na teraa qurb na baada hai kyaa kiyaa jaae — 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"

"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"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"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"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"