Ghazal

"koi Thokar is ne jab khaai na thi zindagi ye raah par aai na thi aap ki baatein thiin baatein hi faqat aap ki baaton mein gahraai na thi har qadam par ranj-o-gham the muntazir kis jagah meri paziraai na thi zindagi thi ik sukut-e-mustaqil mushkilon se jab shanaasaai na thi aap ki yaadein thiin dil ke aas paas zindagi mein koi tanhaai na thi ek bhi puuri na ho paai 'karan' kaun si us ne qasam khaai na thi"

"hasin subh hasin shaam chaahtaa huun main ki zindagi ko khush-anjaam chaahtaa huun main zaraa saa muskuraa ke meri taraf dekh to lo huun tishna baada-e-gulfaam chaahtaa huun main nahin hai shak koi is mein to nek-sirat hai zamaane bhar mein tiraa naam chaahtaa huun main vo jis ke vaaste khaain hain Thokarein kitni usi ko ham-safar har gaam chaahtaa huun main tiraa khayaal ho dil mein labon pe zikr tiraa ki phir se yuun sahar-o-shaam chaahtaa huun main 'karan' ye kaun kahe baDh ke mere saaqi ko ki us ke haathon se ik jaam chaahtaa huun main"

"khoyaa kyaa paayaa kyaa hisaab na kar to abas vaqt ko kharaab na kar chhoD hargiz na raah-e-haq-goi apni manzil ko yuun kharaab na kar saaf rakh apnaa daaman-e-kirdaar tu use ashkon se pur-aab na kar gham na kar dusron pe kyaa guzre tu kabhi haq se ijtinaab na kar gham bhi hain zindagi kaa ik hissa dusron ko tu intisaab na kar jo faraaez hain bhuul jaaein 'karan' is qadar khud ko mahv-e-khvaab na kar"

"dil gham kaa talabgaar hai maalum nahin kyuun raahat se ye bezaar hai maalum nahin kyuun haq ye hai ki ham donon mohabbat mein bandhe hain lekin use inkaar hai maalum nahin kyuun jo mo'atabar thaa ahl-e-zamaana ki nazar mein rusvaa sar-e-baazaar hai maalum nahin kyuun main bhulnaa chaahun bhi bhulaa paaun na un ko kuchh aisaa sarokaar hai maalum nahin kyuun jo bhi ho ghalat baat jhaTak detaa hai aksar is darja vo khuddaar hai maalum nahin kyuun insaan kisi baat pe rahtaa nahin qaaem ye zehn se bimaar hai maalum nahin kyuun khaamosh si rahti hai zabaan us ki baraabar dil maail-e-guftaar hai maalum nahin kyuun qurbat bhi kisi ki nahin hai raas 'karan' ko ye khud se hi bezaar hai maalum nahin kyuun"

"hui hai mehrbaan un ki nazar aahista aahista huaa tai ye mohabbat kaa safar aahista aahista huaa rangin mausam kaa asar aahista aahista machalte hain mire qalb-o-nazar aahista aahista idhar mere dil-e-betaab ki baDhti hai betaabi udhar kaali ghaTaaon kaa asar aahista aahista bahut mohtaat ho kar bhi guzar jaaeinge ham lekin utar jaaegi dil mein vo nazar aahista aahista 'karan' ik roz mere dil ko divaana banaa degaa kisi ki mast aankhon kaa asar aahista aahista"

"kisi shai par bhi ikhtiyaar nahin ziist mein kuchh bhi paaedaar nahin ye bhi hai moajiza mohabbat kaa gham kai koi gham-gusaar nahin main ne duniyaa nisaar ki jis par mujh pe us ko hi eatibaar nahin saare matlab ke rishte-naate hain koi rishta bhi ustuvaar nahin har ghaDi be-qaraar rahtaa hai dil ko haasil kabhi qaraar nahin raahaton kaa to zikr hi kyaa hai gham bhi duniyaa mein paaedaar nahin log duniyaa ke khud-gharaz hain 'karan' ye kisi ke bhi gham-gusaar nahin"

"mile hain log zamaane mein be-usul mujhe kiyaa hai surat-e-haalaat ne malul mujhe jahaan se saahab-e-kirdaar koi guzraa hai bahut aziiz hai us raaste ki dhuul mujhe jo haq ki raah mein khud ko miTaanaa jaantaa ho pasand aate hain us shakhs ke usuul mujhe mili hain mujh ko viraasat mein kuchh ajab qadrein samaaj ne diye hain kaaghzi se phuul mujhe sadaa-e-haq miri duniyaa mein dab gai hai magar nahin shikast kisi taur bhi qubul mujhe hai jo bhi dil mein mire us pe ho sake zaahir har ek baat ko denaa paDaa hai tuul mujhe main sochtaa thaa miraa us se koi rishta nahin kisi ki yaad magar kar gai malul mujhe"

"baDe ajiib hain duniyaa ke ye nasheb-o-faraaz koi paDhe kahaan jaa kar mohabbaton ki namaaz jahaan mein kuchh nahin miltaa sivaa adaavat ke magar nazar mein nahin hai koi bhi us kaa javaaz tamaam zindagi is justuju mein guzri hai na khul sakaa kisi surat bhi zindagi kaa raaz bas ik nigaah mein vo dil ko chhin lete hain kahaan se laae koi un kaa ye hasin andaaz kisi bhi haal mein guzre ye zindagi apni magar na dast-e-talab ho sakegaa ham se daraaz kisi kaa bhi nahin ab eatibaar duniyaa mein kahein to kis ko kahein ham jahaan mein hamraaz"