Ghazal

"jo faqat shokhi-e-tahrir bhi ho sakti hai vo mire paanv ki zanjir bhi ho sakti hai sirf viraana hi ghamgini kaa baais to nahin ahd-e-maazi ki vo tasvir bhi ho sakti hai chashm-e-hasrat se jo Tapki hai lahu ki ik buund subh-e-ummid ki tanvir bhi ho sakti hai ranj-o-gham Thokarein maayusi ghuTan be-zaari mere khvaabon ki ye taabir bhi ho sakti hai bad-gumaan hai to vahi morid-e-ilzaam ho kyuun kuchh na kuchh to miri taqsir bhi ho sakti hai hosh qaaem rahein tufaan-e-havaadis mein agar bach nikal jaane ki tadbir bhi ho sakti hai tirgi bakht ki samjho na use tum 'akhtar' multafit zulf-e-girah-gir bhi ho sakti hai"

"haath jab mausam ke giile ho gae hain zakhm dil ke aur gahre ho gae hain baanTte the jo bahaar-e-zindagaani band ab vo bhi dariche ho gae Duub jaaegaa hamaare saath vo bhi ye jo sochaa haath Dhile ho gae hain laaj rakhni paD gai hai doston ki ham bhari mahfil mein jhuTe ho gae hain ai gham-e-maazi tujhe main nazr kyaa duun khushk aankhon ke kaTore ho gae hain ab madad khaar-e-bayaabaan hain kareinge sadd-e-rah pairon ke chhaale ho gae hain so sakegaa vo bhi 'akhtar' chain se ab haath beTi ke jo piile ho gae hain"

"jo palkon par miri Thahraa huaa hai vo aansu khuun mein Duubaa huaa hai farishte khvaan le kar aa rahe hain sahifa taaq mein rakkhaa huaa hai koi anhoni shaayad ho gai phir ghubaar-e-kaarvaan Thahraa huaa hai kisi ki khvaahishein paa-basta kar ke ye kab sochaa haram rusvaa huaa hai vo ik lamha jo tere vasl kaa thaa bayaaz-e-hijr par likkhaa huaa hai mujhe bhi ho gayaa irfaan-e-zaat ab muqaabil aaina rakkhaa huaa hai ayaadat karne sab aae hain 'akhtar' tiraa chehra magar utraa huaa hai"

"jo zehn-o-dil ke zahrile bahut hain vahi baaton ke bhi miThe bahut hain chalo ahl-e-junun ke saath ho lein yahaan ahl-e-khirad saste bahut hain miri be-chehragi par hansne vaalo tumhaare aaine dhundle bahut hain zaraa yaadon ke hi patthar uchhaalo navaah-e-jaan mein sannaaTe bahut hain tiri baalaa-qadi badnaam hogi yahaan ke baam-o-dar niche bahut hain shajar be-saaya hain suraj barahna magar ham azm ke pakke bahut hain karo ab fath kaa elaan 'akhtar' saron se surkh-ru neze bahut hain"

"udaasi muqaddar hai barsaat mein koi aae kaise kharaabaat mein hamein kyaa khabar hai ki din kab huaa rahe munhamik ham munaajaat mein chalo shaikh saahab se milne chalein dikhaate hain kyaa kyaa karaamaat mein sabhi to hain maazi mein khoe hue nayaa kuchh nahin hai khayaalaat mein vo lamha bhi kis darja saffaak thaa bahaa le gayaa sab ko jazbaat mein nai nasl ke mashghale hain ajab koi farq rakkhaa na din-raat mein ye mumkin hai 'akhtar' ki vo mah-jabin khule ham se pahli mulaaqaat mein"

"dil bahalne ke vasile de gayaa vo apni yaadon ke khilaune de gayaa vo ham-sukhan tanhaaiyon mein koi to ho suune suune se dariche de gayaa vo le gayaa meri khudi meri anaa bhi ai jabin-e-shauq sajde de gayaa vo ranj-o-gham sahne ki aadat ho gai hai zinda rahne ke saliqe de gayaa vo meri himmat jaantaa thaa is liye bhi Dubne vaale safine de gayaa vo zindagi bhar joDte rahnaa hai in ko TuuTi zanjiron se rishte de gayaa vo zar-fishaan har lafz zarrin har varaq hai 'akhtar' aise kuchh sahife de gayaa vo"

