niind TuuTi to samundar na jazira dekhaa — Sultan Akhtar

"main laDkhaDaayaa to mujh ko gale lagaane lage gunaahgaar bhi meri hansi uDaane lage miri qadim rivaayat ko aazmaane lage mukhaalifin bhi ab kashtiyaan jalaane lage dil-e-haris se taamir ki havas na gai vo sath-e-aab pe kaaghaz kaa ghar banaane lage kisi ki raah-e-munavvar mein moajaza ye huaa hamaare naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi jagmagaane lage na jaane kis kaa hamein intizaar rahne lagaa ki taaq-e-dil pe diyaa roz ham jalaane lage hue kuchh itne mohazzab ki saans ghuTne lagi junun-pasand gale tak baTan lagaane lage jinhon ne kaanTon pe chalnaa hamein sikhaayaa thaa hamaari raah mein vo phuul ab bichhaane lage shurua ho gayaa aankhon mein jashn-e-khush-khvaabi hui jo raat to har samt shaamiyaane lage"

"jhuuT raushan hai ki sachchaai nahin jaante hain log ab vahm o gumaan ko hi yaqin jaante hain ye alag baat ki aati nahin duniyaa-daari ahl-e-duniyaa ko magar gosha-nashin jaante hain taaq o mehraab kaa ronaa ho ki divaar kaa gham baam o dar par jo guzarti hai makin jaante hain varaq-e-dil pe abhi naqsh hai shab-naama-e-gham phir bhi har subh ko ham subh-e-hasin jaante hain jhuk ke milte to hain vo khaak-nashinon se magar aasmaan vaalon ko ham ahl-e-zamin jaante hain sab ke honTon pe munavvar hain hamaare qisse aur ham apni kahaani bhi nahin jaante hain koi dar qaabil-e-taazim nazar to aae sar jhukaanaa hai kahaan ahl-e-jabin jaante hain"

"ye jo ham atlas o kim-khvaab liye phirte hain azmat-e-rafta ke aadaab liye phirte hain dekh kar un ko laraz jaati hai har mauj-e-balaa apni kashti mein jo girdaab liye phirte hain tiir kitne hain laiin aur tire tarkash mein dekh ham sina-e-be-taab liye phirte hain dekhnaa un ko bhi Das legi kaDe vaqt ki dhuup vo jo kuchh khvaahish-e-shaadaab liye phirte hain apni tahzib kaa ab koi talabgaar nahin be-sabab ham par-e-surkhaab liye phirte hain meraa bhi kaasa-e-taabir hai khaali khaali vo bhi aankhon mein kai khvaab liye phirte hain tirgi shahr-e-ghazaalaan se nikalti hi nahin laakh vo surat-e-mahtaab liye phirte hain ye to sadqa hai husain-ibn-e-ali kaa 'akhtar' tishnagi ham jo sar-e-aab liye phirte hain"

"apni tahzib ki divaar sambhaale hue hain mere bachche miraa ghar-baar sambhaale hue hain tu ne kuchh bhi na diyaa ham ko aziyyat ke sivaa zindagi ham tujhe bekaar sambhaale hue hain koi aataa nahin ab un ki qadam-bosi ko donon haathon se vo dastaar sambhaale hue hain vaqt se aage nikal jaaeinge jab chaaheinge dil-girafta abhi raftaar sambhaale hue hain muflisi jhaankti hai rauzan o dar se lekin ham larazti hui divaar sambhaale hue hain ye bhi ik turfa tamaashaa hai khudaa-vand-e-jahaan teri duniyaa ko gunahgaar sambhaale hue hain faaqa-masti mein bhi jiite hain ba-aaghaaz-e-junun zindagi ham tiraa pindaar sambhaale hue hain aabdida kabhi hone nahin dete 'akhtar' mujh ko ab tak mire gham-khvaar sambhaale hue hain"

"haraa shajar na sahi khushk ghaas rahne de zamin ke jism pe koi libaas rahne de kahin na raah mein suraj kaa qahr TuuT paDe tu apni yaad mire aas-paas rahne de bikhar chuke hain samaaat ke talkh shiraaze ab apne naram labon ki miThaas rahne de vo dekh Dah chukin vahm-o-gumaan ki divaarein yaqin chikh rahaa hai qayaas rahne de baDaa latif andheraa hai raushni na jalaa urus-e-shab ko abhi khush-libaas rahne de tasavvuraat ke lamhon ki qadr kar pyaare zaraa si der to khud ko udaas rahne de"

"kisi ke vaaste jiitaa hai ab na martaa hai har aadmi yahaan apnaa tavaaf kartaa hai sab apni apni nigaahein sameT lete hain vo khush-libaas sar-e-shaam jab bikhartaa hai main jis ki raah mein har shab diye jalaataa huun vo maahtaab zamin par kahaan utartaa hai hamaaraa dil bhi hai viraan haveliyon ki tarah tamaam raat yahaan koi aah bhartaa hai main us ke naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi chhu nahin saktaa vo tez-gaam havaaon ke par katartaa hai na baam-e-aarzu raushan na saaebaan-e-talab saraa-e-dil mein kahaan koi ab Thahartaa hai sab apne aap se khaaif hain in dinon 'akhtar' har ek shakhs yahaan aaine se Dartaa 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"

"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"

"taavil-e-ahd-e-fan hi to vahshat kaa hal nahin pesh-e-nazar junun hai yaaro ghazal nahin ab is ke baad ahd ki taarik raat hai ye ikhtitaam-e-shaam hai subh-e-azal nahin ai dost ishq mansab-e-fahm-o-shuur hai ye irtiqaa hai zehn kaa koi khalal nahin ik umr ratjagon ki aziyyat mein kaaT di ab mere khvaab niind kaa radd-e-amal nahin kyaa kyaa ataa-e-neamat-e-rabb-e-karim hai lekin 'samir' dard kaa nemul-badal nahin"

"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"

"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"

"chaahe khoTe hain yaa khare hain ham Dast-e-qudrat ke laaDle hain ham 'aks-e-rafta ko dekhiye saahib kitne maa'sum lag rahe hain ham raat jivan kaa giit gaati hai khvaab-e-tanvim dekhte hain ham 'umr lag jaaegi sanbhalne mein kis bulandi se yuun gire hain ham ek hangaam hai taghayyur kaa kunj-e-nisyaan mein paDe hain ham ab bhi mehndi kaa rang gahraa hai sandalin haath par rache hain ham ik tamaashaa hai kaar-zaar-e-hayaat dekh kar ser ho chuke hain ham jhilmilaate hain aarzu ke kanval dil-jharoke se jhaankte hain ham"