sher-goi mein sadaa meyaar-e-fan rakkhaa karo — Akhtar Hashmi

"jangalon kaa na hi baaghaat kaa paalaa huaa hai ye kabutar to mire haath kaa paalaa huaa hai amn kaa ye jo parinda hai amaan mein meri ye miri niyyat-e-isbaat kaa paalaa huaa hai jis ko bhi dekhiye vo qaht kaa lagtaa hai shikaar jabki ye qaht bhi barsaat kaa paalaa huaa hai soz to is mein nahin hai magar ik huuk si hai dil kaa ye zakhm to khadshaat kaa paalaa huaa hai main ghalat ho nahin saktaa huun kisi bhi surat ye tasavvur hi khuraafaat kaa paalaa huaa hai har samajhdaar use shaikh samajhne lag jaae har ghulaam aisaa jo saadaat kaa paalaa huaa hai jaane kaise ye samajh letaa hai dil ki halchal kyaa miraa zehn ishaaraat kaa paalaa huaa hai aaj usi zahr ko piinaa hai tumhein bhi 'akhtar' haan vahi zahr jo suqraat kaa paalaa huaa hai"

"main tire lutf-o-karam kaa jab se ras piine lagaa bas tabhi se khul ke apni zindagi jiine lagaa ai bulandi chaahne vaale bhaTak mat aa udhar mere shaanon ke sahaare arsh tak ziine lagaa ho khushi koi bhi jaa kar paD gai tere gale gham ho koi bhi vo aa kar bas mire siine lagaa huuk kitni soz kitnaa Tiis kitni dil mein hai ai mataa-e-zakhm tu ab yuun na takhmine lagaa jhuriyaan chehre ki 'akhtar' ye dikhaaeinge tujhe umr jab Dhalne lage ghar mein na aaine lagaa"

"hai ghazal se tujh ko shaghaf agar sabhi masalon ko sukhan banaa gham-e-rozgaar ki baat kar tu aziyyaton ko sukhan banaa kabhi mah-rukhon mein ulajh gayaa kabhi khushbuon ke hisaar mein mire shauq-e-taba ne raae di tu na gesuon ko sukhan banaa kai zaaviye hain savaal ke yahi ghaur karnaa hai ab tujhe jahaan masalon ke bhi hal milein unhin pahluon ko sukhan banaa tiraa shor-ghul vo suneinge kyon jo alam liye hain sukun ke tujhe un se karni ho guftugu to khamoshiyon ko sukhan banaa kisi jaan-ba-lab ki bhi aah sun jo taDap ke tujh ko pukaar le kabhi dard-e-dil se khitaab kar kabhi aansuon ko sukhan banaa koi tegh-o-nezaa uThaae jab tu qalam se us ko javaab de tu rafaaqaton ki zabaan rakh tu sadaaqaton ko sukhan banaa ye hai raaz-e-azmat-e-shaaeri tu samajh le 'akhtar-e-haashmi' ye jo lafz lafz hain vus'atein inhin vus'aton ko sukhan banaa"

"ham us se ishq kaa izhaar kar ke dekhte hain kiyaa hai jurm to iqraar kar ke dekhte hain hai ishq jang to phir jiit lein chalo ham log hai dariyaa aag kaa to paar kar ke dekhte hain hai kohsaar to nahrein nikaal dein is se hai regzaar to gulzaar kar ke dekhte hain ham us ko dekhnaa chaahein to kis tarah dekhein so us ki yaad ko kirdaar kar ke dekhte hain vo hosh-mand agar hai to kar dein divaana vo be-khabar hai to hushiyaar kar ke dekhte hain hamaare sar pe to aati nahin koi dastaar so apne sar ko hi dastaar kar ke dekhte hain"

"duniyaa ki har sharaab se behtar tiri sharaab piite hain tere yaar baraabar tiri sharaab is mai-kade ke kyaa kahin zaahid bhi rind hain kis shaan se vo piite hain khul kar tiri sharaab aise buzurg bhi mile jin ki nashist mein mauzu-e-guftugu rahi aksar tiri sharaab har shakhs mein hai quvvat-e-bardaasht hi kahaan har shakhs ko kahaan hai mayassar tiri sharaab mai-khaana teraa rindon se khaali jo ho gayaa khud hi bapaa karaaeingi mahshar tiri sharaab mai-khvaar jo bhi hain tire un ko ba-roz-e-hashr baaTeinge khud hi saaqi-e-kausar tiri sharaab nashsha utar na paae phir us kaa tamaam umr pi le jo ek ghunT bhi 'akhtar' tiri sharaab"

"har taraf be-hisaab khaamoshi lag rahi hai azaab khaamoshi jis ki aadat thi bolte rahnaa us pe kyon hai janaab khaamoshi hai samaaat bhi be-sadaa apni aur us kaa khitaab khaamoshi ab shab-o-roz yuun guzarte hain apnaa kamra kitaab khaamoshi har jagah bolnaa nahin achchhaa har jagah hai kharaab khaamoshi ek unvaan thaa mujhe darkaar kar liyaa intikhaab khaamoshi shorishon kaa sabaq liyaa pahle ab hai dil kaa nisaab khaamoshi tum jo chup ho to phir munaasib hai ho miraa bhi javaab khaamoshi muztarib thaa bahut firaaq mein dil haasil-e-iztiraab khaamoshi kitnaa charchaa thaa khvaab kaa 'akhtar' aur taabir-e-khvaab khaamoshi"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"