sharaab aae to kaif-o-asar ki baat karo — 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"

"shaairo hadd-e-qadaamat se nikal kar dekho daastaanon ke ab unvaan badal kar dekho kyuun ho taqlid-e-kalim aaj bhi ai dida-varo didani ho koi jalva to sambhal kar dekho sham-o-parvaana kaa andaaz nayaa hai ki nahin zikr thaa jis kaa ab us bazm mein chal kar dekho aur bhi rukh nazar aaeinge tajalli ke abhi rukh nigaahon ke zaraa aur badal kar dekho agle vaqton ke fasaane na sunaao yaaro nae maahaul ke saanche mein bhi Dhal kar dekho kal ke andaaz bhi dilkash the ye taslim magar aaj bhi shahr-e-nigaaraan mein nikal kar dekho apne ahbaab ki jaanib na uThaao nazrein dekhnaa hai agar 'akhtar' to sambhal kar dekho"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"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"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"