"samundar sab ke sab paayaab se hain kinaaron par magar girdaab se hain tire khat mein jo ashkon ke nishaan the vahi ab kirmak-e-shab-taab se hain chahak uThtaa hai saaz-e-zindagaani tire alfaaz bhi mizraab se hain dilon mein karb baDhtaa jaa rahaa hai magar chehre abhi shaadaab se hain hamaare zakhm raushan ho rahe hain masihaa is liye betaab se hain vo jugnu ho sitaara ho ki aansu andhere mein sabhi mahtaab se hain kabhi nashtar kabhi marham samajhnaa mire ashaar bhi ahbaab se hain khushi teraa muqaddar hogi 'akhtar' ye imkaan ab khayaal-o-khvaab se hain"

"kahaan se laaeinge aansu azaa-daari ke mausam mein bahut kuchh ro chuke ham to adaakaari ke mausam mein utar aaungaa main bhi zina-e-hasti se yuun ik din ki jaise rang-e-rukh utre hai naadaari ke mausam mein tumhaare khat kabhi paDhnaa kabhi tartib se rakhnaa ajab mashghuliyat rahti hai bekaari ke mausam mein ba-juz mere zamaane ki qabaa rangin kar Daali ye kyaa tafriq rakkhi us ne gul-kaari ke mausam mein sar-e-barg-e-tamannaa marham-e-didaar kah jaaein na aaein saamne mere nigah-daari ke mausam mein tulu-e-mehr se TuTegi un ki niind naa-mumkin jo khvaabida rahaa karte hain bedaari ke mausam mein taras khaate hain kyuun ahbaab mere haal par 'akhtar' bahut be-chainiyaan baDhti hain gham-khvaari ke mausam mein"

"lamha lamha yahi sochun yahi dekhaa chaahun teri aankhon mein to bas apnaa hi chehra chaahun ye bhi kyaa baat ki main teri anaa ki khaatir teri qaamat se ziyaada tiraa saayaa chaahun mujh se ulfat bhi nahin hai to na jaane phir kyuun teri mahfil mein faqat apnaa hi charchaa chaahun vo to gungaa hai magar mujh ko ye zid hai kaisi apni taarif mein kuchh us se bhi sunnaa chaahun saath dene se hue jaate hain qaasir alfaaz jaane kyaa kyaa main tiri shaan mein likhnaa chaahun main to ik aisaa musaafir huun jo thaktaa hi nahin apni manzil se bhi aage koi jaada chaahun dil se baadal kabhi uThte hi nahin hain 'akhtar' kis liye aankhon se bahtaa huaa dariyaa chaahun"

"jab mukhaalif miraa raaz-daan ho gayaa raaz-e-sar-basta sab par ayaan ho gayaa mujh ko ehsaas-e-sharmindagi hai bahut qissa-e-dard kaise bayaan ho gayaa kitni hasrat se takti rahi har khushi aur daaman miraa dhajjiyaan ho gayaa masala ban gai fikr tafhim kaa lafz kaa husn bhi raaegaan ho gayaa log ye soch ke hi pareshaan hain main zamin thaa to kyuun aasmaan ho gayaa shikva-sanjaan-e-tanhaai hain sab ke sab meraa gham bhi gham-e-do-jahaan ho gayaa peD kyaa mere aangan kaa 'akhtar' giraa log samjhe ki main be-amaan ho gayaa"

"ik umr bhaTakte rahe ghar hi nahin aayaa saahil ki tamannaa thi nazar hi nahin aayaa raushan hain jahaan sham-e-mohabbat ki qataarein vo kunj-e-kam-aasaar nazar hi nahin aayaa main jhuuT ko sachchaai ke paikar mein sajaataa kyaa kijiye mujh ko ye hunar hi nahin aayaa vo gumbad-e-be-dar thaa ki divaar-e-anaa thi manzar koi baahar kaa nazar hi nahin aayaa ik aisaa safar bhi mujhe darpesh thaa logo kuchh kaam jahaan zaad-e-safar hi nahin aayaa baiThe rahe palkon ko bichhaae sar-e-raahe vo jaan-e-jahaan-gasht idhar hi nahin aayaa ik pal ko jahaan baiThaa huun thak kar kabhi 'akhtar' raste mein koi aisaa shajar hi nahin aayaa"

