na chheD zaahid-e-naadaan sharaab piine de — Akhtar Shirani

"bujhaa saa rahtaa hai dil jab se hain vatan se judaa vo sehn-e-baagh nahin sair-e-maahtaab nahin base hue hain nigaahon mein vo hasin kuche har ek zarra jahaan kam ze-aaftaab nahin vo baagh-o-raagh ke dil-chasp-o-dil-nashin manzar ki jin ke hote hue khuld misl-e-khvaab nahin vo juebaar-e-ravaan kaa tarab-fazaa paani sharaab se nahin kuchh kam agar sharaab nahin ba-rang-e-zulf pareshaan vo mauj-haa-e-ravaan ki jin ki yaad mein raaton ko fikr-e-khvaab nahin samaa rahe hain nazar mein vo mahv-shaan-e-haram haram mein jin ke sitaare bhi baaryaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"zamaan-e-hijr miTe daur-e-vasl-e-yaar aae ilaahi ab to khizaan jaae aur bahaar aae sitam-zarifi-e-fitrat ye kyaa muamma hai ki jis kali ko bhi sunghun main bu-e-yaar aae chaman ki har kali aamaada-e-tabassum hai bahaar ban ke miri jaan-e-nau-bahaar aae hain tishna-kaam ham un baadalon se puchhe koi kahaan bahaar ki pariyon ke takht utaar aae tire khayaal ki be-taabiyaan maaaz-allaah ki ek baar bhulaaein to laakh baar aae vo aaein yuun mire aaghosh-e-ishq mein 'akhtar' ki jaise aankhon mein ik khvaab-e-be-qaraar aae"

"samaa kar dil mein nazron se nihaan hai mujhe yaad aane vaale tu kahaan hai khudaai kahkashaan kahti hai jis ko vo azraa kaa khiraam-e-raaegaan hai andhere baadalon se puchh zaahid miri khoi hui tauba kahaan hai ye kis ne pyaar ki nazron se dekhaa ki mere dil ki duniyaa phir javaan hai javaani raaegaan jaae to achchhaa javaani ek khvaab-e-raaegaan hai"

"miri aankhon se zaahir khun-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai nigaahon se bayaan dil ki kahaani ab bhi hoti hai surur-aaraa sharaab-e-arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai mire qadmon mein duniyaa ki javaani ab bhi hoti hai koi jhonkaa to laati ai nasim atraaf-e-kanaan tak savaad-e-misr mein ambar-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai vo shab ko mushk-bu pardon mein chhup kar aa hi jaate hain mire khvaabon par un ki mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai kahin se haath aa jaae to ham ko bhi koi laa de sunaa hai is jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai hilaal o badr ke naqshe sabaq dete hain insaan ko ki naakaami binaa-e-kaamraani ab bhi hoti hai kahin aghyaar ke khvaabon mein chhup chhup kar na jaate hon vo pahlu mein hain lekin bad-gumaani ab bhi hoti hai samajhtaa hai shikast-e-tauba ashk-e-tauba ko zaahid miri aankhon ki rangat arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai vo barsaatein vo baatein vo mulaaqaatein kahaan hamdam vatan ki raat hone ko suhaani ab bhi hoti hai khafaa hain phir bhi aa kar chheD jaate hain tasavvur mein hamaare haal par kuchh mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai zabaan hi mein na ho taasir to main kyaa karun naaseh tiri baaton se paidaa sargiraani ab bhi hoti hai tumhaare gesuon ki chhaanv mein ik raat guzri thi sitaaron ki zabaan par ye kahaani ab bhi hoti hai pas-e-tauba bhi pi lete hain jaam-e-ghuncha-o-gul se bahaaron mein junun ki mehmaani ab bhi hoti hai koi khush ho miri maayusiyaan fariyaad karti hain ilaahi kyaa jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai buton ko kar diyaa thaa jis ne majbur-e-sukhan 'akhtar' labon par vo navaa-e-aasmaani ab bhi hoti hai"

"ai dil vo aashiqi ke fasaane kidhar gae vo umr kyaa hui vo zamaane kidhar gae viraan hain sahn o baagh bahaaron ko kyaa huaa vo bulbulein kahaan vo taraane kidhar gae hai najd mein sukut havaaon ko kyaa huaa lailaaein hain khamosh divaane kidhar gae ujDe paDe hain dasht ghazaalon pe kyaa bani suune hain kohsaar divaane kidhar gae vo hijr mein visaal ki ummid kyaa hui vo ranj mein khushi ke bahaane kidhar gae din raat mai-kade mein guzarti thi zindagi 'akhtar' vo be-khudi ke zamaane kidhar gae"

"hamaare haath mein kab saaghar-e-sharaab nahin hamaare qadmon pe kis roz maahtaab nahin jahaan mein ab koi surat pae-savaab nahin vo mai-kade nahin saaqi nahin sharaab nahin shab-e-bahaar mein zulfon se khelne vaale tire baghair mujhe aarzu-e-khvaab nahin chaman mein bulbulein aur anjuman mein parvaane jahaan mein kaun gham-e-ishq se kharaab nahin gham, aah ishq ke gham kaa koi nahin mausam bahaar ho ki khizaan kab ye iztiraab nahin umid-e-pursish-e-ahvaal ho to kyunkar ho salaam kaa bhi tiri bazm mein javaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"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"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"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"