vo aansu jo gulhaa-e-tar mein bhi hain — Iqbal Umar

"har ek chiiz kaa is tarah kaal paDne lagaa miraa vatan mire dil ki tarah ujaDne lagaa jise bigaDnaa na thaa vo bhi yuun bigaDne lagaa zamin phaTne lagi aur darakht ukhaDne lagaa kisi ko rotaa huaa dekh kar jo royaa huun main har nigaah mein maanind-e-khaar gaDne lagaa jagah jagah se palastar nizaam-e-kohna kaa ye bahs kaahe ko hoti hai ab udhaDne lagaa bahut dinon se mire shahr ke har ik ghar se sadaaein aane lagi hain ki ghar ujaDne lagaa havaaein tez thiin 'iqbaal' aur kyaa kartaa yahi kiyaa ki havaaon se main bhi laDne lagaa"

"ab ilaaj-e-dil-e-bimaar-e-sahar ho ki na ho zindagi saaya-e-gesu mein basar ho ki na ho mujh ko rakhnaa hi thaa aadaab-e-mohabbat kaa khayaal mere shaane pe kal us shokh kaa sar ho ki na ho aaj har baat miri qaul-e-khudaavandi hai kal miri baat pe yuun jumbish-e-sar ho ki na ho jaane kis moD pe le aai mujhe umr-e-ravaan sochtaa huun ye tiri raahguzar ho ki na ho kyuun na ji bhar ke ab ashkon se charaaghaan kar luun yuun koi raat phir aankhon mein basar ho ki na ho saae mein jin ke andheron ke sivaa kuchh bhi nahin un charaaghon ko bujhaa dungaa sahar ho ki na ho mere gham-khaane mein aate hue ummid ki zau puchhti hai ki udhar meraa guzar ho ki na ho aaj jo kahnaa ho ai husn khud-aaraa kah le kal tiri bazm mein 'iqbaal'-umar ho ki na ho"

"ham jis taraf nikal paDe vaaraftagi ke saath manzil ne chuum chuum liyaa sarkhushi ke saath ham jaante hain koi bahaana taraash kar pesh aaeinge vo ham se baDi be-rukhi ke saath vo jannat-e-nigaah jo hai ain-e-zindagi aksar uThi hai meri taraf barhami ke saath shokhi si kuchh jhalakti hai un ki nigaah se chalte to hain qadam-ba-qadam saadgi ke saath kuchh bhi na kah sake mire haal-e-tabaah par sunte rahe fasaana-e-gham khaamushi ke saath maayus ho ke palTe jo aivaan-e-husn se phir aarzu lipaT gai divaangi ke saath vo saamne hai manzil-e-jaanaan ki sarzamin ai mukhlisaan-e-ishq chalo be-khudi ke saath matlab hi jaise kuchh unhein 'iqbaal' se nahin aae bhi hain vo dil mein to kis saadgi ke saath"

"ek ik lamha ki ek ek sadi ho jaise zindagi khel koi khel rahi ho jaise dil dhaDak uTThaa hai tanhaai mein yuun bhi aksar baiThe baiThe koi aavaaz suni ho jaise phir rahaa huun main uThaae hue yuun baar-e-hayaat mere shaane pe tiri zulf paDi ho jaise dil kaa har zakhm kuchh is tarah lahak uTThaa hai raat-bhar yaadon ki purvaai chali ho jaise aaj ki subh bhi hai vaisi hi bojhal bojhal aaj ki raat bhi aankhon mein kaTi ho jaise jaane kis soch mein chup baiThe hain yuun divaane barf honTon pe bahut din se jami ho jaise dil ne badlaa hai is andaaz se pahlu 'iqbaal' paas hi dil ke kahin aag lagi ho jaise"

"chhu ke kyaa zulf-e-pareshaan ko sabaa aai hai aaj divaane ne jiine ki qasam khaai hai mahfil-e-naaz mein har ik se shanaasaai hai phir bhi har gaam pe andesha-e-rusvaai hai kuchh khabar bhi hai urus-e-gham-e-dauraan tujh ko kaun si baat hamein raah pe le aai hai itni pur-pech hai ai jaan-e-jahaan raah-e-hayaat teri zulfon ki har ik gaam pe yaad aai hai jhaanktaa rahtaa hai khvaabon ke dariche se koi kitni pur-kaif hamaari shab-e-tanhaai hai kyaa tire chaahne vaalon mein hai us kaa bhi shumaar jo na divaana hai majnun hai na saudaai hai sochtaa huun ki na guzre kahin kuchh un pe giraan aaj phir saaz-e-shikasta pe ghazal gaai hai"

