varaa-e-lutf koi ibtilaa nikalnaa thaa — Mohammad Khalid

"pas-e-shaam-e-alam kisi mahr-e-nigaah ko dekhte the vo log kahaan mire haal-e-tabaah ko dekhte the jis din sailaab-e-balaa aayaa thaa raahon mein ham bhi sar-e-raah hazimat-e-kaah ko dekhte the ye log jo aaj hue phir saahab-e-mansab-o-jaah ye log kahaan kisi mansab-o-jaah ko dekhte the ik jashn-e-masarrat pesh-e-bahir thaa us din bhi sab saakit ho ke shikoh-e-sipaah ko dekhte the mire shaah ki aankhein pathraai hui lagti thiin aur dekhne vaale auj-e-kulaah ko dekhte the aankhon mein ujaalaa phail gayaa thaa 'yusuf' kaa ham chaah ko dekhte the kabhi raah ko dekhte the"

"pas-e-nazzaara koi lahr si thi paani tak kyaa tamaashaa thaa na thi aankh mein hairaani tak safar itnaa thaa kaThin lauT bil-aakhir aae baDi mushkil se chale raah-e-tan-aasaani tak dhajjiyaan jism se utri hain abhi khair manaao tan se utregaa yahaan jaama-e-uryaani tak kisi anjaan chamak ke hain dil-o-chashm asiir silsila ek saa hai aaine se paani tak sar-o-saamaan koi us raah se kyunkar le jaae chhoD aae hain jahaan be-sar-o-saamaani tak aur phir itnaa chale paanv mein taaqat na rahi do qadam the miri daanaai se naadaani tak"

"ye paimaana sharaab-e-tez se bharne nahin deti koi shai zindagi mein hai vahi marne nahin deti ajab kuchh mutmain rakhti hai ham ko bekali dil ki havaa-e-hijr ki yurish se bhi Darne nahin deti havaa-e-barshgaal aakhir khush aati hai hamein lekin jo ham ne kaam karnaa hai vahi karne nahin deti bhaDakti hai junun ki aag agar koh-o-bayaabaan mein koi tohmat havaa-e-shahr pe dharne nahin deti liye jaati hai nakhl-e-aarzu tak zindagi 'khaalid' magar daaman ataa-e-nakhl se bharne nahin deti"

"fasl jo chaahein kaaTnaa bo bhi nahin sakte aur ye lamhe raaegaan kho bhi nahin sakte ab to hansi aa jaati hai jab ho ye dhyaan ki ham rone vaali baat par ro bhi nahin sakte khvaabon ke sab qaafile din ke safar par hain shab ko lambi taan kar so bhi nahin sakte dil se aakhir dho chalein gard-e-kudurat kyuun jab ham teraa aaina ho bhi nahin sakte koi hamein pahchaan le yuun to mushkil hai lekin ham is bhiiD mein kho bhi nahin sakte us ke karam ki baarishein yuun to barasti hain daagh kuchh aise hain ki ham dho bhi nahin sakte"

"DhunD leti hain koi mahtaab saa manzar kahin jaagti rahti hain aankhein khvaab ke andar kahin Daal lete hain bhalaa zanjir-e-ishrat paanv mein taan kar chalte hain sar par dard ki chaadar kahin is khayaal-e-naaz mein hotaa hai shab bhar jaagnaa ek kaif-e-hijr mein hogaa miraa bistar kahin dil ke andar chupke chupke jaagti hai be-kali shor karti hain havaaein jism ke baahar kahin aankh mein bedaariyon ki dhuul girti jaaegi aasmaan sar par uThaaeinge mah-o-akhtar kahin har sadaa-e-naghma hai aavaaza-e-mahshar mujhe dil laraztaa hai badal jaae na ye manzar kahin"

"khul gayaa na ho kisi aur taraf baab miraa kahin aavaara-e-ghurbat hi na ho khvaab miraa khitta-e-khaak mein kuchh khaak pe tohmat meri sar-e-aflaak koi khema-e-maahtaab miraa dil-e-aavaara kahin chashm kahin khvaab kahin kaisaa bikhraa dar-e-aafaaq pe asbaab miraa khvaahish-e-jaan bhi laraz jaati hai har ashk ke saath meri miTTi ko bhi le jaae na sailaab miraa dil kahaan aur kahaan shorish-e-paiham dil ki kis tamannaa mein ravaan hai tan-e-betaab miraa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"

"jaagte hi nazar akhbaar mein kho jaati hai zindagi dard ke ambaar mein kho jaati hai naa-khudaa aql ke patvaar uThaataa hai ki jab kashti-e-dil miri manjdhaar mein kho jaati hai be-sabab sochne vaale kabhi sochaa tu ne aagahi kasrat-e-afkaar mein kho jaati hai uDte rahte hain khayaalaat ke jugnu phir bhi baat kyuun parda-e-izhaar mein kho jaati hai us ke kaamon kaa hai rangin khushaamad pe madaar aur mehnat miri isaar mein kho jaati hai hurmat-e-parda zaruri hai 'ataa-ji' varna chiiz jaisi bhi ho baazaar mein kho jaati hai"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai hai"

"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"