raat do raat kaa baseraa hai — D. Raj Kanwal

"kahne ko har qadam pe ujaalon kaa jaal hai phir bhi vo tirgi hai ki chalnaa muhaal hai dil kaa mu'aamla na jigar kaa savaal hai daur-e-junun mein jaan kaa bachnaa muhaal hai vo aaina bhi dekhte jaate hain saath saath kahte bhi jaa rahe hain ki vallah kamaal hai maail-ba-iltifaat unhein paa rahaa huun main is mein bhi lag rahaa hai zamaane ki chaal hai jis kaa javaab de na saki maut ki nami ye zindagi vo ek sulagtaa savaal hai ab rahbaron ke bas ki kahaan rah gai hai baat manzil se puchh leinge tiraa kyaa khayaal hai qaaem hamaare dam se 'kanval' hai vaqaar-e-'ishq har shai ko is jahaan mein vagarna zavaal hai"

"hosh mein aataa hai insaan Thokarein khaane ke baa'd din nikaltaa hai andheri raat Dhal jaane ke baa'd har koi duniyaa mein apne ko samajhtaa hai khudaa ek divaana paDaa hai ek divaane ke baa'd aap aankhon se pilaaein aur phir dekhein zaraa ek paimaana bharegaa ek paimaane ke baa'd kaun kahtaa hai nahin hai 'ishq meraa kaamyaab zikr karte hain vo meraa apne afsaane ke baa'd ek parda bhi rahegaa dil-lagi ki dil-lagi ek masjid bhi banaao ek maikhaane ke baa'd be-tuki kartaa hai baatein jab talak piitaa nahin hosh mein aataa hai vaa'iz jaam chhalkaane ke baa'd kyaa kare koi bharosa rahnumaaon par 'kanval' khud bahak jaate hain aksar ham ko samjhaane ke baa'd"

"khulti hai chaandni jahaan vo koi baam aur hai dil ko jahaan sukun mile vo to maqaam aur hai kahti hai ruuh jism se shaayad tujhe khabar nahin meraa maqaam tu nahin meraa maqaam aur hai sahmi hui ye khaamushi honTon ki tere kapkapi kahti hai saaf naama-bar kuchh to payaam aur hai shikva-e-be-rukhi pe vo kahne lage ki dekhiye nazron ki baat aur hai dil kaa salaam aur hai piite rahe hain umr-bhar lekin vahi hai tishnagi jis kaa nasha hai jaavedaan vo koi jaam aur hai vaqt-e-gunaah der tak kahtaa hai mujh se dil miraa kaar-e-hayaat-e-ishq mein teraa to kaam aur hai har shai pe is jahaan ki pardaa hai ik fareb kaa kahte hain sab 'kanval' mujhe go meraa naam aur hai"

"baarhaa jazbaat ki maujon mein bah jaate hain log choT kitni bhi kaDi ho dil pe sah jaate hain log manzilon kaa 'umr bhar miltaa nahin un ko nishaan kaarvaan se is qadar pichhe bhi rah jaate hain log vaqt se Takraa ke zinda rah nahin saktaa koi vaqt ki aankhon se aansu ban ke bah jaate hain log ik mo'amma hi rahaa ye ahl-e-duniyaa ke liye chhoD kar duniyaa ko aakhir kis jagah jaate hain log ham nahin karte gila shikva kisi se ai 'kanval' ghum-phir kar baat lekin dil ki kah jaate hain log"

"nuur hi nuur hai zulmaat ke aaine mein raqs karti hai sahar raat ke aaine mein thak gaiin DhunDh ke jab aap ko meri nazrein mil gae aap khayaalaat ke aaine mein jab bhi maangaa hai kabhi apni vafaaon kaa sila un ko paayaa hai savaalaat ke aaine mein yaad mahki jo tiri raat ki raani ban kar khil uThe phuul se jazbaat ke aaine mein aa giraa vaqt ke paani mein kahaan se kankar ek halchal si hai haalaat ke aaine mein dekh letaa huun main har roz hazaaron chehre apne guzre hue lamhaat ke aaine mein kyaa huaa shaam dhuaan ban ke jo aai hai 'kanval' chaand ubhregaa abhi raat ke aaine mein"

"ham ko chheDaa to machal jaaeinge armaan ki tarah ham pareshaan hain tiri zulf-e-pareshaan ki tarah har gali aai nazar kucha-e-jaanaan ki tarah ham ko duniyaa ye lagi shahr-e-nigaaraan ki tarah kam na hogi ye khalish dil ki kisi bhi surat dil mein sau gham hain makin khaar-e-mughilaan ki tarah log ruk ruk ke chale jaanib-e-manzil lekin ham rahe garm-e-safar gardish-e-dauraan ki tarah ab to har shakhs pe hotaa hai gumaan qaatil kaa koi miltaa hi nahin aadmi insaan ki tarah ham ne bakhshe hain andheron ko ujaale lekin ham hi be-nur rahe gor-e-gharibaan ki tarah ham 'kanval' aap mein rahte hain magar us se alag ham to gulshan mein bhi rahte hain bayaabaan ki tarah"

"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"

"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"

"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"