misaal-e-dast-e-zulekhaa tapaak chaahtaa hai — Ahmad Faraz

"tiraa qurb thaa ki firaaq thaa vahi teri jalvagari rahi ki jo raushni tire jism ki thi mire badan mein bhari rahi tire shahr mein main chalaa thaa jab to koi bhi saath na thaa mire to main kis se mahv-e-kalaam thaa to ye kis ki ham-safari rahi mujhe apne aap pe maan thaa ki na jab talak tiraa dhyaan thaa tu misaal thi miri aagahi tu kamaal-e-be-khabari rahi mire aashnaa bhi ajiib the na rafiq the na raqib the mujhe jaan se dard aziiz thaa unhein fikr-e-chaaragari rahi main ye jaantaa thaa miraa hunar hai shikast-o-rekht se mo'tabar jahaan log sang-ba-dast the vahin meri shishagari rahi jahaan naasehon kaa hujum thaa vahin aashiqon ki bhi dhuum thi jahaan bakhiya-gar the gali gali vahin rasm-e-jaama-dari rahi tire paas aa ke bhi jaane kyuun miri tishnagi mein hiraas thaa ba-misaal-e-chashm-e-ghazaal jo lab-e-aabju bhi Dari rahi jo havas farosh the shahr ke sabhi maal bech ke jaa chuke magar ek jins-e-vafaa miri sar-e-rah dhari ki dhari rahi mire naaqidon ne faraaz jab miraa harf harf parakh liyaa to kahaa ki ahd-e-riyaa mein bhi jo baat khari thi khari rahi"

"af'i ki tarah Dasne lagi mauj-e-nafas bhi ai zahr-e-gham-e-yaar bahut ho chuki bas bhi ye habs to jalti hui rut se bhi giraan hai ai Thahre hue abr-e-karam ab to baras bhi aain-e-kharaabaat mo'attal hai to kuchh roz ai rind-e-balaa-nosh-o-tahi-jaam taras bhi sayyaad-o-nigahbaan-e-chaman par hai ye raushan aabaad hamin se hai nasheman bhi qafas bhi mahrumi-e-jaaved gunah-gaar na kar de baDh jaati hai kuchh zabt-e-musalsal se havas bhi"

"phirte hain ab bhi dil ko garebaan kiye hue jin vahshiyon pe hain tire ehsaan kiye hue tajdid-e-'ishq kyaa ho ke barson guzar gae tujh se koi sukhan bhi miri jaan kiye hue ab tujh se kyaa gila ho ke ik 'umr ho gai ham ko bhi qasd-e-kucha-e-jaanaan kiye hue dil se hui hai phir tire baare mein guftugu tar aansuon se dida-o-daamaan kiye hue ji maantaa nahin hai ki ham bhi bhulaa chukein teri tarah se vaa'da-o-paimaan kiye hue kuchh zid mein naasehon ki tujhe chaahte rahe kuchh paasdaari-e-dil-e-naadaan kiye hue ham vo ki tujh ko she'r mein tasvir kar diyaa surat-garaan-e-shahr ko hairaan kiye hue baazaar sard thaa na kharidaar kam-nazar ham khud the apne aap ko arzaan kiye hue ai 'ishq ham se aur bhi honge zamaane mein achchhe-bhale gharon ko bayaabaan kiye hue kuchh ham se naa-muraad ki phirte hain ku-ba-ku dil ko kisi faqir kaa daamaan kiye hue vaa'da kiyaa thaa us ne kisi shaam kaa kabhi ham aaj tak hain ghar mein charaaghaan kiye hue ab us ke jaur se bhi gae ham ki jab se hain apne kiye pe us ko pashemaan kiye hue ye ratjage qubul ki aaraam se to hain rakhte the varna khvaab pareshaan kiye hue ham vo asiir hain ki zamaane guzar gae band apne aap par dar-e-zindaan kiye hue tark-e-vafaa ke baa'd havas ikhtiyaar ki is kaarobaar mein bhi hain nuqsaan kiye hue jaan-e-'faraaz' marg-e-tamannaa ke baavajud bhule nahin hamin tire ehsaan kiye hue"

"be-sar-o-saamaan the lekin itnaa andaaza na thaa is se pahle shahr ke luTne kaa aavaaza na thaa zarf-e-dil dekhaa to aankhein karb se pathraa gaiin khuun rone ki tamanna kaa ye khamyaaza na thaa aa mire pahlu mein aa ai raunaq-e-bazm-e-khayaal lazzat-e-rukhsaar-o-lab kaa ab tak andaaza na thaa ham ne dekhaa hai khizaan mein bhi tiri aamad ke baa'd kaun saa gul thaa ki gulshan mein tar-o-taaza na thaa ham qasida-khvaan nahin us husn ke lekin 'faraaz' itnaa kahte hain rahin-e-surma-o-ghaaza na thaa"

"'arz-e-gham kabhi us ke ru-baru bhi ho jaae shaa'iri to hoti hai guftugu bhi ho jaae zakhm-e-hijr bharne se yaad to nahin jaati kuchh nishaan to rahte hain dil rafu bhi ho jaae rind hain bhare baiThe aur mai-kada khaali kyaa bane jo aise mein ek hu bhi ho jaae main idhar tan-e-tanhaa aur udhar zamaana hai vaae gar zamaane ke saath tu bhi ho jaae pahli naa-muraadi kaa dukh kahaan bisartaa hai baa'd mein agar koi surkh-ru bhi ho jaae din-o-dil to de baiThe ab 'faraaz' kyaa gham hai ku-e-yaar mein ghaarat aabru bhi ho jaae"

"ab kyaa sochein kyaa haalaat the kis kaaran ye zahr piyaa hai ham ne us ke shahr ko chhoDaa aur aankhon ko muund liyaa hai apnaa ye sheva to nahin thaa apne gham auron ko saunpein khud to jaagte yaa sote hain us ko kyuun be-khvaab kiyaa hai khilqat ke aavaaze bhi the band us ke darvaaze bhi the phir bhi us kuche se guzre phir bhi us kaa naam liyaa hai hijr ki rut jaan-levaa thi par ghalat sabhi andaaze nikle taaza rifaaqat ke mausam tak main bhi jiyaa huun vo bhi jiyaa hai ek 'faraaz' tumhin tanhaa ho jo ab tak dukh ke rasiyaa ho varna aksar dil vaalon ne dard kaa rasta chhoD diyaa hai"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"hai jo ik maa'raka faisal nahin hone detaa jin vo ho ke mujhe botal nahin hone detaa qatl ik roz hi kartaa huun isi goshe mein aur saabit ise maqtal nahin hone detaa zid hai us ki ki har ik shaakh ho phir sabz hi sabz garche paidaa koi konpal nahin hone detaa raushni apne khayaalon hi se karni hogi koi raushan kahin mash'al nahin hone detaa chun-ki miTTi ki bhi ek apni alag khushbu hai main kahin bhi ise sandal nahin hone detaa ik parinda ki jo sahtaa hai havaaon kaa dabaao aur parvaaz ko paidal nahin hone detaa Dar hai us ko nazar aae na kahin zehn kaa 'aks vo miraa aaina saiqal nahin hone detaa tiraa qaanun hai jangal kaa ghanimat hai ki tu mire is shahr ko jangal nahin hone detaa chalo baat us ki sunein ek 'ajab mantiq se jo kisi baat ko muhmal nahin hone detaa"

"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"

"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"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"

"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"