Ghazal

"jaane kitnon ke liye rashk kaa mehvar Thahraa teraa zakhmi bhi to qismat kaa sikandar Thahraa lazzat dard ki baDhti hi chali aati hai tarab-angez bahut ek hi nishtar Thahraa bhar gaiin zehn mein raanaaiyaan ik jalve se ho kahin jaise koi pariyon kaa lashkar Thahraa kyaa shikast us ko bhalaa gardish-e-dauraan degi khaak kaa Dher hi jis ke liye bistar Thahraa meri mehmaan-navaazi kaa thaa charchaa aisaa jo bhi tufaan-e-balaa aayaa mire ghar Thahraa khasta-haali se jo baunaa nazar aataa thaa tumhein vaqt jab aayaa to phir kitnaa qad-aavar Thahraa nazr-e-jaan raah-e-mohabbat mein bahut aasaan hai shart mere liye kuchh mushkil-o-bartar Thahraa gar umanD aae to gharqaab na ho shahr tamaam ye jo aankhon mein hai ashkon kaa samundar Thahraa kaise 'azhar' kisi suraj ko salaami degaa kyon na ho apne zamaane kaa qalandar Thahraa"

"jo ab bhi un ki yaadein aaiyaan hain to aankhein ashk-e-khun barsaaiyaan hain puraane zakhm kar deti hain taaza sitamgar kis qadar purvaaiyaan hain ye roz-o-shab ye subh-o-shaam kyaa hain nigaar-e-vaqt ki angDaaiyaan hain agar dil hi huaa shaaista-e-gham kahaan duniyaa mein phir raanaaiyaan hain ye kyaa qissa nikaalaa tu ne naaseh dil-e-betaab par ban aaiyaan hain sanbhal jaa ai dil-e-naadaan sanbhal jaa ki aage har taraf rusvaaiyaan hain nikaale sab ne apne apne matlab sukhan mein kis qadar gahraaiyaan hain banaa Daalaa zamaane bhar ko dushman balaa-e-jaan miri daanaaiyaan hain maqaam-e-shukr hai ye bhi to 'azhar' muqaddar mein agar tanhaaiyaan hain"

"gham kahin samt-e-safar thi raahbar koi na thaa ek sahraa-e-alam thaa ham-safar koi na thaa us ko bhi ham ne yahi samjhaa tamaashaa hai koi jab khulin aankhein nishaan-e-sang-e-dar koi na thaa vaqt ham ko Thokaron par Thokarein detaa rahaa aur apne haath mein tir-o-tabar koi na thaa qarya-e-bedaad-khvaahaan ki shikaayat hai abas shahr-e-ham-dardaan mein bhi to chaaraagar koi na thaa dhajjiyaan uDti rahin jaib-o-garebaan ki mire rok detaa bazm mein aashufta-sar koi na thaa mere raazon mein na koi raaz baaqi rah gayaa ham-nashinon mein mire naa-mo'tabar koi na thaa is liye ham nargis-e-bimaar ke qaail hue us ke jaisaa bhi chaman mein dida-var koi na thaa dil ke zakhmon ko ataa karnaa thaa lafzon kaa libaas aur 'azhar' maqsad-e-arz-e-hunar koi na thaa"

"bachaa le dhuup se aisaa koi shajar na milaa kahin suraagh-e-vafaa qissa mukhtasar na milaa machal rahe the jabin-e-niyaaz mein sajde ye aur baat muqaddar se sang-e-dar na milaa kuredte rahe sab dost mere zakhmon ko sabhi ne tanz kiye koi chaaraagar na milaa vo karbalaa to nahin doston ki basti thi taDapte rah gae paani ko buund bhar na milaa hujum yaaron kaa thaa mere saath saahil tak samundaron mein magar koi ham-safar na milaa likhaa ke laae the mahrumiyaan muqaddar mein tujhe duaa na mili aur mujhe asar na milaa abhi to ashk ki ik buund se ye tufaan hai qadam sambhaal le aur aah mein sharar na milaa qadam baDhaae to paayaab thaa har ik dariyaa magar talaash thi jis ki vahi guhar na milaa ham apni ziist ko karte bhi kyaa raqam 'azhar' varaq milaa bhi jo simin to aab-e-zar na milaa"

