'umr-bhar kis ne ravaa rasm-e-vafaa rakkhi hai — Abid Akhtar

"jo andheron mein misaal-e-yad-e-baizaa Thahre bas vahi log zamaane mein tamaashaa Thahre jo masihaa ki tavajjoh ho kisi aur taraf manzil-e-dard mein kis tarah mudaavaa Thahre aap ko rang-e-mohabbat bhi nazar aa jaae meri aankhon mein zaraa khuun kaa dariyaa Thahre darmiyaan apne agar dard kaa rishta na rahe phir to duniyaa mein har ik shakhs akelaa Thahre dosto sang-e-malaamat pe na israar karo ham se ye baar na uTThegaa ki shisha Thahre ab na shirin hai na vo vaa’da-e-fardaa kaa yaqin dast-e-farhaad mein phir kis liye tesha Thahre"

"jab kabhi dil ne tamannaaon ko mehmaan kiyaa daaman-e-hosh ko vahshat ne garebaan kiyaa qatl-gaahon se ye aai hai sadaa rah-rah kar kaun hai kis ne yahaan jiine kaa armaan kiyaa sajda-e-dil se baDhaate rahe jin ki qimat un buton ne hi sanam-khaanon ko viraan kiyaa yuun to gumnaami muqaddar mein likhi thi lekin azm ne qatra-e-be-naam ko tufaan kiyaa lazzat-e-dard kahaan DhunDne jaate 'akhtar' ajnabi ho ke baDaa aap ne ehsaan kiyaa"

"jab shu'ur-o-fikr ke lamhe gurezaan ho gae ham bhi apne aap se dast-o-garebaan ho gae jin kaa har chehra thaa tafsir-e-mizaaj-e-kaaenaat vo sanam-khaane to yaaro kab ke viraan ho gae jab charaagh-e-'ilm-o-fan ki raushni ghaTne lagi khaak se phir kuchh nae chehre numaayaan ho gae vus'aton ke naam par itni baDhi hain vahshatein kal ke daaman aaj ke haathon garebaan ho gae ai chaman vaalo yahaan do-chaar das kaa zikr kyaa jaane kitne aashiyaan nazr-e-gulistaan ho gae"

"kucha-e-tamannaa se kaar-gaah-e-aazar tak sang sang milte hain vaqt ke payambar tak kaam ki kharaabi se naam Duub jaate hain gaaliyon ki zad mein hain qaatilon ke khanjar tak intizaar karte hain log kyon masihaa kaa faasla nazar kaa hai zakhm-e-dil se nashtar tak tishnagi kaa ruumaa hai ab unhin ke honTon par jo sulagti raaton mein pi gae samundar tak jo ghaTaaein bo kar bhi tishnagi ugaataa hai us ki naa-muraadi par hans diyaa muqaddar tak khud ko maan lo yusuf is liye nahin hai ye aaine ki siDhi se pahunchiye sikandar tak un ke paanv ke niche maah TuuT jaataa hai tum ki aa nahin sakte apne ghar ke 'akhtar' tak"

"dil bahut be-taab thaa un ko muqaabil dekh kar haan magar main hosh mein thaa rang-e-mahfil dekh kar kyaa kahun mauj-e-havaadis ke guzar jaane ke baad kyon uThaa tufaan miri aankhon mein saahil dekh kar sham’-e-dil raushan rakho jahd-o-amal ki raah mein varna zulmat luuT legi tum ko ghaafil dekh kar ab taghaaful kaa gila bejaa hai daur-e-hijr mein dil ko dete vaqt dete laaiq-e-dil dekh kar kyon mire chehre pe gard-e-gham na ho ai ham-nafas aa rahaa huun aandhiyaan manzil-ba-manzil dekh kar maah-e-kaamil ki haqiqat ho gai ham par ayaan ham ne jab bhi un ko dekhaa maah-e-kaamil dekh kar"

