koi sitaara-e-girdaab aashnaa thaa main — Saleem Ahmed

"ye khvaab aur bhi dekheinge raat baaqi hai abhi to ai dil-e-zinda hayaat baaqi hai mire lahu mein abhi tark-e-ishq ke baa-vasf vo garmi-e-nigah-e-iltifaat baaqi hai abhi to zauq-e-talab mein kami nahin aai abhi miraa safar-e-be-jihaat baaqi hai jo ho sake to shahaadat-gah-e-nazar mein aa ye dekh ishq mein kitnaa sabaat baaqi hai ye kaaenaat abhi ek intizaar mein hai ki hone vaali koi vaardaat baaqi hai khud apni raakh se tu ji uThe sharar ki tarah ye moajiza abhi ai kaaenaat baaqi hai shab-e-visaal mein din bhi milaa na lein ai dost ki raat khatm hui aur baat baaqi hai hui hai shaakh-e-hunar mein nai numu ab ke 'salim' barg-e-khizaan se najaat baaqi hai"

"tire saanche mein Dhaltaa jaa rahaa huun tujhe bhi kuchh badaltaa jaa rahaa huun na jaane tujh ko bhulaa huun ki khud ko bahar-surat sanbhaltaa jaa rahaa huun tabi'at hai abhi tiflaana meri khilaunon se bahaltaa jaa rahaa huun haqiqat ko mukammal dekhnaa hai nazar ke rukh badaltaa jaa rahaa huun chalaa hai mujh se aage meraa saaya so main bhi saath chaltaa jaa rahaa huun ye chaahaa thaa ki patthar ban ke ji luun so andar se pighaltaa jaa rahaa huun bahut naazaan huun mahrumi pe apni isi par haath miltaa jaa rahaa huun kisi kaa vaa'da-e-fardaa nahin main tu kyuun fardaa pe Taltaa jaa rahaa huun"

"jo baat dil mein thi vo kab zabaan par aai sunaa rahaa hai fasaane fareb-e-goyaai nae charaagh sar-e-rahguzar jalaa aai havaa-e-nikhat-e-gul thi ki meri binaai tu garm raat mein ThanDi havaa kaa jhonkaa thaa zaraa qarib se guzraa to niind si aai jo baat tujh mein hai vo dusron mein kyaa milti jo baat mujh mein hai tu ne bhi vo kahaan paai vo yaad aae to dil aur ho gayaa viraan vo mil gae to baDhaa aur dard-e-tanhaai bahut dinon se miraa dil udaas bhi to nahin bahut dinon se tiri yaad bhi nahin aai 'salim' qurb se bhi tishnagi nahin jaati ye baat saahil-o-dariyaa ne mujh ko samjhaai"

"manzil-e-be-jahat ki khair sai-e-safar hai raaegaan ahl-e-vafaa ke qaafile phir bhi to hain ravaan davaan zahr hai mere jaam mein honTon pe aa gai hai jaan phir bhi mujhe hayaat par tere karam kaa hai gumaan dahr pe main khulaa nahin mujh ko khudaa milaa nahin aap hi apnaa raaz huun aap hi apnaa raaz-daan husn ko chhu ke dekhnaa aag thaa mom ke liye ruuh pighal ke rah gai aql hui dhuaan dhuaan vo bhi to hain ki zindagi jin ke liye hai angbin zaaiqa-e-hayaat se ainTh gai miri zabaan gosh-e-gul-bahaar mein kis ne kahaa hai harf-e-shauq kaun hai meraa tarjumaan kis ko mili miri zabaan"

"is aankh mein khvaab-e-naaz ho jaa ai hijr ki shab daraaz ho jaa asraar tamaam khul rahe hain tu apne liye bhi raaz ho jaa ai naghma-navaaz aakhir-e-shab aahang-e-shikast-e-saaz ho jaa divaar ki tarah band kyuun hai dastak koi de to baaz ho jaa ab din to ghurub ho rahaa hai saae ki tarah daraaz ho jaa yaan fath sabab hai sar-kashi kaa tu haar ke sarfaraaz ho jaa tu shisha bane ki sang kuchh ban andar se magar gudaaz ho jaa us aankh se siikh raaz-e-ismat khul khel ke paak-baaz ho jaa"

"nayaa mazmun kitaab-e-zist kaa huun nihaayat ghaur se sochaa gayaa huun sunein mujh ko to main dhaDkan huun dil ki nahin sunte to sahraa ki sadaa huun miri jaanib koi aae to puchhun nishaan-e-raah huun manzil huun kyaa huun kisi ko kyaa bataaun kaun huun main ki apni daastaan bhulaa huaa huun khud apni diid se andhi hain aankhein khud apni guunj se bahraa huaa huun miri sairaabiyon mein tishnagi hai ki main dariyaa huun lekin ret kaa huun vo ran mujh mein paDaa hai khair o shar kaa ki apni zaat mein ik karbalaa huun miraa siina hai chhalni nai ki surat inhin zakhmon se main naghma-saraa huun mujhe shabnam kaa aaina milaa hai isi mein gul ki surat dekhtaa huun miri maujudgi se bandagi hai ki jab se gum huaa huun main khudaa huun"

"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"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"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"

"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"