"vahi dilon ko shikast karnaa vahi savaal-o-javaab karnaa kahaan se sikhaa hai tu ne naaseh qadam qadam ehtisaab karnaa vo apne moti baras baras kar na is tarah raaegaan karegi kabhi na us chashm-e-nilgun se umiid misl-e-sahaab karnaa jahaan bhi mil jaae dekh lenaa vahi hai jaan-e-vafaa ki surat vahi nigaahein jhukaae rakhnaa hayaa se chehra gulaab karnaa bahaar-e-khun-e-jigar pilaa kar jinhonne tujh ko shabaab bakhshaa ye kyaa ghazab hai ki fasl-e-gul mein unhin ko khaana-kharaab karnaa ye farz saunpaa hai baaghbaanon ko raat sayyaad ne chaman ke ki loriyaan de ke kal anaadil ko aur bhi mahv-e-khvaab karnaa kabhi ye sochaa bhi mere yaaro ki is mein aakhir hai faaeda kyaa jo chand lamhe hain zindagi ke unhin ko nazr-e-azaab karnaa kisi tarah bhi na aane paae koi jhalak shaairi mein 'azhar' har ik ghazal khvaah apne dil mein usi ke naam intisaab karnaa"

"raushan na hui thi subh abhi munh khol rahi hai shaam kahin aaghaaz na hone paayaa thaa aur hone lagaa anjaam kahin is duniyaa mein kyaa milnaa hai bas armaanon ke khuun ke sivaa ai khvaab-e-hasin tere chalte ho jaaein na ham badnaam kahin maanind-e-sabaa aavaara ham phirte hi rahe shahron shahron ramtaa jogi bahtaa paani hai subh kahin to shaam kahin is vaqt to khush aate hain nazar kuchh saada-lauh anaadil bhi dekho to na phir phailaayaa ho sayyaad ne koi daam kahin sayyaad se gar laDnaa hai tujhe shaahin kaa jigar paidaa kar le bulbul jaise naazuk dil se hotaa hai jari iqdaam kahin kuchh ziist kaa gham kuchh millat kaa maghmum rahe har dam 'azhar' hassaas tabiat vaalon ko miltaa hai bhalaa aaraam kahin"

"har ek samt hai ik jiit haar kaa mausam ab ek khvaab saa lagtaa hai pyaar kaa mausam isi ko gardish-e-lail-o-nahaar kahte hain kabhi khizaan hai kabhi hai bahaar kaa mausam chaman mein dhuum machi hai ki fasl-e-gul aai yahi hai daaman-e-sad-taar-taar kaa mausam ab us ko yaad dilaane kaa faaeda hi nahin vo bhuul bhi chukaa qaul-o-qaraar kaa mausam har ik shikast pe josh-e-amal mein shiddat laa miTegaa dida-e-khunaaba-baar kaa mausam na aane de kabhi paa-e-sabaat mein laghzish sadaa milaa hai kise ikhtiyaar kaa mausam rihaai milti hai yaaro na jaan jaati hai azaab-e-jaan hai ye intizaar kaa mausam daraaz kitni hi shab ho guzar hi jaaegi palaT ke aaegaa didaar-e-yaar kaa mausam jo lauh-e-dil pe lagaane chale ho daagh pe daagh kabhi to aaegaa un ke shumaar kaa mausam hai ab ye haal urus-ul-bilaad kaa 'azhar' Thahar gayaa hai vahin gir-o-daar kaa mausam"

"koi kami zarur thi teraa karam na mil sakaa chhoD diyaa sanam-kada phir bhi haram na mil sakaa ham ko bhi thi ye aarzu chalte kisi ke saath saath log to kitne hi mile jazb-e-baham na mil sakaa ye bhi hai apni hi khataa dil mein koi nahin bachaa shama koi na jal saki koi sanam na mil sakaa vaqt ke mir-o-shahryaar darpa-e-jaan hain is liye apne huzur kyon unhein sar miraa kham na mil sakaa daar pe khinch kar mujhe us ko kahaan sukun magar is se baDaa koi use aur sitam na mil sakaa 'azhar'-e-khasta-jaan kisi dasht ki ab tu raah le chaaragaron ke shahr mein chaara-e-gham na mil sakaa"