"jo qatre mein samundar dekhte hain tujhe manzar-ba-manzar dekhte hain qabaa-e-dard jab se zeb-e-tan hai khushi ko apne andar dekhte hain chalo amn-o-amaan hai mai-kade mein vahin kuchh pal Thahar kar dekhte hain kabhi tanhaai ne tanhaa na chhoDaa tamaasha phir bhi ghus kar dekhte hain karam-farmaai hai suraj ki ye bhi use apne baraabar dekhte hain ham apne paanv phailaaeinge 'akhtar' kahaan tak hai ye chaadar dekhte hain"

"qismat mein dard hai to davaa hi na laaungaa aaina-e-yaqin pe siyaahi na laaungaa yaa to mire bayaan pe munsif yaqin kare yaa phir sazaa likhe main gavaahi na laaungaa is daur-e-naa-shanaas mein kuchh bhi kahun magar ab daastaan mein zikr-e-vafaa hi na laaungaa apnon se jang hai to bhale haar jaaun main lekin main apne saath sipaahi na laaungaa dosh-e-karam pe baar hai jab harf-e-muddaaa phir main zabaan pe harf-e-duaa hi na laaungaa jab tum saf-e-adu mein chale jaaoge to phir dil mein malaal-e-kor-nigaahi na laaungaa maidaan-e-kaar-zaar mein 'akhtar' kabhi bhi main khauf-e-sinaan-e-zill-e-ilaahi na laaungaa"

"agar bulandi kaa meri vo e'tiraaf kare to phir zaruri hai aa kar yahaan tavaaf kare dilon mein khvaahish-e-didaar ho to laazim hai jo aaina bhi mayassar ho us ko saaf kare rahungaa main to hamesha qasida-khvaan us kaa zamin falak se bhalaa kaise ikhtilaaf kare hisaar-e-zaat se baahar nikalnaa ho jis ko anaa ki aahani divaar mein shigaaf kare jahaan bhi qadr-shanaasi mein kuchh kami dekhe vahaan zaruri hai khud bhi kuchh inkishaaf kare puraane vaqton ke kuchh log ab bhi kahte hain baDaa vahi hai jo dushman ko bhi muaaf kare vo meraa dost bhi munsif bhi hai magar 'akhtar' har ek faisla mere hi kyuun khilaaf kare"

"vaqt be-rahm hai maqtal ki zaminon jaisaa aur hamdard hai mukhlis ki duaaon jaisaa koi manzar nahin barsaat ke mausam mein bhi us ki zulfon se phisalti hui dhupon jaisaa aablon ki tarah rahne na diyaa ashkon ko meri palkon ne kiyaa kaam babulon jaisaa sang-dil hai na farebi na jafaakaar hai vo meraa mahbub hai maasum farishton jaisaa main to insaan huun tum jaisaa huun Thahro logo mujh pe ilzaam lagaao na rasulon jaisaa zehn se mahv hue guzraa zamaana 'akhtar' ek chehra hai magar ab bhi gulaabon jaisaa"

"yaaraan-e-tez-gaam se ranjish kahaan hai ab manzil pe jaa pahunchne ki khvaahish kahaan hai ab zindaan mein din bhi raat hi jaisaa guzar gayaa ahl-e-junun vo pahli si shorish kahaan hai ab jaam-e-sharaab ab to mire saamne na rakh aankhon mein nuur haath mein jumbish kahaan hai ab halqa-ba-gosh koi na ab yaar hai yahaan vo roz-o-shab ki daad-o-sataaish kahaan hai ab jiine kaa haq jo maangaa to tevar badal gae vo mere muhsinon ki navaazish kahaan hai ab chehre pe gard-e-umr-e-ravaan kaa zuhur hai baanhon ke baale boson ki baarish kahaan hai ab khanjar ho yaa ki dashna ho yaa tegh yaa qalam 'akhtar' vo aab aur vo burrish kahaan hai ab"