le liyaa dil ye dil-lagi kyaa hai — Kokab Muradabadi

"jhijak kaisi hai tum bedaad par bedaad kar lenaa sitam-ijaad ho taaza sitam ijaad kar lenaa tumhein mashq-e-jafaa manzur agar hai dil bhi haazir hai abhi barbaad kar do phir ise aabaad kar lenaa rihaai ho ki paabandi asiir un ke unhin ke hain abhi paaband kar denaa abhi aazaad kar lenaa ba-juz is ke karun to kyaa karun ai bebasi meri kabhi khaamosh rah jaanaa kabhi fariyaad kar lenaa ye zaahir hai ki ham majbur hain kuchh kar nahin sakte sitam tujh se jahaan tak ho sake sayyaad kar lenaa agar shohrat tumhein manzur hai ahl-e-mohabbat mein sabaq mehr-o-vafaa kaa dil lagaa kar yaad kar lenaa khudaa naa-karda tum kyon paas aao naa-muraadon ke jo mumkin ho to un bhule huon ko yaad kar lenaa jafaaon par bhi shaadaan huun vafaaon par bhi qurbaan huun mujhe tum aazmaa kar apne dil ko shaad kar lenaa karo 'kaukab' vatan ki qadr kyaa baiThe ho tum ghaafil kabhi to khidmat-e-ahl-e-muraadaabaad kar lenaa"

"ai khudaa ishq mein mehnat miri barbaad na ho dil giraftaar-e-vafaa hai kahin aazaad na ho vaada-e-vasl unhein yaad dilaaun to kahein baat tum aisi kaho kyon jo mujhe yaad na ho dil-e-aafat-zada ab dekh chukaa aish ke din ye vo viraana hai jo phir kabhi aabaad na ho dar qafas kaa hai khulaa kuchh sar-e-parvaaz nahin is qadar bhi asar-e-ulfat-e-sayyaad na ho jis ko tu lutf samajhtaa hai sitam niklegaa ai dil aaghaaz-e-mohabbat hai abhi shaad na ho vasl ke zikr se kyaa kaam samajh jaaungaa ik ishaaraa hi sahi munh se kuchh irshaad na ho zulm-e-be-jaa se to khud baaz nahin aate hain aur mujh par hai ye taakid ki fariyaad na ho tere qaamat ne uThaai hai qayaamat kaisi mujh ko Dar hai ye koi misra-e-ustaad na ho aaj kyon naghma-e-lai mein hai fughaan kaa andaaz teri mahfil mein kahin 'kaukab'-e-naashaad na ho"

"zabt-e-fughaan bajaa sahi gham ke asar ko kyaa karun naala-e-shab ko kyaa karun aah-e-sahar ko kyaa karun subh-e-shab-e-firaaq bhi shaam-e-alam se kam nahin jis mein na koi nuur ho aisi sahar ko kyaa karun fitrat-e-ishq ne mujhe daulat-e-dard bakhsh di taaat-e-shab se kaam kyaa zikr-e-sahar ko kyaa karun subh-e-azal ki raushni meri nazar mein hai abhi nur-e-sahar to aap hain nur-e-sahar ko kyaa karun shaam-e-alam ki zulmatein kaafi hain mere vaaste main to balaa-nasib huun le ke sahar ko kyaa karun subh mein ab kahaan vo husn shaam mein ab kahaan vo kaif aalam-e-intizaar ke shaam-o-sahar ko kyaa karun aish mein bhi khayaal-e-gham maane-e-zauq-o-shauq hai ai shab-e-vasl-e-dil-navaaz vahm-e-sahar ko kyaa karun mere nasib mein nahin jalva-e-subh-e-aarzu 'kaukab'-e-shaam-e-gham huun main najm-e-sahar ko kyaa karun"

"ishq-e-saadiq un ko bhi kar de na divaana kahin shama jalte jalte ban jaae na parvaana kahin kah na de rind-e-subu-kash raaz-e-mai-khaana kahin mohtasib bhi sun ke ho jaae na mastaana kahin mastiyaan chhaai hui hain mai-kada mein chaar-su jalva-e-saaqi kahin hai daur-e-paimaana kahin josh-e-vahshat baDhte baDhte ho na jaae parda-dar khalq mein mashhur ho meraa na afsaana kahin chashm-e-mast-e-saaqi-e-makhmur hai mai-kash-navaaz bhar na jaae umr-e-do-roza kaa paimaana kahin mai-parasti kaa mazaa aae nasha baDhtaa rahe aaj saaqi de jo paimaane pe paimaana kahin kaan us aavaaz-e-dilkash se hon kyunkar aashnaa gham-kada meraa kahin un kaa tarab-khaana kahin sun ke mere jazba-e-vahshat ko vo kahne lage nazr-e-shauq-e-did ho jaae na divaana kahin zabt laazim hai tumhein 'kaukab' farogh-e-ishq mein har-kas-o-naa-kas se kah denaa na afsaana kahin"

"us pe kuchh bhi asar nahin hotaa be-khabar baa-khabar nahin hotaa dil mein kab jalva-gar nahin hotaa kab vo pesh-e-nazar nahin hotaa tujh se dil be-khabar nahin hotaa nahin hotaa magar nahin hotaa kyaa kaThin manzil-e-mohabbat hai khizr bhi ham-safar nahin hotaa haal-e-mahjur puchhte kyaa ho hosh do-do pahar nahin hotaa kyaa kahun bad-gumaaniyaan dil ki etibaar-e-nazar nahin hotaa us pe rahmat ko naaz hotaa hai jis duaa mein asar nahin hotaa phir dobaara nazar nahin uThti ishq baar-e-digar nahin hotaa nur-e-'kaukab' ne vo ziyaa paai ki muqaabil qamar nahin hotaa"

"zabt-e-alam ne dard ko darmaan banaa diyaa mushkil thi zindagi magar aasaan banaa diyaa siine ko manzil-e-gham-e-jaanaan banaa diyaa yuun maut ko hayaat kaa saamaan banaa diyaa duniyaa-e-ishq shokhi-e-fitrat ki daad de har ik nigaah-e-husn ko paikaan banaa diyaa ai josh-e-girya-e-gham-e-jaanaan tire nisaar aansu ke ek qatre ko tufaan banaa diyaa ik nur-bakhsh mahfil-e-jaan ke firaaq ne dil ko jalaa ke sham-e-shabistaan banaa diyaa qurbaan aap ki nigah-e-dil-navaaz ke hairaan banaa diyaa mujhe hairaan banaa diyaa rag rag mein iztiraab-e-mohabbat hai maujzan ehsaas-e-dil ne qatre ko tufaan banaa diyaa allah re jazb-e-husn ki kaif-aafriniyaan har aaine ko shauq mein hairaan banaa diyaa 'kaukab' tumhaare nuur se vo raushni baDhi har zarra-e-khayaal ko taabaan banaa diyaa"

"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"

"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"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"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"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"