"chaandni raat hai aaj kitni sajal shaahraah-e-mohabbat pe gaaein ghazal ahl-e-aalam ko de kyon na dein koi hal mashal-e-zindagi dhime dhime na jal jaantaa huun main ye rasm-e-daar-o-rasan do qadam haath mein haath le ke tu chal kaun jaagaa hai yuun raat pichhle pahar aankh mein ashk hain aur labon par ghazal regzaar-e-gham-e-zindagi se guzar dekhte dekhte khvaab-e-subh-e-azal tu bhi naa-aashnaa-e-sukun ho gai gardish-e-zindagi mujh se bach bach ke chal apni majburi-e-dil bayaan kyaa karun TuTte hi nahin hasraton ke mahal haan yahi kaaenaat-e-mohabbat hai bas ik gham-e-mustaqil ik hansi be-mahal mujh se 'iqbaal' ab koi kahtaa to hai meri khaatir giraa meri khaatir sanbhal"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"

"kaam liyaa jab lafzon hi se khud ko bas naakaam kiyaa baat asar-andaaz hui jab she'ron ko paighaam kiyaa ye kaise saari duniyaa mein aaj bahut mashhur ho tum vaise to saari duniyaa ne tum ko bahut gumnaam kiyaa yak-rangi se 'aajiz aa kar rangaa-rangi ki khaatir jo mujh ko raas aayaa thaa us nilam ko nilaam kiyaa aksar tanhaai mein mujh ko yaad aa jaataa hai vo sab haan aaghaaz se pahle hi jis ko main ne anjaam kiyaa khaamoshi pas fan hai khudaa kaa sikhaa ham ne bhi lekin har-su roz machaayaa tahalka yaa paidaa kohraam kiyaa vaqt ke saath aur aap ke haathon qadrein kitni badli hain ek ilzaam se kitnaa kam hai haasil jo in'aam kiyaa kahiye husn aur 'ishq ko de kar apne dil ke khuun kaa lams kis ne use gul-rang kiyaa phir kis ne use gulfaam kiyaa ab kaa fasaad aaraam se guzre is koshish mein us ne to qashqa khinchaa dair mein baiThaa kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa"

"log kahte hain ki qaatil ko masihaa kahiye kaise mumkin hai andheron ko ujaalaa kahiye chehre paDhnaa to sabhi siikh gae hain lekin kaisi tahzib hai apnon ko paraayaa kahiye jaane pahchaane hue chehre nazar aate hain vaqt qaatil hai yahaan kis ko masihaa kahiye aap jis peD ke saae mein khaDe hain is ko sehn-e-gulshan nahin jaltaa huaa sahraa kahiye sab ke chehron pe hain akhlaaq-o-muravvat ke naqaab kis ko apnaa yahaan aur kis ko paraayaa kahiye shab ke maathe pe koi saaya numudaar huaa us ko ab pyaar ke aangan kaa saveraa kahiye zahr-e-tanhaai-e-gham pi ke mohabbat mein 'khayaal' kis tarah maut ko jiine kaa sahaaraa kahiye"

"vo dost thaa to usi ko adu bhi honaa thaa lahu pahan ke mujhe surkh-ru bhi honaa thaa sunahri haath mein taaza lahu ki fasl na di ki apne haq ke liye jang-ju bhi honaa thaa bagula ban ke samundar mein khaak uDaanaa thi ki lahar lahar mujhe tund-khu bhi honaa thaa mire hi harf dikhaate the meri shakl mujhe ye ishtihaar mire ru-ba-ru bhi honaa thaa kashish thi phuul si is mein to laa-muhaala mujhe asir-e-rang giraftaar-e-bu bhi honaa thaa sazaa to milnaa thi mujh ko barahna lafzon ki zabaan ke saath labon ko rafu bhi honaa thaa safar kaa bojh uThaane se peshtar 'saajid' mizaaj-daan-e-rah-e-justuju bhi honaa thaa"

"ab tire lams ko yaad karne kaa ik silsila aur divaana-pan rah gayaa tu kahin kho gayaa aur pahlu mein teri shabaahat liye ik badan rah gayaa vo saraapaa tiraa vo tire khaal-o-khad meri yaadon mein sab muntashir ho gae lafz ki justuju mein laraztaa huaa nim-vaa saa faqat ik dahan rah gayaa harf ke harf se kyaa tazaadaat hain tu ne bhi kuchh kahaa main ne bhi kuchh kahaa tere pahlu mein duniyaa simaTti gai mere hisse mein harf-e-sukhan rah gayaa tere jaane se mujh par ye uqda khulaa rang-o-khushbu to bas teri miraas the ek hasrat saji rah gai gul-ba-gul ek maatam chaman-dar-chaman rah gayaa ek be-naam khvaahish ki paadaash mein teri palkein bhi baaham piro di gaiin ek vahshat ko sairaab karte hue mein bhi aankhon mein le kar thakan rah gayaa arsa-e-khvaab se vaqt maujud ke raaste mein ganvaa di gai guftugu ek israar ki bebasi rah gai ek inkaar kaa baankpan rah gayaa tu sitaaron ko apni jilau mein liye jaa rahaa thaa tujhe kyaa khabar kyaa huaa ik tamannaa dariche mein baiThi rahi ek bistar kahin be-shikan rah gayaa"