Ghazal

"aaj ham sar-e-mahfil is qadar hanse yaaro gham jo bhuul baiThe the yaad aa gae yaaro chup hain qaafile vaale mutmain hain rahbar bhi dard bujh gayaa yaaro khvaab luT gae yaaro tum the raunaq-e-mahfil har khushi tumhaari thi ham charaagh-e-mahfil the raat-bhar jale yaaro zindagi ke jo lamhe pyaar se sameTe the vaqt ke bayaabaan mein sab bikhar gae yaaro 'kaif' ghar ke baahar to har taraf andheraa hai apne apne ghar raushan sab ne kar liye yaaro"

"aasmaanon se na utregaa sahifa koi ai zamin DhunD le ab apnaa masihaa koi phir dar-e-dil pe kisi yaad ne dastak di hai phir bahaa kar mujhe le jaaegaa dariyaa koi ye to mahfil na hui maqtal-e-ehsaas huaa aaina de ke mujhe le gayaa chehra koi kitne viraan hain yaadon ke dar-o-baam na puchh bhuul kar bhi idhar aayaa na parinda koi main is aaseb-zada shahr mein kis se puchhun kyuun mire pichhe lagaa rahtaa hai saayaa koi maangtaa hai mire aamaal kaa har roz hisaab 'kaif' jo mujh mein rahaa kartaa hai mujh saa koi"

"kis ko ham-safar samjhein jo bhi saath chalte hain aashnaa se lagte hain ajnabi nikalte hain ai miri sharik-e-gham kaash tu samajh sakti kitne an-bahe aansu qahqahon mein Dhalte hain raat ki khamoshi mein jab koi nahin hotaa dil se biiti yaadon ke qaafile nikalte hain tah-ba-tah andheron tak raushni to phailegi ek raat ki zid mein sau charaagh chalte hain manzilon ke dhoke mein saathiyo na ruk jaanaa manzilon se aage bhi raaste nikalte hain"

"khvaab jo dekhe jhuTe nikle kuchh na milaa taabiron mein dil ab kis ko DhunD rahaa hai album ki tasviron mein ik gosha to aisaa bhi ho jis kaa koi naam na ho saari dharti baTi hui hai mulkon mein jaagiron mein kaandhon ke rishte bhi kyaa hain shahron shahron phaile hain dil kaa dard samajhne vaalaa kaun mile rahgiron mein kuchh hamein duniyaa raas na aai kuchh dil ne man-maani ki baiTh ke rang bharaa karte hain ab apni tasviron mein dil ke rishte duur ki baatein phir bhi kuchh aisaa lagtaa hai ham tum vo sab bandhe hue hain an-dekhi zanjiron mein 'kaif' ye dil kaa gorakh-dhandaa samjhein to samjhaaein bhi ham divaane hain jaa baiThe mast-e-alast faqiron mein"

"be-naam se phirte the kaam aa gai rusvaai har ajnabi chehre par pahchaan ubhar aai har raat dar-e-dil par dastak diye jaataa hai sone hi nahin detaa ik jazba-e-saudaai jo baais-e-ranjish thi us baat kaa charchaa kyaa us ne bhi nahin puchhi main ne bhi na dohraai gham ek musaafir hai kyaa jaane kahaan Thahre aankhon ki nami bah kar lahje mein utar aai ham 'kaif' thake haare chauraahe pe jaa baiThe DhunDi to kahaan jaa kar is shahr mein tanhaai"

"kal tak aasuda-dili thi aashiyaan thaa aur main aaj hai bikhraa huaa ek ek tinkaa aur main main kise aavaaz detaa aur suntaa bhi to kaun mere gird-o-pesh khvaabon kaa nagar thaa aur main ham-safar to thaa magar gham-aashnaa vo bhi na thaa faasla rakh kar chale the meraa saayaa aur main ab akele mein bhi tanhaa main kabhi hotaa nahin is qadar maanus hain vo ek kamra aur main us ne moti chun liye main sipiyaan chuntaa rahaa apne apne zarf ke qaidi the dariyaa aur main 'kaif' kitni mukhtasar hai zindagi ki daastaan ik saraabon kaa safar hai ek sahraa aur main"

"har ek daur mein insaan ki bud-o-baash mili kisi zamin ko bhi khodaa to meri laash mili main man-ghaDant khudaaon ko pujtaa hi rahaa mujhe azal se nigaah-e-sanam-taraash mili vo main huun tum ho koi aur hai khule kaise salib-e-vaqt pe be-sar ki ek laash mili ham apne apne safar mein hi gum rahe donon ye aur baat use manzil mujhe talaash mili na jaane 'kaif' ye kis aarzu pe zinda hai hamein to jab bhi mili zindagi niraash mili"

