is taraf haadson ko aane do — Akhtar Ansari Akbarabadi

"ye rang-o-kaif kahaan thaa shabaab se pahle nazar kuchh aur thi mauj-e-sharaab se pahle na jaane haal ho kyaa daur-e-iztiraab ke baad sukun milaa na kabhi iztiraab se pahle vahi gharib hain khaana-kharaab se ab bhi ravaan-davaan the jo khaana-kharaab se pahle vahi hai hashr kaa aalam ab inqalaab ke baad jo hashr uThaa thaa yahaan inqalaab se pahle mili hai tujh se to mahsus ho rahi hai nazar nazar kahaan thi tire intikhaab se pahle tabaah haal zamaane ko dekhiye 'akhtar' nazar uThaaiye jaam-e-sharaab se pahle"

"jaam laa jaam ki aalaam se ji Dartaa hai asar-e-gardish-e-ayyaam se ji Dartaa hai lab pe ab aariz-o-gesu ke fasaane kyaa hon fitnahaa-e-sahar-o-shaam se ji Dartaa hai tujh ko main DhunDhtaa phirtaa huun dar-o-baam se duur ab tajalli-e-dar-o-baam se ji Dartaa hai gul khilaae na kahin fitna-e-dauraan kuchh aur aaj-kal daur-e-mai-o-jaam se ji Dartaa hai nigah-e-mast ke qurbaan miri samt na dekh mauja-e-baada-e-gulfaam se ji Dartaa hai chhoD kar raah mein but-khaane guzar jaataa huun hosh mein jalva-e-asnaam se ji Dartaa hai raat ki zulmatein baDhti hi chali jaati hain 'akhtar' apnaa to sar-e-shaam se ji Dartaa hai"

"shaairo hadd-e-qadaamat se nikal kar dekho daastaanon ke ab unvaan badal kar dekho kyuun ho taqlid-e-kalim aaj bhi ai dida-varo didani ho koi jalva to sambhal kar dekho sham-o-parvaana kaa andaaz nayaa hai ki nahin zikr thaa jis kaa ab us bazm mein chal kar dekho aur bhi rukh nazar aaeinge tajalli ke abhi rukh nigaahon ke zaraa aur badal kar dekho agle vaqton ke fasaane na sunaao yaaro nae maahaul ke saanche mein bhi Dhal kar dekho kal ke andaaz bhi dilkash the ye taslim magar aaj bhi shahr-e-nigaaraan mein nikal kar dekho apne ahbaab ki jaanib na uThaao nazrein dekhnaa hai agar 'akhtar' to sambhal kar dekho"

"nazar se safha-e-aalam pe khunin daastaan likhiye qalam se kyaa hikaayaat-e-zamin-o-aasmaan likhiye miTaa de jo fazaa ki tirgi maahaul ki pasti koi aisaa bhi sher ai shaairaan-e-khush-bayaan likhiye bapaa hain har jihat mein aatish-o-aahan ke hangaame kahaan is daur mein jaur-o-jafaa-e-mahvashaan likhiye khatar-haa-e-rah-e-majnun kaa qissa kyuun bayaan kijiye nazar ko naaqa-e-lailaa khirad ko saarbaan likhiye yahi hain yaadgaar-e-ghuncha-o-gul is zamaane mein inhin sukhe hue kaanTon se zikr-e-gulsitaan likhiye bayaan karne ko hai tarz-e-tapaak-e-dostaan kaafi ab is duniyaa mein kyaa rang-e-ghurur-e-dushmanaan likhiye rivaayaat-e-kuhan mein dilkashi baaqi nahin 'akhtar' nae andaaz se taarikh-e-shahr-e-gul-rukhaan likhiye"

"zulm sahte rahe shukr karte rahe aai lab tak na ye daastaan aaj tak mujh ko hairat rahi anjuman mein tiri kyuun hain khaamosh ahl-e-zabaan aaj tak ishq mahv-e-gham-e-zindagi ho gayaa husn madhosh-e-ishva-taraazi rahaa ahl-e-dil hosh mein aa chuke hain magar hai vahi aalam-e-dil-baraan aaj tak aise guzre hain ahl-e-nazar raah se jin ke qadmon se zarre munavvar hue aur aise munavvar jinhein dekh kar rashk karti rahi kahkashaan aaj tak kaarvaanon ke rahbar ne raahzan phir bhi manzil pe kuchh raah-rau aa gae vo nae kaarvaanon ke rahbar bane jin se hai azmat-e-rahbaraan aaj tak mushkilein aafatein haadse saanehe aae 'akhtar' miri raah mein kis qadar mujh ko aage baDhaataa rahaa hai magar meraa dil meraa azm-e-javaan aaj tak"

"rahbar-e-tabl-o-nishaan aur zaraa tez qadam haan mire azm-e-javaan aur zaraa tez qadam is andhere se na ghabraa ki zaraa aur aage hai charaaghaan kaa samaan aur zaraa tez qadam kahin maayus na honaa jo nigaahon se abhi un ki mahfil hai nihaan aur zaraa tez qadam ye yaqin hai ki pahunch jaaeinge un tak ik din chaliye be-vahm-o-gumaan aur zaraa tez qadam bujh na jaaein rah-e-hasti mein tamannaa ke charaagh khvaaja-e-raah-ravaan aur zaraa tez qadam kis bulandi pe ravaan tum ho zamin ke zarro hain sitaare nigaraan aur zaraa tez qadam mil hi jaaegaa kahin shahr-e-nigaaraan 'akhtar' ai parastaar-e-butaan aur zaraa tez qadam"

"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"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"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"

"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"

"jab tak mizaaj-e-dost mein kuchh barhami rahi goyaa bujhi bujhi si miri zindagi rahi jis par nigaah-e-lutf-e-karam aap ki rahi hairat se har nigaah use dekhti rahi go main rahaa kashaakash-e-dauraan se ham-kanaar lekin mire labon pe hansi khelti rahi laayaa hai ishq ne mujhe aise maqaam par khud-aagahi rahi na khudaa-aagahi rahi josh-e-junun ne manzil-e-maqsud paa liyaa aql-e-salim dekhti hi dekhti rahi sab kuchh mujhe 'khayaal' ki duniyaa mein mil gayaa lekin tumhaare husn-e-nazar ki kami rahi"

"aaina toD de rihaa kar de bevafaa ik yahi vafaa kar de rishta-e-dard toD de dil se rang ko phuul se judaa kar de zindagi-bhar tujhi ko chaahaa hai qarz kuchh to miraa adaa kar de de rahaa hai zakaat-e-husn agar mire haq se zaraa baDhaa kar de muddatein ho gaiin tujhe dekhe ab to milne kaa silsila kar de phir koi gul khile sar-e-mizhgaan phir dar-e-khvaab koi vaa kar de ik sitaare ko bakhsh kar mire khvaab phir use meraa aaina kar de baiThtaa jaa rahaa hai jaan kaa ghubaar ab use mujh se maavaraa kar de ai faqir-e-dayaar-e-laili-jaan mire haq mein bhi kuchh duaa kar de"