Ghazal

"shor kaisaa hai mire dil ke kharaabe se uThaa shahr jaise ki koi apne hi malbe se uThaa yaa uThaa dasht mein divaane se baar-e-furqat yaa tire shahr mein ik chaahne vaale se uThaa yaa miri khaak ko mil jaane de is miTTi mein yaa mujhe khuun ki lalkaar pe kuche se uThaa tu mire paas nahin hotaa ye sach hai lekin tiri aavaaz par har subh mein sote se uThaa chaak pe rakkhaa hai to lams bhi de haathon kaa meri pahchaan taattul ke andhere se uThaa dil ki hai khuun kaa ik qatra magar duniyaa mein jab uThaa hashr isi ek ilaaqe se uThaa ye ujaalon ki inaayat hai ki banda-e-'ashhar' apne saae pe giraa apne hi saae se uThaa"

"barf andaaz-e-shoala-fashaan kab na thaa fasl taa fasl thaa aasmaan kab na thaa kab na thaa muztarib aur na mutmain mauj taa mauj aab-e-ravaan kab na thaa kab na the daavedaaraan-e-khvaab-o-khalish ham pe laazim koi imtihaan kab na thaa kab mukhaalif na thi meri samt-e-safar ye safina havaa pe garaan kab na thaa sang-reze na chubhte the aankhon mein kab shahr-e-nazzaara naa-mehrbaan kab na thaa ik baDe sanati shahr mein 'haashmi' barg-e-aavaara saa be-amaan kab na thaa"

"kyaa qadr-e-anaa hogi jabin jaan rahi hai jis shahr mein sajdon ki hi pahchaan rahi hai kuchh ham ne bhi duniyaa ko sataayaa hai bahr haal kuchh apni tabiat se bhi halkaan rahi hai mazbut rahaa husn-e-nazar se miraa rishta jab tak vo mire shahr mein mehmaan rahi hai mai ne bhi diyaa hai miri vahshat ko baDhaavaa do chaar dinon vo bhi nigahbaan rahi hai us ko to safar karte nahin dekhaa kisi ne raahon ki magar dhuul use pahchaan rahi hai vo ho ki na ho farq nahin paDtaa hai kuchh bhi ye raat kai sadiyon se viraan rahi hai kyaa jaane kahaan khatm ho 'ashhar' ki kahaani ab tak to kisi dard kaa unvaan rahi hai"

"hai kaun jis se ki vaada khataa nahin hotaa magar kisi kaa iraada khataa nahin hotaa jahaan bisaat pe ghir jaae shaah narghe mein vahaan kabhi bhi piyaada khataa nahin hotaa vo dushmanon mein agar ho to bach bhi jaaun main usi kaa vaar mabaadaa khataa nahin hotaa jo sar bache bhi to dastaar bach nahin sakti nishaana us kaa ziyaada khataa nahin hotaa kisi ki gard-e-safar baiThte bhi dekheinge hamaari nazron se jaada khataa nahin hotaa hain tajrabe mire ehsaanmand lafzon ke ho shakl yaa ki labaada khataa nahin hotaa"

"shahr mein chhaai hui divaar-taa-divaar thi ek pathrili khamoshi paikar-e-guftaar thi baadalon ki chiTThiyaan kyaa aaiin dariyaaon ke naam har taraf paani ki ik chalti hui divaar thi inkishaaf-e-shahr-e-naa-maalum thaa har sher mein tajrabe ki taaza-kaari surat-e-ashaar thi aarzu thi saamne baiThe rahein baatein karein aarzu lekin bechaari kis qadar laachaar thi ghar ki donon khiDkiyaan khulti thiin saare shahr par ek hi manzar ki puure shahr mein takraar thi aansuon ke chand qatron se thi tar puuri kitaab har varaq par ek surat maael-e-guftaar thi us se milne ki talab mein ji liye kuchh aur din vo bhi khud biite dinon se bar-sar-e-paikaar thi"

"ajnabiyat thi magar khaamosh istifsaar par naam us ne ik alaamat mein likhaa divaar par raaegaan jaati hui umr-e-ravaan ki ik jhalak taaziyaana hai qanaaat-ashnaa kirdaar par dushmanon ke darmiyaan meraa muhaafiz hai qalam main ne har talvaar roki hai isi talvaar par din ho jaisaa bhi guzar jaataa hai apne taur se raat hoti hai magar bhaari tire bimaar par sust-gaami le ke manzil tak chali aai mujhe tez-rau ahbaab hairaan hain miri raftaar par shab ke sannaaTe hi mein kartaa hai sachchi guftugu shahr apnaa dukh sunaataa hai dar o divaar par zindagi karnaa vo mushkil fan hai 'ashhar' haashmi jaise ki chalnaa paDe bijli ke nange taar par"

"ik shahr ziyaa-baar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi lekin miraa aazaar yahaan bhi vahaan bhi raushan mire andar ke andheron mein baraabar ik aatish-e-pindaar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi ahbaab mire ek hi jaise hain jahaan hain ik jazba-e-isaar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi ik subh tire saath kai miil chale the us subh kaa asraar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi gar saath 'azizo na mayassar ho tumhaaraa jiinaa miraa bekaar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi hai jis ki ravaani se lahu garm hamaaraa vo chashma-e-bedaar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi aankhon se mire dil mein samaayaa hai jo 'ashhar' us shokh ki sarkaar yahaan bhi hai vahaan bhi"