"haan aur nahin ki baahami takraar dekhiye inkaar ke libaas mein iqraar dekhiye jo chhu rahe hain azmat-o-rifat ki sarhadein vo raaste azal se hain dushvaar dekhiye aavaaz de rahaa hai yahi vaqt kaa naqib muD muD ke ab na saaya-e-divaar dekhiye bahke qadam machalti nigaahon ke saath saath Thahri hui havaa ki bhi raftaar dekhiye aankhon mein jaag jaae na nafrat kaa devtaa duniyaa ke saath khud ko bhi ik baar dekhiye zarf-o-zamir bech rahe hain agar janaab ik baar samt ru-e-kharidaar dekhiye kirdaar aadmi ke liye laazmi sahi shaair ki zaat chhoDiye ashaar dekhiye"

"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"

"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"

"khel duniyaa-e-'aarzi kaa huun ek kirdaar zindagi kaa huun mujh ko rakkhaa gayaa andhere mein main bhi haqdaar raushni kaa huun intihaa ke qarib hai duniyaa aadmi aakhiri sadi kaa huun dil ko ehsaas ho gayaa teraa mo'tarif teri dosti kaa huun main ne ghurbat mein 'ilm sikhaa hai main to maqruz muflisi kaa huun pur na hogaa jo mere baa'd kabhi ek aisaa khalaa kami kaa huun meraa dushman nahin 'khayaali' koi dost bhi main kisi kisi kaa huun"

"nahin piitaa main par navaazish hui hai baDi mausamon ki sifaarish hui hai bahut din se sahraa ke jaisaa ye dil hai na baadal ghire hain na baarish hui hai yahaan hai bulandi jo kirdaar ki to vahaan khaal-o-khad ki numaaish hui hai tiri jhiil jaisi jo dekhi hain aankhein miri Duub jaane ki khvaahish hui hai chhalaktaa nahin khuun zakhmon se aise kahin naakhunon ki bhi kaavish hui hai hamein 'ishq mein mubtalaa kar rahe hain nazar aur dil mein ye saazish hui hai vahaan dushmanon ki baDi yaad aai jahaan doston ki navaazish hui hai vafaa-daariyon kaa sila mil rahaa hai hamaari sadaa aazmaaish hui hai pareshaaniyon mein jo ham mubtalaa hain yaqinan koi ham se laghzish hui hai vahin apni aankhon ko ham chhoD aae jahaan manzaron ki numaaish hui hai raqibon ko hai chhuT mahfil mein un ki mire aane jaane pe bandish hui hai ghazal kahnaa 'faaruq' main chhoD dungaa isi baat par un se ranjish hui hai"

"jab se aayaa huun tere gaanv mein rang hi rang hain fazaaon mein aa ki dukh sukh ki koi baat karein baiTh kar shishamon ki chhaanv mein main bhi kartaa huun zabt ki koshish to bhi takhfif kar adaaon mein vo tiraa dafatan bichhaD jaanaa vo miraa dekhnaa khalaaon mein ho agar koi gosh-bar-aavaaz ik khamoshi bhi hai sadaaon mein yahi mere liye ghanimat hai saans le luun khuli fazaaon mein"

"bas ki ik lams ki ummid pe vaare hue hain so tire saamne ye khaak pasaare hue hain jaane kab un ko bujhaa baiThe koi baad-e-alam sar-e-mizhgaan-e-tamannaa jo sitaare hue hain zindagi tu bhi hamein vaise hi ik roz guzaar jis tarah ham tujhe barson se guzaare hue hain nit-nae naqsh karein us pe aziyyat ke raqam aa ki ham takhti-e-dil apni pachaare hue hain kab kuchal jaaein kisi paanv se ham barg-e-vajud vaqt ki dhuup mein vaise hi karaare hue hain jaante hain ki tu hi ishq-badan ko hai libaas ham tiraa ruup jo aashuftagi dhaare hue hain apni jurat ki sataaish ho ki ham chob-mizaaj rabt rakhte hain sadaa un se jo aare hue hain"