Ghazal

"chhupe hue hain sar-e-raah sau khatar khaamosh chale chalo mere yaaraan-e-ham-safar khaamosh fazaa-e-qarya tilism-e-sukut mein gum-sum siyaah raat ke daaman mein baam-o-dar khaamosh hamaare baa'd agar rustakhez ho bhi to kyaa bisaat-e-vaqt se ham to gae guzar khaamosh ba-in navaazish-e-mausam shaguft-e-gul pe na jaa zabaan-e-haal se goyaa ba-chashm-e-tar khaamosh jo arsh-e-jaah sitaara-shikaar the un ko falak ki aankh ne dekhaa faganda-sar khaamosh har ek daur mein gunji hai zarbat-e-farhaad kabhi bhi rah na sake saahab-e-hunar khaamosh zabaan-daraaz 'ziyaai' ko rokiye saahab ye maslahat kaa taqaazaa hai al-hazar khaamosh"

"apni qismat mein gham-e-arsa-e-hijraan hai to kyaa ashk minnat-kash-e-gahvaara-e-mizhgaan hai to kyaa husn arbaab-e-haqiqat ko hai naazura-e-haq shaikh ji aap ko andesha-e-imaan hai to kyaa vaqt ke saath fuzun hotaa hai ehsaas-e-ziyaan fahm-o-idraak hi ghaarat-gar-e-insaan hai to kyaa be-muhaabaana masarrat ke taaaqub mein na dauD daam-e-nairang pas-e-sarhad-e-imkaan hai to kyaa ham to ik umr se hain muntazir-e-marg-e-khizaan ab ke logon mein agar zikr-e-bahaaraan hai to kyaa mausam aataa hai to kaanTon hi mein gul khilte hain dast-e-gul-chin mein agar nazm-e-gulistaan hai to kyaa zer-e-taamir isi haal mein hai mustaqbil is mein kuchh rekht kaa pahlu bhi numaayaan hai to kyaa"

"tujh se ai ziist hamein jitne hasin khvaab mile naqsh-bar-aab kabhi surat-e-simaab mile ham ne har mauj-e-havaadis ko kinaaraa samjhaa ham ko har mauj mein lipTe hue girdaab mile gardish-e-vaqt ne gahnaa diye kitne suraj subh ki god mein dam toDte mahtaab mile jab bhi sadiyon ki futuhaat ko muD kar dekhaa khuun mein lithDe hue taarikh ke abvaab mile sail-e-zulmaat mein hai qaafila-e-manzil-e-shab kaash aise mein koi najm-e-ufuq-taab mile ahl-e-kirdaar ko dekhaa hai sar-e-daar aksar ahl-e-guftaar tah-e-saaya-e-mehraab mile fasl-e-gul aai hai yaaro to ghanimat jaano phuul afsurda sahi zakhm to shaadaab mile dil ke har daagh se vaabasta hai rudaad-e-sitam ranj baDhtaa gayaa juun juun mujhe ahbaab mile mujh ko 'akhtar' na mili naala-e-shab-gir ki daad qarya-e-shauq ke sab log garaan-khvaab mile"

"ahd-e-vafaa kaa qarz adaa kar diyaa gayaa mahrumiyon kaa dard ataa kar diyaa gayaa phulon ke daagh-haa-e-farozaan ko dekh kar arzaan kuchh aur rang-e-hinaa kar diyaa gayaa vaaraftgaan-e-shauq kaa shikva sune baghair gulshan supurd-e-ahl-e-jafaa kar diyaa gayaa dil se umang lab se duaa chhin li gai kahne ko qaidiyon ko rihaa kar diyaa gayaa yak-do-nafas bhi kaar-e-ziyaan ham na kar sake khushbu ko pairahan se judaa kar diyaa gayaa maangi thi aafiyat ki duaa aagahi kaa gham pahle se bhi kuchh aur sivaa kar diyaa gayaa 'akhtar' havas-garaan-e-aqidat ke faiz se sab kuchh ravaa ba-naam-e-khudaa kar diyaa gayaa"

"saamaan sad hazaar hain tu jaag to sahi sab vaqf-e-intizaar hain tu jaag to sahi ghaafil nazar uThaa ki vo aasaar-e-subh-e-nau gardun pe aashkaar hain tu jaag to sahi auqaat teri quvvat-e-baazu pe munhasir lamhaat saazgaar hain tu jaag to sahi teraa yaqin teraa amal tere valvale hasti kaa e'tibaar hain tu jaag to sahi o mahv-e-khvaab dida-e-binaa ke vaaste khud jalve be-qaraar hain tu jaag to sahi be-barg be-libaas darakhton ki Tahniyaan paighaam-e-nau-bahaar hain tu jaag to sahi 'akhtar'-ziyaai niind ke maaton ke shahr mein kuchh log hoshiyaar hain tu jaag to sahi"

