na manzilon ko na ham rahguzar ko dekhte hain — 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"

"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"