"hairat se dekhtaa hai miraa naqsh-e-paa mujhe yaaraan-e-tez-gaam ye kyaa ho gayaa mujhe khud mere dil mein shauq-e-safar hi nahin rahaa ab laakh bhejein manzilein apnaa pataa mujhe samjhaa thaa bas hayaat ko khvaabon ki jalva-gaah ik dil kaa daagh kar gayaa khud-aashnaa mujhe paalaa hai apni god mein tufaan ne tujhe ai mauj us ki koi jhalak tu dikhaa mujhe ye kaun si khalish nikal aai nai nai lagtaa hai aaj dard-e-jigar kuchh sivaa mujhe 'azhar' mire harif the kuchh gham-zada magar the yaar khush ki dekh liyaa Dubtaa mujhe"

"ab aur daaman-e-dil taar-taar kyaa karte alam-nasib umid-e-bahaar kyaa karte samajh liyaa thaa sar-e-shaam tum na aaoge tamaam raat bhalaa intizaar kyaa karte subuk-khiraam the sab shaahraah-e-resham par ye mauj-e-khun mili jin ko vo paar kyaa karte thi jab nasib mein aavaargi bagulon ke bikhar na jaate jo misl-e-ghubaar kyaa karte hadaf banaate kise kaj-kulaah phir aakhir junun-pasand na hote to daar kyaa karte vo nikhat-e-gul-e-tar ban ke dil mein Thahraa thaa tamaam shahr ke zohra-nigaar kyaa karte ye jaante the ki bijli vahin pe girni hai to us se rahm talab baar baar kyaa karte dar-e-qubul hi jis ko na yaad rah paayaa use duaaon mein apni shumaar kyaa karte jhapakne paaein na palkein tamaam shab 'azhar' ab aur dida-e-khu-naaba-baar kyaa karte"

"fazaa mein aaj hai taari fasurdagi kitni hai dil-gudaaz anaadil ki bebasi kitni chalo jalaaein har ik samt aagahi ke charaagh yahi hai vaqt ki har su hai tirgi kitni na aandhiyon ke thapeDe bujhaa sake us ko charaagh-e-raahguzar mein thi zindagi kitni nazar lage na kahin ab havaa se laDtaa hai mizaaj-e-yaar mein hai aaj barhami kitni lapaT lagi jo mahal mein use to chikh uThaa jalaa ke shahr hui thi use khushi kitni kahaa na thaa ki masaaib kaa kaarobaar na kar magar thi teri siyaasat mein sar-kashi kitni zamaane bhar ke andhere shikast de na sake us ik charaagh mein 'azhar' thi raushni kitni"

"lahu mein Duub ke nikli hikaayatein chup hain moaamla hai hamaaraa adaalatein chup hain yahi hai vaqt kaa dastur aaj-kal shaayad tamaam shahr jalaa aur shahaadatein chup hain ye kis kaa ghamza-e-khun-rez hai ki mahfil mein kisi mein dam nahin sab ki jasaaratein chup hain na hogaa kuchh bhi to haasil sivaa shamaatat ke ye soch soch ke apni jaraahatein chup hain na chaaraagar hai koi ab na gham-gusaar koi tamaam sidq-o-safaa ki rivaayatein chup hain ye bastiyaan nahin ab mukhbiron ke markaz hain to kyaa ajab hai azizo rifaaqatein chup hain kalaaiyon ko maroDegaa kaun zaalim ki ki inqalaab hai khufta baghaavatein chup hain huaa ye kyaa mire yaaraan-e-tez-gaam ke saath itaab mohr-ba-lab hai sharaartein chup hain mire sivaa nahin mauzu-e-guftugu ab bhi ye aur baat ki ab vo inaayatein chup hain ye kis gumaan mein baiThe ho tum miyaan 'azhar' ye daur vo hai ki jis mein karaamatein chup hain"

"hans lein ye sitaare bhi abhi raat ke uupar din chaDhte hi aa jaaeinge auqaat ke uupar ban jaae na viraani-e-dil apni tamaashaa ham khol chaDhaa lete hain ik zaat ke uupar pahle to samajhte rahe har shai ko tamaashaa ab roke bhi kyaa kijiye haalaat ke uupar dekhaa hai uchhalti hui dastaaron kaa manzar ik fitna-e-dauraan se mulaaqaat ke uupar vaa'iz kabhi maidaan-e-amal mein bhi qadam rakh is silsila-e-kashf-o-karaamaat ke uupar 'ibrat to koi lene ko tayyaar nahin hai haan jashn manaate hain mazaaraat ke uupar 'azhar' na thi is baat mein kuchh bhi to haqiqat ik hashr saa barpaa huaa jis baat ke uupar"