khvaahish-e-aish nahin dard-e-nihaani ki qasam — Akhtar Ansari

"jaan-sapaari ke bhi armaan zindagi ki aas bhi hifz-e-naamus-e-alam bhi nish-e-gham kaa paas bhi khaak dar-bar hi sahi main khaak bhi vo khaak hai jis mein mere zakhm-e-dil ki bu bhi hai aur baas bhi kitne daur-e-charkh un aankhon ne dekhe kuchh na puchh miT chukaa hai vaqt ki raftaar kaa ehsaas bhi haae vo ik nashtar-aagin neshtar-afroz yaad jis ke aage hech apni burrish-e-infaas bhi ham na the kuchh khud hi us saude pe raazi varna yuun raas aane ko ye duniyaa aa hi jaati raas bhi khud ko ai dil yaas-e-kaamil ke havaale yuun na kar jhaankti hai zehn ke ghurfe se koi aas bhi kaun us vaadi se uchhlaa taa-sar-e-arsh-e-barin gum hain jis vaadi mein 'akhtar' khizr bhi ilyaas bhi"

"lutf le le ke piye hain qadah-e-gham kyaa kyaa ham ne firdaus banaae hain jahannam kyaa kyaa aansuon ko bhi piyaa jura-e-sahbaa ki tarah saaghar-o-jaam bane dida-e-pur-nam kyaa kyaa halqa-e-daam-e-vafaa uqda-e-gham mauj-e-nashaat ye zamaana bhi dikhaataa hai cham-o-kham kyaa kyaa lazzat-e-hijr kabhi ishrat-e-didaar kabhi aarzu ne bhi tabiat ko diye dam kyaa kyaa kis kis andaaz se khaTke rag-e-gul ke nashtar tapish-afroz hue shoala-o-shabnam kyaa kyaa shaam-e-viraan ki udaasi shab-e-tira kaa sukut dil-e-mahzun ko mile hamdam o mahram kyaa kyaa haae vo aalam-e-be-naam ki jis aalam mein biit jaate hain dil-e-zaar pe aalim kyaa kyaa ismat o rifat-e-anjum se khayaal aataa hai khaak mein rondi gai hurmat-e-aadam kyaa kyaa dab gae minnat-e-mazdur se aivaan kitne jhuk gae ghairat-e-maftuh se parcham kyaa kiyaa the musallah gham-e-maashuq se go ham 'akhtar' phir bhi dikhlaae gham-e-dahr ne dam-kham kyaa kyaa"

"bahaar aai zamaana huaa kharaabaati hamaare dil mein bhi ik lahr kaash aa jaati havaa bhi sard hai bhigi hai raat bhi lekin sulag rahi hai kisi aag se miri chhaati mire paDos mein ye zikr hai kai din se sadaa jo aati thi rone ki ab nahin aati lagaa ke siine se shaadaabiyon ko so jaataa mujhe bahaar-e-javaani mein maut aa jaati bajaa rahaa hai koi raat mein sitaar 'akhtar' dhaDak rahi hai miri aarzuon ki chhaati"

"har vaqt nauha-khvaan si rahti hain meri aankhein ik dukh bhari kahaani kahti hain meri aankhein jazbaat-e-dil ki shiddat sahti hain meri aankhein gul-rang aur shafaq-gun rahti hain meri aankhein aish o tarab ke jalse dard o alam ke manzar kyaa kuchh na ham ne dekhaa kahti hain meri aankhein jab se dil o jigar ki hamdard ban gai hain ghamginiyon mein Duubi rahti hain meri aankhein labrez ho ke dil kaa saaghar chhalak uThaa hai shaayad isi sabab se bahti hain meri aankhein har jumbish-e-nazar hai rudaad-e-ishq 'akhtar' hain be-zabaan magar kuchh kahti hain meri aankhein"

"charkh ki sai-e-jafaa koshish naakaara hai gardish-e-dahr yahaan jumbish-e-gahvaara hai chaand taaron ke talaatum se ye aataa hai khayaal dil-e-vahshi koi tufaan-zada sayyaara hai bah gae dida-e-nam-naak se dariyaa lekin dil vahi ek dahaktaa huaa angaara hai dil huaa soz-e-jahannam mein giraftaar magar ruuh ab bhi kisi firdaus mein aavaara hai kaisi taqdir ki gardish gham-e-dil ko main ne gardish-e-gumbad-e-aflaak pe de maaraa hai mere sheron se taarruz na kar ai naaqid-e-fan meri barbaadi-e-dil hi miraa shah-paaraa hai bahjat-e-fikr pe qaadir huun main jab tak 'akhtar' mujhe sarmaaya-e-andoh bahut pyaaraa hai"

"mohabbat hai aziyyat hai hujum-e-yaas-o-hasrat hai javaani aur itni dukh bhari kaisi qayaamat hai vo maazi jo hai ik majmua ashkon aur aahon kaa na jaane mujh ko is maazi se kyuun itni mohabbat hai lab-e-dariyaa mujhe lahron se yunhi chahal karne do ki ab dil ko isi ik shughl-e-be-maani mein raahat hai tiraa afsaana ai afsaana-khvaan rangin sahi mumkin mujhe rudaad-e-ishrat sun ke ro dene ki aadat hai koi roe to main be-vajh khud bhi rone lagtaa huun ab 'akhtar' chaahe tum kuchh bhi kaho ye meri fitrat 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"