shaayad usul-e-raah ko samjhaa nahin thaa vo — Qasim Saba

"siine mein apne jazba-e-tufaan bhi rahe lekin sukun-e-jaan kaa kuchh imkaan bhi rahe dushvaar raasta tujhe maanaa ki hai pasand ghar lauTne kaa raasta aasaan bhi rahe ghairon ko mil sake na tire gham ki kuchh khabar chehre pe tere thoDi si muskaan bhi rahe hasti ko kar de khaak tu us ke liye magar barbaadiyon se teri vo anjaan bhi rahe is bhiiD mein na apne ko kar denaa gum kahin sab se alag-thalag tiri pahchaan bhi rahe khauf-o-hiraas se yahaan sahme hue the kuchh kuchh log ai 'sabaa' yahaan hairaan bhi rahe"

"ghar shaadmaan kahin hai to maatam-kunaan kahin hai jashn-e-raqs-o-jaam kahin to dhuaan kahin dam toDne lage hain charaagh ittihaad ke zulmat mein Duub jaae na hindostaan kahin is daur-e-intishaar mein koshish ke baavajud haasil na hogaa aap ko amn-o-amaan kahin ye apne apne baagh-e-tamannaa kaa bakht hai hai jalva-e-bahaar kahin to khizaan kahin jo dekhtaa huun shahr mein ab apne main 'sabaa' dekhaa na shahr-e-ghair mein aisaa samaan kahin"

"dasht mein ham ne jo apnaa aabla-paa rakh diyaa goyaa har kaanTe ke sar par gul shagufta rakh diyaa muskuraataa gungunaataa shahr ab khaamosh hai phir samaan shaayad kisi ne vahshaton kaa rakh diyaa naav aasaani se meri aa gai saahil par aaj quvvat-e-baazu pe jo bhi thaa bharosa rakh diyaa khaaksaari us ki bhi fitrat mein thi pahle magar taaj us ke sar pe kis ne tamkanat kaa rakh diyaa de rahe the ai 'sabaa' sab apne zakhmon kaa hisaab main ne bhi ashkon kaa apne ek qatra rakh diyaa"

"saaqi-e-mai-khaana nazron mein ye khamyaaza rahe kis ko kitnaa mil rahaa hai is kaa andaaza rahe chilchilaati dhuup mein kuchh saaya-e-ulfat bhi ho gham ke kaale baadalon ke lab pe kuchh ghaaza rahe fasl-e-gul maujud hai yaan log samjheinge yahi kaaghazi phulon se hi gul-daan tar-o-taaza rahe kyaa pata kis vaqt barpaa ho yahaan ghaarat-gari khiDkiyon ke saath hi ab band darvaaza rahe ek ik kar ke bikhar jaaein na ye saare varaq is kitaab-e-dil kaa phir mazbut shiraaza rahe chaahte hain ham bhi gar to jurm kyaa hai ai 'sabaa' sab ki koshish hai jahaan mein meraa aavaaza rahe"

"vo chiir ke aakaash zamin par utar aayaa jaltaa huaa suraj miri aankhon mein dar aayaa lahron ne kai baar mire dar pe di dastak phir saath mujhe lene samundar idhar aayaa vo ziist ke us paar ki thaah lene gayaa thaa par lauT ke ab tak na miraa ham-safar aayaa fursat ho to ye jism bhi miTTi mein dabaa do lo phir main zamaan aur makaan se idhar aayaa"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"

"aisaa to yahaan kuchh bhi nahin hadd-e-nazar tak ham ko to pahunchnaa thaa kisi khvaab-nagar tak ab paanv nahin raah mein dil thakne lagaa hai lekin hamein chalnaa to hai anjaam-e-safar tak ham shor bhi sunte hain samaaat se bahut kam aavaaz bhi jaati hai to bas hadd-e-nazar tak mumkin hai main ab sabr kaa ye peD giraa duun jab haath pahunchtaa hi nahin shaakh-e-samar tak ham apne hi mausam se parakhte hain jahaan ko maahaul kaa lete hi nahin koi asar tak main apne hi andar ki taraf chikh rahaa huun ab dekhiye jaati hai ye aavaaz kidhar tak"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"

"giton kaa shahr hai ki nagar soz-o-saaz kaa qalb-e-shikasta aur ye aalam gudaaz kaa chaaron taraf saji hain dukaanein khulus ki chamkaa hai kaarobaar har ik hilaa-saaz kaa vo chaahe khvaab ho ki haqiqat magar kabhi ehsaan uThaaegaa na libaas-e-majaaz kaa jis tarah chaahaa jaae hai chaahaa nahin abhi andesha jaan khaae hai ifshaa-e-raaz kaa bahrupiyaa hai koi phire hai nagar nagar qaatil kaa ruup dhaare kabhi chaarasaaz kaa yuun hanste hanste daar-e-fanaa se chalaa hai vo jaise safar nasib ho arz-e-hijaaz kaa 'aabid' ghamon ki dhuup mein jalnaa hai chaar din bas qissa mukhtasar hai ye umr-e-daraaz kaa"