"burrish-e-tegh bhi hai phuul ki mahkaar bhi hai vo khamoshi ki jo sad maujib-e-izhaar bhi hai chhoDiye un ke shab-o-roz ki rudaad-e-zubun aap ko khaak-nashinon se sarokaar bhi hai maslahat mujh ko bhi malhuz hai ai ham-sukhano par mire pesh-e-nazar vaqt ki raftaar bhi hai maut ke khauf se har saans ruki jaati hai zindagi aaj koi teraa kharidaar bhi hai talkhi-e-haal ko hai ishrat-e-fardaa kaa fareb dil junun-kosh hai aur 'aql tarahdaar bhi hai mere mahbub mujhe vaqf-e-taghaaful na samajh ziist ke laakh taqaaze hain teraa pyaar bhi hai ahl-e-guftaar ki to bhiiD lagi hai 'akhtar' dekhnaa in mein koi saahab-e-kirdaar bhi hai"

"vo kam-nasib jo ahd-e-jafaa mein rahte hain ajiib maariz-e-karb-o-balaa mein rahte hain numud-e-zauq o bulugh-e-hunar kaa zikr hi kyaa yahaan ye log to aah-o-bukaa mein rahte hain vidaa-e-khuld ke baad arsa-e-firaaq mein hain ba-qaid-e-jism dayaar-e-fanaa mein rahte hain vo subh o shaam miri ruuh mein hain jalva-numaa dil-e-figaar o alam-aashnaa mein rahte hain hisaar-e-zaat mein mahbus ho ke ahl-e-havas fareb-e-haasil-e-be-muddaaa mein rahte hain bhulaa chuke hain zamin o zamaan ke sab qisse sukhan-taraaz hain lekin khalaa mein rahte hain amir-e-shahr ki sohbat ke faiz se 'akhtar' janaab-e-shaikh ab unchi havaa mein rahte hain"

"main samajhtaa thaa haqiqat aashnaa ho jaaegaa kyaa khabar thi meri baaton se khafaa ho jaaegaa rafta-rafta ibtilaa-e-gham shifaa ho jaaegaa dard hi had se guzarne par davaa ho jaaegaa ham pe to pahle hi zaahir thaa maaal-e-bandagi pujne jaaoge jis but ko khudaa ho jaaegaa tajrbe ki aanch se aakhir raqib-e-ru-siyah un ki qurbat se hamaaraa ham-navaa ho jaaegaa aah jo siine se niklegi fughaan ban jaaegi ashk jo aankhon se Tapkegaa du'aa ban jaaegaa dam-ba-dam jo saath dene kaa kiyaa kartaa thaa 'ahd kis ko thaa maa'lum ki ik din judaa ho jaaegaa chhoDne vaale sar-e-raahe hamein tere liye zindagaani kaa safar be-muddaaa ho jaaegaa ik nigaah-e-lutf vo pahli si dildaari ke saath daan kar diije gharibon kaa bhalaa ho jaaegaa sahl-tar hogaa najaat-e-khalq mein qarz-e-vafaa jaan bhi degaa agar 'akhtar' adaa ho jaaegaa"

"irfaan-o-aagahi ke sazaa-vaar ham hue soyaa paDaa thaa shahr ki bedaar ham hue taa umr intizaar sahi par ba-roz-e-hashr achchhaa huaa ki tere talabgaar ham hue ham par vafaa-e-ahd anal-haq bhi farz thaa is vaaste ki mahram-e-asraar ham hue Thahregi ek din vahi meraaj-e-bandagi jo baat kah ke aaj gunahgaar ham hue hote gae vo khalq-farebi mein hoshiyaar jitnaa ki tajribe se samajhdaar ham hue naadaan the ki masnad-e-irshaad chhoD kar halqa-ba-gosh-e-sirat-o-kirdaar ham hue is daur-e-khud-farosh mein 'akhtar' ba-sad khulus khamyaaza-sanj-e-jurat-e-izhaar ham hue"

"milaa jo koi yahaan ramz-aashnaa na mujhe vabaal-e-hosh rahaa harf-e-mahramaana mujhe udaas phirti hai shaadaab vaadiyon ki mahak hai kaaenaat yahi kunj-e-aashiyaana mujhe adu ki sang-zani ki nahin mujhe parvaa tire karam kaa mayassar hai shaamiyaana mujhe koi ilaaj-e-gham-e-zindagi bataa vaaiz sune hue jo fasaane hain phir sunaa na mujhe subuk-sari mein zamin-e-vatan bhi tang hui kashaan kashaan liye phirtaa hai aab-o-daana mujhe mire nasib mein hai kisht-e-jaan ki viraani na aai raas rah-o-rasm-e-aashiqaana mujhe bhaTak rahaa huun usi ki talaash mein 'akhtar' ki jis dayaar ko chhoDe huaa zamaana mujhe"

