ye aankhon hi aankhon mein kyaa ho gae ham — Altaf Mashhadi

"nigaah-e-mast mein kyaa rang-e-vaalihaana thaa surur-o-kaif mein Duubaa huaa zamaana thaa kisi ki uThti javaani kaa jab zamaana thaa miri nigaah kaa har feal shaairaana thaa sitam-nasib ki allaah re sokhta bakhti hai bijliyon kaa nasheman jo aashiyaana thaa azal se qaid-e-anaasir ataa hui mujh ko mire nasib mein zindaan kaa aab-o-daana thaa vufur-e-dard se jab hichkiyaan si aane lagin har ek zakhm ke lab par miraa fasaana thaa shuru-e-ishq mein kyaa meri shaairi thi na puchh falak pe murgh-e-takhayyul kaa aashiyaana thaa vatan mein hazrat-e-'altaaf' zindagi apni bahaar khuld-e-mohabbat kaa ik fasaana thaa"

"dil-o-jigar ko mire daagh-daar rahne de kisi ki siine mein hai yaadgaar rahne de labon pe mauj-e-tabassum ho aankh mein aansu khizaan mein partav-e-rang-e-bahaar rahne de shikast-e-lazzat-e-girya hai karb-e-ruhaani main ashk-baar bhalaa ashk-baar rahne de nahin nahin mujhe raahat ki aarzu hi nahin isi tarah se mujhe be-qaraar rahne de na mauj-e-ashk hasinaan pe bhuul ai 'altaaf' na DhunD in mein dur-e-shaahvaar rahne de"

"kaun utraa nazar ke ziine se mahfil-e-dil saji qarine se shaikh-saahib mujhe aqidat hai gungunaate hue mahine se mai ko gul-rang kar diyaa kis ne khuun le kar kali ke siine se koi saahil na naakhudaa apnaa ham to maanus hain safine se kis kaa eajaaz hai ki rindon ko chain miltaa hai aag piine se pi ke jiite hain ji ke piite hain ham ko raghbat hai aise jiine se mai ki taqdis kaa javaab kahaan daagh dhulte hain dil ke piine se haae 'altaaf' vo urus-e-bahaar jhaankti hai jo aabgine se"

"leTaa huaa huun saaya-e-ghurbat mein ghar se duur dil se qarin hain ahl-e-vatan aur nazar se duur jab tak hai dil rahin-e-maaal-o-asir-e-aql rahnaa hai tujh se aur tiri rahguzar se duur ai kaif un ki mast nigaahon mein chhup ke aa ai dard-e-dam zadan mein ho mere jigar se duur ik din ulaTne vaali hai zaahid bisaat-e-zohd kab tak rahegaa dil nigah-e-fitna-gar se duur vo koi zindagi hai javaani hai vo koi ai dost jo hai tere jamaal-e-nazar se duur kyaa aai tere ji mein ki taqdir yuun mujhe pheinkaa hai laa ke vaadi-e-ghurbat mein ghar se duur ai husn-e-be-panaah bataae koi mujhe duniyaa ki kaun chiiz hai tere asar se duur allaah re nasib ki paai hai vo fughaan jo umr bhar rahi hai fareb-e-asar se duur 'altaaf' naaz apni gadaai pe hai mujhe daaman hai us kaa saaya-e-laal-o-gohar se duur"

"zindagi dard se qarib rahe gham ki daulat mujhe nasib rahe mausam aisaa bhi ho koi sayyaad baagh jab vaqf-e-andalib rahe muskuraa do kisi ki mayyat par maut kyon tira-o-muhib rahe vasl ko vasl jaanne ke liye zinat-e-bazm ik raqib rahe jaan kaa khel khelne vaalo imtihaan ko dar-e-habib rahe jaag kar main ne kaaT diin raatein niind mein gum magar nasib rahe kis ne 'altaaf' di duaa mujh ko dard se zindagi qarib rahe"

"ho gai ishq mein badnaam javaani apni ban gai markaz-e-aalaam javaani apni maazi-o-haal hain mahrum-e-sharaab-o-naghma haae afsurda-o-naakaam javaani apni aah vo subh jo thi subh-e-bahaar-e-hasti hai usi subh ki ab shaam javaani apni ek taarik fazaa ek ghaTaa saa maahaul kisi muflis kaa hai anjaam javaani apni unhin raahon mein unhin mast-o-javaan galiyon mein laDkhaDaai hai bahar-gaam javaani apni ek vo din thaa ki mai-khaanon pe ham bhaari the aaj hai daur-e-tah-e-jaam javaani apni iktifaa kar ke khanakte hue roz-o-shab par ban gai ziist par ilzaam javaani apni din huaa dhuup chaDhi Dhal gae saae 'altaaf' ab hai ik bujhti hui shaam javaani apni"

"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"

"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"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"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"

"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"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"