yahi nahin ki nigaahon ko ashk-baar kiyaa — Iqbal Kaifi

"mauj-e-balaa mein roz koi Dubtaa rahe saahil har ek baar magar dekhtaa rahe yaaron ki kashtiyaan rahin saahil se be-niyaaz tufaan se be-niyaaz agar naakhudaa rahe khairaat mein kabhi nahin maangin mohabbatein har-chand mere dost mujhe aazmaa rahe jin ko nahin thi daulat-e-ehsaas tak nasib takrim-e-be-nazar mein vahi devtaa rahe main aise husn-e-zan ko khudaa maantaa nahin aahon ke ehtijaaj se jo maavaraa rahe maanaa ki har tarah hai taghayyur se be-niyaaz lekin vo haal-e-gham se to kuchh aashnaa rahe 'kaifi' zamir-baakhtaa logon se kab talak khairaat-e-ehtiraam koi maangtaa rahe"

"be-kasi par zulm laa-mahdud hai matla-e-insaaf abr-aalud hai vaqt ki qimat adaa karne ke baad ahd kaa firaun phir masjud hai har taraf zar ki parastish hai yahaan sunte aae the khudaa maabud hai chaar su hai aatish o aahan kaa khel aur khalaa mein shoala-o-baarud hai taabish-e-ilm-o-hunar hai be-samar kaavish-e-husn-e-amal be-sud hai amn 'kaifi' ho nahin saktaa kabhi jab talak zulm-o-sitam maujud hai"

"lab-e-gudaaz pe alfaaz-e-sakht rahte hain zabaan-e-ghair ke lahje karakht rahte hain kahin kahin to ghulaamon se bhi rahe bad-tar vo jin ke paanv ki Thokar mein takht rahte hain rutein badalti hain vaqt ek saa nahin rahtaa tamaam umr na bedaar bakht rahte hain khizaan kaa daur bhi aataa hai ek din 'kaifi' sadaa-bahaar kahaan tak darakht rahte hain"

"mohabbaton ne baDi her-pher kar di hai vafaa ghurur ke qadmon mein Dher kar di hai kaTi hai raat baDe iztiraab mein apni tire khayaal mein ham ne saver kar di hai ham ahl-e-ishq to barson ke mar gae hote urus-e-marg ne aane mein der kar di hai aTe hue hain faqiron ke pairahan 'kaifi' jahaan ne bhiik mein miTTi bikher kar di hai"

"saail ke labon par hai duaa aur tarah ki aflaak se aati hai sadaa aur tarah ki hai ziist agar jurm to ai munsif-e-aalam jurm aur tarah kaa hai sazaa aur tarah ki is dil mein hai mafhum-e-karam aur tarah kaa us dil mein hai tafhim-e-vafaa aur tarah ki phulon kaa tabassum bhi vo pahlaa saa nahin hai gulshan mein bhi chalti hai havaa aur tarah ki dete hain faqiron ko sazaa aaj bhi 'kaifi' log aur tarah se to khudaa aur tarah ki"

"kaif-e-hayaat tere sivaa kuchh nahin rahaa teri qasam hai tujh se judaa kuchh nahin rahaa vallaah sab rutein hain pareshaan tire baghair vallaah mausamon kaa mazaa kuchh nahin rahaa tufaan saahilon ko uDaate chale gae kaise kahun ki kuchh bhi rahaa kuchh nahin rahaa afsos maabadon mein khudaa bechte hain log ab maani-e-sazaa-o-jazaa kuchh nahin rahaa ham mai-kashon pe kufr ke fatve diye gae ahl-e-khudaa ko khauf-e-khudaa kuchh nahin rahaa ham to vafaa-parast raheinge tamaam umr maanaa ki un ko paas-e-vafaa kuchh nahin rahaa 'kaifi' main kis tarah se vo manzar bayaan karun main ne jo ro ke un se kahaa kuchh nahin rahaa"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"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"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"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"