khud ko badalnaa mushkil hogaa — Akhtar Madhupuri

"mujhe din-raat fikr-e-aashiyaan maalum hoti hai ki bargashta nigaah-e-baaghbaan maalum hoti hai jo dil aazaad ho to har jagah haasil hai aazaadi qafas mein bhi bahaar-e-gulsitaan maalum hoti hai pae-gul-gasht shaayad aaj vo jaan-e-bahaar aayaa chaman ki patti patti gulsitaan maalum hoti hai ujaDti aa rahi hai muddaton se dekhiye phir bhi bahaar-e-baagh-e-aalam be-khizaan maalum hoti hai tabassum un ke honTon par taDap hai mere siine mein kahaan bijli chamakti hai kahaan maalum hoti hai shafaq phuli hui hai har taraf khun-e-shahidaan ki zamin-e-ku-e-qaatil aasmaan maalum hoti hai kisi ki anjuman mein mujh pe ye paabandiyaan 'akhtar' zaraa si baat par kaTti zabaan maalum hoti hai"

"jahaan-e-be-sabaati mein tamaashaa-e-jahaan kab tak chamakte mehr-o-mah taare zamin-o-aasmaan kab tak shab-e-gham mein tajalli par na itraa ai dil-e-muztar sitaaron ki ye chashmak aur raqs-e-kahkashaan kab tak samundar ki khamoshi ek tufaan saath laaegi kisi naa-mehrbaan ki ye nigaah-e-mehrbaan kab tak baDhaae jaa qadam tu baDh ke sargarm-e-amal ho jaa yunhi taktaa rahegaa su-e-gard-e-kaarvaan kab tak lagaa kar aag khud hi kyon na bad-bakhti pe main ro luun jalaaein aashiyaan ko mere aakhir bijliyaan kab tak ye behtar hai falak honaa hai jo kuchh ab vo ho jaae rahun teri balaa-e-naa-gahaan ke darmiyaan kab tak kamaal-e-zabt par bhi ashk-e-gham aankhon se bah nikle bhalaa roke se ruk sakti thi ye sail-e-ravaan kab tak fazaa-e-zist par taari hai 'akhtar' yaas kaa aalam na jaane matla-e-ummid hogaa zarfishaan kab tak"

"go ba-zaahir to mehrbaan hain aap jaantaa huun ki bad-gumaan hain aap intizaam-e-chaman nahin hotaa kyaa kahun kaise baaghbaan hain aap maani-e-paasbaan nahin maalum kaun maane ki paasbaan hain aap kaarvaan har qadam pe luTtaa hai vaaqai mir-e-kaarvaan hain aap is mein gunjaaish-e-kalaam nahin kishvar-e-dil ke hukmraan hain aap apni hasti pe naaz hai mujh ko meri hasti ke raaz-daan hain aap aap se mujh ko rabt-e-mohkam hai zarra main mehr-e-zau-fishaan hain aap hazrat-e-abr-ahsani ke tufail kahaan 'akhtar' the ab kahaan hain aap"

"aah dil par asar na ho jaae husn ki aankh tar na ho jaae daagh-e-dil ki taraqqiyaan tauba ye sitaara qamar na ho jaae aashiyaan to banaa rahaa huun magar bijliyon ko khabar na ho jaae Dar hai gulshan kaa aashiyaan kaa nahin nazr-e-barq-o-sharar na ho jaae raaz-e-dil is liye nahin kahtaa ishq naa-mo'tabar na ho jaae dil se un ko bhulaa to duun lekin zindagi talkh-tar na ho jaae aate aate qarib manzil ke bad-gumaan raahbar na ho jaae shaam aisi nahin koi 'akhtar' jis ki paidaa sahar na ho jaae"

"shikva-e-kasrat-e-bedaad karun yaa na karun khaatir-e-husn ko naashaad karun yaa na karun dil-e-barbaad ko aabaad karun yaa na karun sochtaa huun ki tujhe yaad karun yaa na karun aasmaan mujh se hiraasaan hi rahaa kartaa hai khvaah main naala-o-fariyaad karun yaa na karun khud bhi sayyaad pareshaan hai mujhe kar ke asiir sochtaa hai ise aazaad karun yaa na karun jaur-e-gulchin hai ki baDhtaa hi chalaa jaataa hai jaur-e-gulchin pe main fariyaad karun yaa na karun mausam-e-gul ki hasin shaam hai mai-khaana-ba-dosh saaqi aise mein tujhe yaad karun yaa na karun zindagi kaif-ba-daamaan thi miri jab 'akhtar' ab vo biite hue din yaad karun yaa na karun"

"chehra sabab baghair nahin meraa zard hai dil par lagi hai choT kaleje mein dard hai guzraa hai is taraf se koi kaarvaan zarur manzil ki samt jab to havaaon mein gard hai phir hashr ho na jaae bapaa kaaenaat mein bimaar-e-gham ke honTon pe ik aah-e-sard hai vo raah-e-haq mein maut se Dartaa nahin kabhi jo aalam-e-hayaat kaa jaan-baaz mard hai lillaah do-ghaDi ke liye dekh bhi to jaa tere mariz-e-ishq ki ab nabz sard hai 'akhtar' bataa junun-e-mohabbat hai kyaa balaa kahte hain aaj-kal ki tu sahraa-navard 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"

"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"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"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"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"