kabhi saaya hai kabhi dhuup muqaddar meraa — Athar Nafees

"ik surat dil mein samaai hai ik shakl hamein phir bhaai hai ham aaj bahut sarshaar sahi par aglaa moD judaai hai phir baad-e-sabaa ke jhonke ne ik dard jagaayaa siine mein ik phuul khilaayaa daaman mein ik khush-bu dil mein basaai hai vo aglaa moD judaai kaa use aanaa hai vo to aaegaa magar aaj to apni raahon mein be-misl chaman-aaraai hai ai dida-varo ai khush-nazro zaraa dekho to us kaafir ko kyaa saj-dhaj hai kyaa tevar hain kyaa husn hai kyaa zebaai hai kuchh ham se ziyaada madh-saraa hai rang-e-shafaq un honTon kaa aur baad-e-sabaa us se bhi sivaa un zulfon ki saudaai hai ik 'umr ke is sannaaTe mein bedaar hui kyaa subh-e-tarab is 'arsa-gah-e-tanhaai mein kyaa shaam-e-tamannaa aai hai"

"farzaanon ki is basti mein ek ajab saudaai hai kis ke liye ye haal hai us kaa kaun aisaa harjaai hai kis ke liye phirtaa hai akelaa shahr ke hangaamon se duur kaun hai jis ki khaatir us ko tanhaai raas aai hai kis ke lab o rukhsaar ki baatein Dhal jaati hain ghazlon mein kis ke kham-e-kaakul ki kahaani vajh-e-sukhan-aaraai hai kaun hai jis ki mahrumi ke daagh hain us ke siine mein kaun hai jis ke khvaabon ki ik duniyaa main ne sajaai hai kyuun us ki aashufta-sari kaa charchaa hai ham logon mein kyuun itni pur-kaif-o-soz us ki shab-e-tanhaai hai 'athar' aao ham bhi us ke dil ki baatein sun aaein kahte hain divaana hai vo vahshi hai saudaai hai"

"dam-ba-dam baDh rahi hai ye kaisi sadaa shahr vaalo suno jaise aae dabe paanv sail-e-balaa shahr vaalo suno khaak uDaati na thi is tarah to havaa us ko kyaa ho gayaa dekho aavaaz detaa hai ik saaneha shahr vaalo suno ye jo raaton mein phirtaa hai tanhaa bahut hai akelaa bahut ho sake to kabhi us kaa bhi maajraa shahr vaalo suno ye hamin mein se hai us ke ranj-o-alam us se puchho kabhi haan suno us ki rudaad-e-mehr-o-vafaa shahr vaalo suno us ke ji mein hai kyaa us se puchho zaraa dekhein kahtaa hai kyaa kis ne us shakhs par koh-e-gham Dhaa diyaa shahr vaalo suno 'umr bhar kaa safar jis kaa haasil hai ik lamha-e-mukhtasar kis ne kyaa kho diyaa kis ne kyaa paa liyaa shahr vaalo suno us ki be-khvaab aankhon mein jhaanko kabhi us ko samjho kabhi us ko bedaar rakhtaa hai kyaa vaaqi'a shahr vaalo suno"

"itne din ke baad tu aayaa hai aaj sochtaa huun kis tarah tujh se milun mere andar jaag uThi ik chaandni main zamin se aasmaan tak ang huun aur ujlaa ho gayaa qurbat kaa chaand aur gahraa ho gayaa teraa fusun ai saraapaa rang-nikhat tu bataa kis dhanak se teraa pairaahan banun saare gul-buTe tar-o-taaza hue duur tak pahunchi hai meri mauj-e-khun kar rahe hain lamhe lamhe kaa hisaab mil ke phir baiThe hain yaaraan-e-junun dasht-e-gham ki dhuup mein mujh par khulaa main khud apnaa saaya-e-divaar huun naaz kar khud par ki tu hai be-shumaar qadr kar meri ki main bas ek huun"

"'athar' tum ne ishq kiyaa kuchh tum bhi kaho kyaa haal huaa koi nayaa ehsaas milaa yaa sab jaisaa ahvaal huaa ek safar hai vaadi-e-jaan mein tere dard-e-hijr ke saath teraa dard-e-hijr jo baDh kar lazzat-e-kaif-e-visaal huaa raah-e-vafaa mein jaan denaa hi pesh-ravon kaa sheva thaa ham ne jab se jiinaa sikhaa jiinaa kaar-e-misaal huaa ishq fasaana thaa jab tak apne bhi bahut afsaane the ishq sadaaqat hote hote kitnaa kam-ahvaal huaa raah-e-vafaa dushvaar bahut thi tum kyuun mere saath aae phuul saa chehra kumhlaayaa aur rang-e-hinaa paamaal huaa"

"vo daur qarib aa rahaa hai jab daad-e-hunar na mil sakegi us shab kaa nuzul ho rahaa hai jis shab ki sahar na mil sakegi puchhoge har ik se ham kahaan hain aur apni khabar na mil sakegi aasaan bhi na hogaa ghar mein rahnaa taufiq-e-safar na mil sakegi khanjar si zabaan kaa zakhm khaa ke marham si nazar na mil sakegi is raah-e-safar mein saaya-e-afgan ik shaakh-e-shajar na mil sakegi jaaoge kisi ki anjuman mein par us se nazar na mil sakegi ik jins-e-vafaa hai jis ko har-su DhunDoge magar na mil sakegi sailaab-e-havas umaD rahaa hai ik tishna nazar na mil sakegi"