shaairo hadd-e-qadaamat se nikal kar dekho — Akhtar Ansari Akbarabadi

"ye rang-o-kaif kahaan thaa shabaab se pahle nazar kuchh aur thi mauj-e-sharaab se pahle na jaane haal ho kyaa daur-e-iztiraab ke baad sukun milaa na kabhi iztiraab se pahle vahi gharib hain khaana-kharaab se ab bhi ravaan-davaan the jo khaana-kharaab se pahle vahi hai hashr kaa aalam ab inqalaab ke baad jo hashr uThaa thaa yahaan inqalaab se pahle mili hai tujh se to mahsus ho rahi hai nazar nazar kahaan thi tire intikhaab se pahle tabaah haal zamaane ko dekhiye 'akhtar' nazar uThaaiye jaam-e-sharaab se pahle"

"jaam laa jaam ki aalaam se ji Dartaa hai asar-e-gardish-e-ayyaam se ji Dartaa hai lab pe ab aariz-o-gesu ke fasaane kyaa hon fitnahaa-e-sahar-o-shaam se ji Dartaa hai tujh ko main DhunDhtaa phirtaa huun dar-o-baam se duur ab tajalli-e-dar-o-baam se ji Dartaa hai gul khilaae na kahin fitna-e-dauraan kuchh aur aaj-kal daur-e-mai-o-jaam se ji Dartaa hai nigah-e-mast ke qurbaan miri samt na dekh mauja-e-baada-e-gulfaam se ji Dartaa hai chhoD kar raah mein but-khaane guzar jaataa huun hosh mein jalva-e-asnaam se ji Dartaa hai raat ki zulmatein baDhti hi chali jaati hain 'akhtar' apnaa to sar-e-shaam se ji Dartaa hai"

"is taraf haadson ko aane do himmat-e-dil ko aazmaane do ahl-e-saahil ko muskuraane do kashtiyon ko bhanvar mein aane do jo bahaaron ko zindagi deinge un shagufon ko muskuraane do ham sikhaaeinge un ko raahbari rahzanon ko qarib aane do un ki nazron ke rukh bhi dekhungaa mire dil ko sukun paane do maut sharmaaegi lajaaegi zindagaani ko gham uThaane do gulshanon mein bahaar se pahle kuchh khizaan ko bhi gul khilaane do raushni tirgi se behtar hai in charaaghon ko jhilmilaane do tum bhi kuchh gungunaao ai 'akhtar' kuchh fazaaon ko gungunaane do"

"nazar se safha-e-aalam pe khunin daastaan likhiye qalam se kyaa hikaayaat-e-zamin-o-aasmaan likhiye miTaa de jo fazaa ki tirgi maahaul ki pasti koi aisaa bhi sher ai shaairaan-e-khush-bayaan likhiye bapaa hain har jihat mein aatish-o-aahan ke hangaame kahaan is daur mein jaur-o-jafaa-e-mahvashaan likhiye khatar-haa-e-rah-e-majnun kaa qissa kyuun bayaan kijiye nazar ko naaqa-e-lailaa khirad ko saarbaan likhiye yahi hain yaadgaar-e-ghuncha-o-gul is zamaane mein inhin sukhe hue kaanTon se zikr-e-gulsitaan likhiye bayaan karne ko hai tarz-e-tapaak-e-dostaan kaafi ab is duniyaa mein kyaa rang-e-ghurur-e-dushmanaan likhiye rivaayaat-e-kuhan mein dilkashi baaqi nahin 'akhtar' nae andaaz se taarikh-e-shahr-e-gul-rukhaan likhiye"

"zulm sahte rahe shukr karte rahe aai lab tak na ye daastaan aaj tak mujh ko hairat rahi anjuman mein tiri kyuun hain khaamosh ahl-e-zabaan aaj tak ishq mahv-e-gham-e-zindagi ho gayaa husn madhosh-e-ishva-taraazi rahaa ahl-e-dil hosh mein aa chuke hain magar hai vahi aalam-e-dil-baraan aaj tak aise guzre hain ahl-e-nazar raah se jin ke qadmon se zarre munavvar hue aur aise munavvar jinhein dekh kar rashk karti rahi kahkashaan aaj tak kaarvaanon ke rahbar ne raahzan phir bhi manzil pe kuchh raah-rau aa gae vo nae kaarvaanon ke rahbar bane jin se hai azmat-e-rahbaraan aaj tak mushkilein aafatein haadse saanehe aae 'akhtar' miri raah mein kis qadar mujh ko aage baDhaataa rahaa hai magar meraa dil meraa azm-e-javaan aaj tak"

"rahbar-e-tabl-o-nishaan aur zaraa tez qadam haan mire azm-e-javaan aur zaraa tez qadam is andhere se na ghabraa ki zaraa aur aage hai charaaghaan kaa samaan aur zaraa tez qadam kahin maayus na honaa jo nigaahon se abhi un ki mahfil hai nihaan aur zaraa tez qadam ye yaqin hai ki pahunch jaaeinge un tak ik din chaliye be-vahm-o-gumaan aur zaraa tez qadam bujh na jaaein rah-e-hasti mein tamannaa ke charaagh khvaaja-e-raah-ravaan aur zaraa tez qadam kis bulandi pe ravaan tum ho zamin ke zarro hain sitaare nigaraan aur zaraa tez qadam mil hi jaaegaa kahin shahr-e-nigaaraan 'akhtar' ai parastaar-e-butaan aur zaraa tez qadam"

"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"