qabaa-e-jaan ko sar-e-raah taar-taar na kar — Ahmad Raees

"jo likhaa vo likh diyaa jaan-e-jaan karun aaj is kaa malaal kyaa tiraa zikr ho tiri baat ho to karun main jag kaa khayaal kyaa mili dam-ba-dam hasin raushni ki hayaat meri nikhar gai tire qurb se tire pyaar se ho qaraar-e-jaan to kamaal kyaa abhi saath thaa abhi kho gayaa abhi tirgi mein Dubo gayaa abhi us ki aas na pyaas hai to khayaal-e-qurb-o-visaal kyaa rah-e-zindagi hai dhuaan dhuaan nahin ik kiran kaa kahin nishaan main huun be-yaqini ki chhaanv mein to numud-e-rang-o-jamaal kyaa rah-e-aashiqaan jo huaa sitam kabhi zikr hogaa na us kaa kam yunhi hogaa tan jo lahu lahu to karun main jang-o-qitaal kyaa tiri chaah thi tiraa pyaar thaa tiraa qurb thaa tiri dosti tu nahin to phir ye hikaayatein ye shikaayatein ye malaal kyaa tujhe tujh se main ne talab kiyaa tujhe lutf-e-jaan kaa sabab kiyaa ye sitam hai tu ne ghazab kiyaa to karun main tujh se savaal kyaa"

"milaa vo shakhs magar arsa-e-bahaar ke baad hazaar chaand sitaaron ke intizaar ke baad zamin pe phuul khile hain to kis zamaane mein mohabbaton se mahakte hue dayaar ke baad tiri talaash mein nikle hain laakh divaane baDe azaab baDe zulm-o-intishaar ke baad hazaar ahl-e-tamannaa se ham-kalaam rahaa magar mili na tasalli sukut-e-yaar ke baad hamaaraa haal to us se kahe koi jaa kar ki intizaar hai us kaa har intizaar ke baad charaagh-e-laala-o-gul hain ki hain bahut raushan vahi bahaar hai har mausam-e-bahaar ke baad"

"meri bayaaz-e-sher pe vo naam likh gayaa ik khvaab aur ek hasin shaam likh gayaa dil us ko DhunDhtaa hai usi ki talaash hai chupke se ik duaa jo mire naam likh gayaa phir us se kab ho meri mulaaqaat dekhiye aaghaaz hi mein jo miraa anjaam likh gayaa jalti zamin pe main hi khaDaa thaa koi na thaa jhonkaa havaa kaa aayaa to sau naam likh gayaa khushbu thaa vo ki ek nai rut nayaa samaan chupke se mere naam jo ye shaam likh gayaa vo mujh se chhin kar miri binaaiyaan tamaam patthar kaa kaisaa shahr mire naam likh gayaa khud apni aag hi mein jalaa huun magar 'rais' sab ke liye mahakti hui shaam likh gayaa"

"hisaar-e-zaat se baahar nikal ke dekh liyaa zamaane ham ne tire saath chal ke dekh liyaa milaa na ham ko zaraa bhi qaraar duniyaa mein qadam milaa ke tire saath chal ke dekh liyaa vahi hai tira-shabi aur vahi hai sannaaTaa khalaa mein duur bahut duur chal ke dekh liyaa jalaa na diip koi chaahaton kaa raste mein hujum-e-shahr mein tanhaa bhi chal ke dekh liyaa ataa huaa na hamein koi tamgha-e-ulfat tumhaare rang mein ham ne bhi Dhal ke dekh liyaa hue na aaj talak ham shumaar zindon mein har ik libaas badan kaa badal ke dekh liyaa"

"har shakhs isi khayaal mein hai ye shahr bhi yarghamaal mein hai kyaa jaaniye fikr kyaa lagi hai kyaa haashiya-e-khayaal mein hai mumkin hai uruuj ho mayassar duniyaa to abhi zavaal mein hai takhliq kaa laa-zavaal lamha lafzon ke hasin jaal mein hai tahrir har ek phiki phiki har mu-e-qalam zavaal mein hai be-misl rafaaqaton ki khushbu aaina-e-maah-o-saal mein hai lahja hi badal gayaa hai us kaa talkhi si har ik savaal mein hai"

"uDti khushbu huun na baadal ki ravaani jaanaan mukhtalif hai miri duniyaa se kahaani jaanaan tujh se mansub huaa huun to huun naazaan khud par ki mayassar hui gul-rang kahaani jaanaan main savaali huun tire husn ki raanaai kaa ho ataa mujh ko bhi kuchh apni nishaani jaanaan vaqt ke bikhre kharaabon ke inhin Dheron par DhunDhne niklaa huun gum-gashta javaani jaanaan main ne har moD pe samjhaayaa tujhe ki talqin par miri baat na tu ne kabhi maani jaanaan"

"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"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"