"un ki ik ik baat ko dil ne yaad kiyaa hai saaraa din yaaro ham ne khuub manaayaa ab ke saal kaa pahlaa din meri buDhi aankhein Dhalti shaam kaa manzar takti thiin muD kar dekhaa to bachchon ki peshaani se ubhraa din dil kyon aane vaale kal ki aas lagaae baiThaa hai aaj bhi hain kal se andeshe kal bhi hogaa aaj saa din koi gautam hi samjhegaa ye jazbon ki dhuup aur chhaanv ham jab ghar ko chhoD ke nikle aadhi raat thi aadhaa din tu ne saanson ki suuli par lambi raat guzaari hai kaash tire arpan kar saktaa main apne hisse kaa din 'kaif' lahu mein kaliyaan chaTkin nazron mein gulzaar khile achchhi surat dekh ke nikle achchhe mood mein guzraa din"

"muddaton ke baad phir un ke payaam aane lage vaqt phir bhule hue qisse na dohraane lage jhiil ke Thahre hue paani mein phir lahrein uThin phir gae mausam ke panchhi lauT kar aane lage ham ki patthar the nishaan-e-mil ban kar rah gae khud na chal paae to sab ko raah dikhlaane lage daastaanon mein jo pariyaan qaid thiin sab uD gaiin shahr-e-jaan mein khauf ke aaseb manDlaane lage ghar ke sab divaar-o-dar hain ghar ke buDhon ki tarah main kisi shab der se lauTaa to samjhaane lage 'kaif' din-bhar ki thaki haari tamannaaon ko ham raat aai to qabaa khvaabon ki pahnaane lage"

"miTti qadron mein bhi paaband-e-vafaa hain ham log kisi chalte hue jogi ki sadaa hain ham log manzilein paaoge ham khaak-nashinon ke tufail ham ne maanaa ki nishaan-e-kaf-e-paa hain ham log ahl-e-mai-khaana hamein dekh ke hanste hain to kyaa pir-e-mai-khaana ko maalum hai kyaa hain ham log zindagi qaid ki muddat hai to ye bhi sach hai apne naa-karda gunaahon ki sazaa hain ham log jo abhi vaqt ke gumbad mein hai mahfuz ai 'kaif' aur palaT kar nahin aai vo sadaa hain ham log"

"har manzar-e-hayaat baDi be-dili kaa thaa umr-e-ravaan kaa saaraa safar vaapsi kaa thaa apni zamin se apni jaDein khodnaa paDin aisaa bhi ek daur miri be-hisi kaa thaa ahl-e-falak to su-e-zamin dekhte rahe ru-e-zamin pe pahlaa qadam aadmi kaa thaa jo saans jaa chukaa vo amaanat thaa maut ki jo aa gayaa palaT ke vahi zindagi kaa thaa is ran mein haar-jit to sab ki nazar mein hai is aaine mein aks magar daraupadi kaa thaa kyaa justuju thi 'kaif' ki main khud bhi kho gayaa shaayad vo ik safar miri gum-gashtagi kaa thaa"

"paani miT kar bhi rah gayaa paani hue kyaa baat kah gayaa paani kaT gayaa buund buund mein patthar choT patthar ki sah gayaa paani khvaab bhi barf ke gharaunde the jab khuli aankh rah gayaa paani shor kitnaa kiyaa thaa lahron ne ek tufaan mein bah gahaa paani zindagi naam hai ravaani kaa jaate jaate ye kah gayaa paani ham nazaaron ko dekhte hi rahe pul ke niche se bah gayaa paani"

"kuchh insaan the kuchh mazhab the ek khudaa thaa aur us ek khudaa ke kaaran sab jhagDaa thaa jaane ham kyon sach se itnaa ghabraate hain sach puchho to tum jhuTe the main jhuTaa thaa yaad hai jab ham ne dekhaa thaa pahlaa suraj baD ke patton se nangaa tan Dhaanp liyaa thaa kaisaa yug thaa log bhi kyaa sidhe-saade the jis patthar ko tanik taraashaa vahi khudaa thaa laao vaqt ke piile panne paDh kar dekhein mahrumi miraas thi apni gham virsa thaa kitni sadiyaan ulaT palaT kar dekh chuke ham vaqt abhi tak be-chehra hai be-chehra thaa"

"dil ki raahon se dabe paanv guzarne vaalaa chhoD jaaegaa koi zakhm na bharne vaalaa ab vo sahraa-e-junun khaak uDaane se rahaa ab vo dariyaa-e-mohabbat nahin bharne vaalaa zabt-e-gham kar liyaa ye bhi to na sochaa main ne ek nashtar saa hai ab dil mein utarne vaalaa Duub kar paar utarnaa hai chaDhe dariyaa se ek dariyaa hi to hai vaqt guzarne vaalaa jaane ab kaun si manzil mein hai insaan kaa safar ye janam lene lagaa hai ki hai marne vaalaa be-sabab to nahin sahme hue zarron kaa sukut 'kaif' ye khaak kaa tuuda hai bikharne vaalaa"