yahi qaanun hai zamaane se — Afroz Taj

"banaa hai miraa dil chubhone ki khaatir ki hote hain moti pirone ki khaatir rukh-e-gul pe shabnam ko dekhaa to sochaa hansaa bhi to vo sirf rone ki khaatir lo vo chaand utraa hai gangaa ke jal mein badan ke sabhi daagh dhone ki khaatir ye mahle do-mahle ye makhmal ye qaalin the miTTi ke bas ik bichhaune ki khaatir har ik chaap par aankh khul khul gai hai ki nindein uDaa di hain sone ki khaatir banaa khaak se khaak mein hi milegaa kyon TuuTe ho TuuTe khilaune ki khaatir gul-e-tar bhi ik din tah-e-khaak hogaa huaa huun ye main bhi na hone ki khaatir samaanaa paDegaa raqibon ke dil mein tire ek dil mein samone ki khaatir zahaanat se duniyaa ke munh si diye hain bani thiin jo siine pirone ki khaatir"

"chalo chalein ki ghaTaaon se inqalaab karein hazaar chaand chhupe hain vo be-naqaab karein hamein to chaand se rang-e-zamin pyaaraa hai vo aur hain jo ujaalon se ji janaab karein kuchh aise rukh se sajaaein zamin pe ham zarre ik aaftaab ke aage sau aaftaab karein nahin nasib mein gulshan to chhoDiye saahib kisi ki raah ko saaya hi dastyaab karein ham is liye kabhi jazbaat-e-dil na kah paae ki dil mein kyon tire bekaar iztiraab karein agar yaqin hai marte hi paaeinge jannat to apnaa vaqt vo ji ji ke kyon kharaab karein dayaar-e-yaar mein vaa'iz kaa zor chaltaa hai dayaar-e-ghair mein himmat ho to khitaab karein sunaa hai sham' bhaDakti hai khatm se pahle to kyon na ham bhi za'ifi ko pur-shabaab karein ye kyaa huaa ki uThaa di hai haae ye chilman haqiqaton ko chalo chal ke phir se khvaab karein hamaare 'aib ginaataa hai kyon pas-e-parda zaraa to saamne aa tujh se ham hisaab karein jo us ne shikva kiyaa vo to laa-javaab kiyaa javaab-e-shikva ko ham kaise laa-javaab karein hamein gulaab chameli na chaahiye nargis jo muntakhab hain unhin kaa kyon intikhaab karein qalam uThaaein likhein ik kitaab zulm pe ham kitaab phir vo tire naam intisaab karein paDhein ham apni ghazal 'taaj' ke takhallus se sukhan ki bazm mein naam us kaa yuun kharaab karein"

"meri raaton mein teri surat hai ab kise chaand ki zarurat hai jaan kho kar hi jaan paayaa huun maut hi ek bas haqiqat hai mere hisse mein teri yaadein hain sab ke hisse mein teri chaahat hai phir sar-e-shaam khul gaiin zulfein aaj phir shaam hi se shaamat hai qatl hotaa huun muskuraataa huun tere haathon mein vo nazaakat hai zindagi zindagi ko kyaa degi vo to khud maut ki amaanat hai zindagi ki du'aaein dete ho saans lene ki kis ko fursat hai 'taaj' par ye sajaavaTein dekho sang-e-ulfat pe rang-e-daulat hai"

"kaam sadiyon se jo thaa aaj bhi jaari niklaa ban ke aayaa thaa jo maali vo shikaari niklaa 'itr ki tarh sabhi ne use mahsus kiyaa main jo dushman se chhupaa kar tiri yaari niklaa us ne taaqat jo dikhaai hai vo hai maange ki ham ne samjhaa jise fir'aun bhikaari niklaa baDi ummid pe likkhi thi kitaab-e-ulfat meri qismat hai ki naa-binaa hi qaari niklaa kabhi dohon kabhi ghazlon se kare hai hamla le ke talvaar miraa yaar do-dhaari niklaa ye zaruri to nahin ham-navaa ham-zauq bhi ho meri qismat se miraa yaar likhaari niklaa koi gulshan nahin aaegaa muqaabil tere shakl hi itni banaa kar jo tu pyaari niklaa shaikh tum kahte ho aae ho abhi masjid se jeb mein kis kaa ye rumaal tumhaari niklaa 'taaj' ne soch liyaa siikh luun ustaadon se 'mir' ke 'ishq kaa par bojh hi bhaari niklaa"

"khudaa taarikh marne ki bataa detaa agar pahle usi taarikh ke Dar se guzar jaataa bashar pahle kahaa sayyaad ne ro kar parinde yuun nahin milte kisi ko ghar mein laanaa ho to kiije dil mein ghar pahle kabhi zulfein kabhi baahein kabhi daaman bachaataa hai milungaa baa'd mein tujh se shak apnaa duur kar pahle vo kahtaa hai dikhaao to adaa parvaaz ki apni vo dushman jis ke qabze mein hain mere baal-o-par pahle sabhi ke haath mein ik phone hai dekho natije ko parindon se bhare hote the ye saare shajar pahle likhungaa khun-chakaan misre kisi jallaad pe khul kar uThaane se qalam meraa qalam na ho ye sar pahle karungaa khatm-shud se hi shuru' apni kahaani ko maza lenaa hai shirin kaa to khaa kaDvaa samar pahle inhin taarik raahon mein khaDaa hai 'taaj' sadiyon se guzarti thi isi rah se koi rashk-e-qamar pahle"

"tasavvur mein vo naubat aa gai hai tiri tasvir bhi sharmaa gai hai na pakDo jitne vaale ki khaami yahi khaami use jitvaa gai hai ye khush-fahmi miri aaina ban ke mire munh par mujhe jhuTlaa gai hai 'ajab patthar taraashe jaa rahe hain khudaa ki bhi nazar pathraa gai hai kisi sachchaai se guzri hai titli ki sachche phuul bhi jhuTlaa gai hai zamin mein bhi hazaaron so rahe hain jo tu paael pahan ke aa gai hai makaan vaale ki ye khasta zamiri makaan ki pukhtagi batlaa gai hai karaae 'taaj' kyon islaah is ki ghazal mahfil pe yunhi chhaa gai hai"

"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"