai aag mein koi sharar na thaa meraa zamin ko ru-kash-e-aflaak kar diyaa jis ne hunar thaa kis kaa agar vo hunar na thaa meraa kuchh aur thaa miri tashkil o irtiqaa kaa sabab madaar sirf havaaon pe gar na thaa meraa jo dhuup de gayaa mujh ko vo meraa suraj thaa jo chhaanv de na sakaa vo shajar na thaa meraa nahin ki mujh se mire dil ne bevafaai ki lahu se rabt hi kuchh mo'tabar na thaa meraa pahunch ke jo sar-e-manzil bichhaD gayaa mujh se vo ham-safar thaa magar ham-nazar na thaa meraa ik aane vaale kaa main muntazir to thaa 'akbar' har aane vaalaa magar muntazir na thaa meraa"

"haan yahi shahr mire khvaabon kaa gahvaara thaa inhi galiyon mein kahin meraa sanam-khaana thaa isi dharti pe the aabaad saman-zaar mire isi basti mein miri ruuh kaa sarmaaya thaa thi yahi aab-o-havaa nashv-o-numaa ki zaamin isi miTTi se mire fan kaa khamir uTThaa thaa ab na divaaron se nisbat hai na baam-o-dar se kyaa isi ghar se kabhi meraa koi rishta thaa zakhm yaadon ke sulagte hain miri aankhon mein khvaab in aankhon ne kyaa jaaniye kyaa dekhaa thaa mehrbaan raat ke saae the munavvar aise ashk aankhon mein liye dil ye saraasima thaa ajnabi lagte the sab kucha o baazaar 'akbar' ghaur se dekhaa to vo shahr miraa apnaa thaa"

"vo dost thaa to usi ko adu bhi honaa thaa lahu pahan ke mujhe surkh-ru bhi honaa thaa sunahri haath mein taaza lahu ki fasl na di ki apne haq ke liye jang-ju bhi honaa thaa bagula ban ke samundar mein khaak uDaanaa thi ki lahar lahar mujhe tund-khu bhi honaa thaa mire hi harf dikhaate the meri shakl mujhe ye ishtihaar mire ru-ba-ru bhi honaa thaa kashish thi phuul si is mein to laa-muhaala mujhe asir-e-rang giraftaar-e-bu bhi honaa thaa sazaa to milnaa thi mujh ko barahna lafzon ki zabaan ke saath labon ko rafu bhi honaa thaa safar kaa bojh uThaane se peshtar 'saajid' mizaaj-daan-e-rah-e-justuju bhi honaa thaa"

"ab tire lams ko yaad karne kaa ik silsila aur divaana-pan rah gayaa tu kahin kho gayaa aur pahlu mein teri shabaahat liye ik badan rah gayaa vo saraapaa tiraa vo tire khaal-o-khad meri yaadon mein sab muntashir ho gae lafz ki justuju mein laraztaa huaa nim-vaa saa faqat ik dahan rah gayaa harf ke harf se kyaa tazaadaat hain tu ne bhi kuchh kahaa main ne bhi kuchh kahaa tere pahlu mein duniyaa simaTti gai mere hisse mein harf-e-sukhan rah gayaa tere jaane se mujh par ye uqda khulaa rang-o-khushbu to bas teri miraas the ek hasrat saji rah gai gul-ba-gul ek maatam chaman-dar-chaman rah gayaa ek be-naam khvaahish ki paadaash mein teri palkein bhi baaham piro di gaiin ek vahshat ko sairaab karte hue mein bhi aankhon mein le kar thakan rah gayaa arsa-e-khvaab se vaqt maujud ke raaste mein ganvaa di gai guftugu ek israar ki bebasi rah gai ek inkaar kaa baankpan rah gayaa tu sitaaron ko apni jilau mein liye jaa rahaa thaa tujhe kyaa khabar kyaa huaa ik tamannaa dariche mein baiThi rahi ek bistar kahin be-shikan rah gayaa"

"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"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"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"

"saanvli dhuup surmai mausam phir vahi ham hain phir vahi mausam khair ho saaebaan-e-gum-gashta jhelne paD gae kai mausam daastaan-e-tazaad hai goyaa shahr-e-khubaan samundari mausam ham ne apni bayaaz mein likkhe dil pe biite hue sabhi mausam ik ta'alluq hai 'aarzi yaa'ni mausam-e-gul hai 'aarzi mausam dil-figaaron ko kaun samjhaae lauTte kab hain makhmali mausam"