"aankh dariyaa jigar lahu karnaa kitnaa mushkil hai aarzu karnaa tajziya dil-nashin khayaalon kaa hai ghazaalon ki justuju karnaa tazkira in ki dil-navaazi kaa aur phir mere ru-ba-ru karnaa bas yahi ek shaghl-e-tanhaai rah gayaa khud se guftugu karnaa kushtagaan-e-alam se sikhaa hai dard-mandon ki aabru karnaa doston ke karam se chhoD diyaa ham ne andesha-e-adu karnaa bachnaa har nok-e-khaar se 'akhtar' zakhm phulon ke bhi rafu karnaa"

"ghair ki bad-gumaaniyon pe na jaa be-haqiqat kahaaniyon pe na jaa khinch letaa hai daaman-e-ehsaas phuul ki be-zabaaniyon pe na jaa us ki ghaarat-gari ko dhyaan mein rakh aql ki paasbaaniyon pe na jaa sabr ki dosti ko rakh malhuz jabr ki hukmaraaniyon pe na jaa khubs-e-baatin ke zahr se bhi bach mahz shirin-bayaaniyon pe na jaa mustaqil zulm kaa mudaavaa kar aarzi mehrbaaniyon pe na jaa ruuh ki bhi pukaar sun 'akhtar' jism ki kaamraaniyon pe na jaa"

"jaan rahe yaa na rahe naam rahe saathiyo rasm-e-junun aam rahe baarhaa sai-e-talab ki ham ne ye alag baat ki naakaam rahe azmat-e-ishq se naa-vaaqif the jo asir-e-havas-e-khaam rahe kyaa taajjub hai ki piraan-e-haram mar ke bhi taalib-e-asnaam rahe kyaa khabar hai ki yuun hi ai 'akhtar' taa-ba-kai gardish-e-ayyaam rahe"

"jafaa ki rasm-e-sitam kaa rivaaj badlegaa faqih-e-shahr kaa aakhir mizaaj badlegaa main jaantaa huun badalti ruton ki khushbu se havaa-e-dasht tiraa imtizaaj badlegaa jumud-e-marg numud asl zindagi hai to phir jo kal na badlaa yaqinan vo aaj badlegaa khulus-o-mehr-o-vafaa khvaab ho gae jaise na jaane kab ye nahusat kaa raaj badlegaa nae shuur ke charche hain chaar su 'akhtar' mujhe yaqin hai ye kohna samaaj badlegaa"

"dam-e-isaa yad-e-baizaa ke qarine vaale ab na mansur na suqraat se piine vaale vahi kuufi vahi lashkar vahi paimaan-e-vafaa vahi aasaar moharram ke mahine vaale dam nikaltaa hai na sar jhuktaa hai divaanon kaa jaane kis aas pe jiite hain ye jiine vaale ye jo saahil ke manaazir hain jo aavaazein hain jaa ke us paar na paaeinge safine vaale ham mohabbat ki alaamat hain janaab-e-vaaiz ham adaavat ke talabgaar na kiine vaale ek paighaam ho shaayad miri khaamoshi bhi tujh ko maalum nahin lab mire siine vaale aaj kuchh log hain surat-gar-e-haalaat 'akhtar' aur kuchh log hain maazi ke dafine vaale in ko thoDi si ukhuvvat bhi ataa ho jaae ye jo lete hain tiraa naam madine vaale"

"din Dhalaa shab hui charaagh jale bazm-e-rindaan mein phir ayaagh jale dafatan aandhiyon ne rukh badlaa naa-gahaan aarzu ke baagh jale aas Duubi to dil huaa raushan bujh gayaa dil to dil ke daagh jale jal-bujhe justuju ke parvaane mustaqil manzil-e-suraagh jale gaah masrufiyat sulag uTThe gaah tanhaai o faraagh jale aankhein karti hain shabnam-afshaani jab tiri yaad mein dimaagh jale un kaa chehra tah-e-naqaab 'akhtar' jaise parde mein ik charaagh jale"

"ham-nashin raat hai to raat bhi Dhal jaaegi subh-dam surat-e-haalaat badal jaaegi hiddat-e-shauq salaamat hai to zanjir-e-jafaa surat-e-shama kisi roz pighal jaaegi un kaa dam bharte ho to gham na karo aakhir-kaar un pe dam dene ki hasrat bhi nikal jaaegi ham-safiro kabhi miTti hai tamannaa-e-bahaar ye kisi phuul kisi shoale mein Dhal jaaegi yahi behtar hai ki qurbaan-e-vafaa ho jaae jaan agar aaj na jaaegi to kal jaaegi kis ko maalum thaa malbus-e-sabaa mein sarsar aa ke gulshan mein shagufon ko masal jaaegi ab ke saavan bhi agar abr na barsaa 'akhtar' jo kali shaakh pe niklegi vo jal jaaegi"