'umr-bhar gham se ham-aaghosh rahe ham tab’an — Afzal Kiratpuri

"jo ek pal bhi sukun kaa kabhi kabhi mil jaae to phir balaa se hamesha ki bekali mil jaae khudaa gavaah tabassum kaa ek lamha bahut tamaam 'umr mein jis ko bhi jab kabhi mil jaae jo khanda-zan hain gharibon ki tira-bakhti par unhein hamaare muqaddar ki tirgi mil jaae safar ke baa'd bhi zauq-e-safar tamaam na ho qadam ko ‘ishrat-e-manzil hazaar bhi mil jaae qubul zahmat-e-yak-gaam bhi nahin jin ko vo chaahte hain zamaane ki har khushi mil jaae hazaar saal se do din ki zindagi behtar agar kisi ko saliqe ki zindagi mil jaae kahaan kahaan se na guzre ye soch kar 'afzal' koi khushi kahin shaayad giri-paDi mil jaae"

"lo 'umr bhar ko TuuT gae gulsitaan se ham nikle the kis 'ajib ghaDi aashiyaan se ham ye aur baat hai ki qadam ham-qadam nahin pichhe nahin hain qaafila-e-raftagaan se ham jab yaad ye nahin ki pahunchnaa thaa kis jagah ab ye bhi kyaa bataaein chale the kahaan se ham rah jaae naa-tamaam na phir daastaan-e-shauq tum ruk gae jahaan pe sunaaein vahaan se ham ghairon mein aa ke ji ki ghuTan kuchh to kam hui apnon ke darmiyaan the baDe sargiraan se ham taarikh ham ko bhuul gai hai to bhuul jaae zinda raheinge tazkira-e-digaraan se ham 'afzal' hamaari tarh koi kam-sukhan na ho hote hue zabaan ke bhi hain be-zabaan se ham"

"banda-parvar pahle dil par haath rakh kar dekhnaa phir kisi ke haath mein poshida patthar dekhnaa apne maslak mein nahin yaa apni qismat mein nahin jaane vaali har hasin rut ko palaT kar dekhnaa be-taghayyur roz-o-shab mein bhi uchaT jaataa hai dil ek mausam dekhnaa aur zindagi bhar dekhnaa aap bhi kab se musir hain tark-e-rasm-o-raah par ham bhi rakh leinge kabhi siine pe patthar dekhnaa kyaa bataaein ahl-e-saahil kaa muqaddar hai yahi bebasi se Dubne vaalon kaa manzar dekhnaa is ko kyaa kahiye ba-juz kotaahi-e-zauq-e-amal apne haathon ki lakiron mein muqaddar dekhnaa sarsari si ik nazar 'afzal' na Daalo sher par hai nazar kaa kaam qatre mein samundar dekhnaa"

"na dasht dasht ki surat na ghar hai ghar ki tarah badal gai hai har ik shai tiri nazar ki tarah hai lamha lamha ik anjaan rahguzar ki tarah guzar rahe hain shab-o-roz bhi safar ki tarah vahi muhib andheraa vahi dilon pe hiraas nai sahar bhi nahin dosto sahar ki tarah Dhali hai raat magar mere ghar kaa darvaaza khulaa huaa hai abhi chashm-e-rah-guzar ki tarah shikast-o-rekht ke baa-vasf ham khaDe hain abhi fasil-e-shahr ke derina baam-o-dar ki tarah na harf aane diyaa aabru-e-fan pe kabhi ham anjuman mein rahe harf-e-mo'tabar ki tarah tilism-e-laala-o-gul taa fareb-e-daam 'afzal' main har maqaam se guzraa huun dida-var ki tarah"

"chalaa huun chand qadam aur bhaTak gayaa huun main mujhe ye zo'm thaa manzil se aashnaa huun main khushi se khauf-zada huun gurez-paa huun main ghamon ko apnaa muqaddar samajh rahaa huun main jahaan junun ke sivaa aur koi raah nahin shu’ur-o-fikr ke us moD par khaDaa huun main har ek shai ko samajhne ki justuju thi mujhe khud apni zaat mein gum ho ke rah gayaa huun main rafiq-e-khaas hai barson se meri tanhaai kisi ne mujh ko pukaaraa to Dar gayaa huun main na jaane kaun saa jhonkaa havaa kaa gul kar de abhi to ye hai ki jaltaa huaa diyaa huun main hayaat ho gai mahrumiyon ke naam 'afzal' navaa-e-naala huun main aah-e-naa-rasaa huun main"

"tab'-e-hassaas ab is sath pe le aai hamein mahfilon mein bhi sataane lagi tanhaai hamein shahr-dar-shahr liye phirti hai rusvaai hamein zindagi daad-e-vafaa tu bhi na de paai hamein ham tamaashaa the kabhi dida-e-ibrat ki qasam ab tamaashaa nazar aate hain tamaashaai hamein jaag uThtaa hai kisi lams kaa ehsaas abhi chheD kar jab bhi guzar jaati hai purvaai hamein phir kabhi aaya na vo jaama-dari kaa mausam vaah re bakht ki vahshat bhi na raas aai hamein ye bhi taa'na hi to hai tujh se bichhaD kar ai dost shaakh-e-gul yaad dilaae tiri angDaai hamein munh chhupaane kaa hunar bhi nahin aaya 'afzal' aur jiine bhi nahin dete shanaasaai hamein"

"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"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"