hamin the jaan-e-bahaaraan hamin the rang-e-tarab — Ameen Rahat Chugtai

"jab koi bhi khaaqaan sar-e-baam na hogaa phir ahl-e-zamin par koi ilzaam na hogaa kal vo hamein pahchaan na paae sar-e-raahe shaayad unhein ab ham se koi kaam na hogaa phir kaun samajh paaegaa asraar-e-haqiqat jab faisla koi bhi sar-e-aam na hogaa ye ahd-e-ravaan khaak-nishaan dhyaan mein rakkho phir DhunDoge kis ko jo koi naam na hogaa banne ko hai ik roz parindon kaa muqaddar utreinge to ham-rang-e-zamin daam na hogaa mahfil mein agar zikr ho arbaab-e-vafaa kaa aisaa nahin 'raahat' ki tiraa naam na hogaa"

"tirgi hi tirgi hai baam-o-dar mein kaun hai kuchh dikhaai de to batlaaein nazar mein kaun hai kyuun jalaataa hai mujhe vo aatish-e-ehsaas se main kahaan huun ye mire divaar-o-dar mein kaun hai zaat ke parde se baahar aa ke bhi tanhaa rahun main agar huun ajnabi to mere ghar mein kaun hai chaak kyuun hote hain pairaahan gulon ke kuchh kaho jhuk ke lahraataa huaa shaakh-e-samar mein kaun hai jaise koi paa gayaa ho apni manzil kaa suraagh dhuup mein baiThaa huaa raah-e-safar mein kaun hai kaanptaa jaa dekh kar izhaar ki tajsim ko sochtaa jaa aarzu-e-shisha-gar mein kaun hai bas zaraa biphri hui maujon ki khu maail rahi ahl-e-saahil jaante to the bhanvar mein kaun hai shor kartaa phir rahaa huun khushk patton ki tarah koi to puchhe ki shahr-e-be-khabar mein kaun hai main to divaana huun ik sang-e-malaamat hi sahi lekin itnaa soch lo shishe ke ghar mein kaun hai"

"main tiri dastaras se bahut duur thaa phir bhi nazdik aane pe majbur thaa aaj main hi sazaa-vaar-e-jaur-o-sitam kal tiri maang kaa main hi sindur thaa kaun aataa hai yuun zer-e-daam in dinon raat taarik thi aashiyaan duur thaa kuchh khulus-e-vafaa par bhi naadim thaa main aur kuchh dil ke zakhmon se bhi chuur thaa aaina dekh kar yuun nadaamat hui main ki 'raahat' huun ab pahle mansur thaa"

"manzil-e-shams-o-qamar se guzre jab tiri raahguzar se guzre shab ki gaati hui tanhaai mein kitne tufaan the jo sar se guzre vahin patjhaD ne paDaav Daalaa qaafile gul ke jidhar se guzre har taraf sabt hain qadmon ke nishaan koi kis raahguzar se guzre kis qadar khud pe hamein pyaar aayaa aaj jab apni nazar se guzre surkhi-e-gul se bhi chaunke gul-rukh vo zamaane bhi nazar se guzre dasht-o-sahraa kaa bhi daaman simTaa tere divaane jidhar se guzre khud-nigar ho gae 'raahat' ham bhi aaj vo kaash idhar se guzre"

"aaj vo phuul banaa husn-e-dil-aaraa dekhaa sach huaa pichhle baras jo bhi kahaa thaa dekhaa dhyaan mein laae tasavvur mein basaayaa dekhaa itnaa hi ajnabi paayaa use jitnaa dekhaa kis vasile se bhalaa arz-e-tamannaa karte ham ne jis vaqt bhi dekhaa use tanhaa dekhaa kab se ehsaas pe ik bojh liye phirte hain kaash puchho ki bhari bazm mein kyaa kyaa dekhaa shaah-raahon ke ghane peD kaTe hain jab se chaunk uTThe hain jahaan apnaa bhi saayaa dekhaa dafatan aa gayaa phir Dubte suraj kaa khayaal shaam ke vaqt jo dariyaa kaa kinaaraa dekhaa"

"mire badan se kabhi aanch is tarah aae lipaT ke mujh se mire saath vo bhi jal jaae main aag huun to mire paas koi kyuun baiThe main raakh huun to koi kyuun kuredne aae bhare dayaar mein ab is ko kis tarah DhunDein havaa chale to kahin bu-ham-nafas aae ye raat aur rivaayaat ki ye zanjirein gali ke moD se do lauTte hue saae vahi badan vahi chehra vahi libaas magar koi kahaan se 'basaavan' kaa mu-qalam laae koi to baat hui hai ajiib si 'raahat' ki aaina bhi na vo chhoDe aur sharmaae"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"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"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"