The lyric art form of Urdu poetry — every sher a universe of longing, love, and philosophy
"gumraah kah rahe ho mujhe ye pataa nahin ye raah vo hai jis mein koi naqsh-e-paa nahin main huun qusur-vaar sazaa dijiye mujhe main ye samajh rahaa huun mohabbat khataa nahin jis roz bhi vo sair-e-chaman ko na aa sake us roz koi phuul chaman mein khilaa nahin maasumiyat to dekhiye dil toDne ke baad vo kah rahe hain koi hamaari khataa nahin 'maahir' kiyaa hai tanz kisi bevafaa ne aaj aise bhi log hain jinhein paas-e-vafaa nahin"
"qafas mein aaj koi gham-gusaar bhi to nahin ajiib vaqt hai zikr-e-bahaar bhi to nahin nigaah-e-naaz ko ilzaam kis tarah diije khud apne dil pe hamein ikhtiyaar bhi to nahin ye maante hain ki ab vo ghuTan nahin lekin khizaan ke baad kaa aalam bahaar bhi to nahin bhaTak rahe hain andheron mein kaarvaan ab bhi koi charaagh sar-e-rahguzaar bhi to nahin sabhi ko meri tabaahi pe aa rahaa hai taras magar kisi ki nazar sharmsaar bhi to nahin hamaare gham pe jahaan hans rahaa hai kyon 'maahir' hamaari tarah koi be-qaraar bhi to nahin"
"ahl-e-fan ki nazar mein aaya huun jab se shahr-e-jigar mein aaya huun qadr aai hai zulmat-e-shab ki jab hudud-e-sahar mein aaya huun sang-baari kaa muddaaa ye hai main tiri rahguzar mein aaya huun ai junun laaj meri rah jaae baad muddat ke ghar mein aaya huun kashti-e-dil tiraa khudaa-haafiz kuchh dinon se bhanvar mein aaya huun raat ko kah rahaa huun din 'maahir' main fareb-e-nazar mein aaya huun"
"kyaa kahegaa samaaj mat puchho miraa mujh se mizaaj mat puchho aaj kyaa hogaa sochnaa hai ye kal ki baaton ko aaj mat puchho haadisa dil pe kaun saa guzraa kyon huaa ikhtilaaj mat puchho mere dushman to puchh sakte hain dosto tum mizaaj mat puchho kyaa bataanaa tumhein zaruri hai kis kaa dil pe hai raaj mat puchho hans ke kahnaa kisi kaa ai 'maahir' ham se gham kaa ilaaj mat puchho"
"kab kisi ko main pyaar kartaa huun uzr un se hazaar kartaa huun jaise sach-much vo aane vaale hain un kaa yuun intizaar kartaa huun dil pe girti hai ek bijli si un se nazrein jo chaar kartaa huun jin ko nafrat hai mujh se main un ko ek muddat se pyaar kartaa huun khud jalaa kar main aashiyaan apnaa intizaar-e-bahaar kartaa huun jhuTi qasmon kaa un ki ai 'maahir' aaj tak eatibaar kartaa huun"
"yahi buniyaad-e-nazm-e-aalam hai har masarrat ki intihaa gham hai ye milaa arz-e-muddaaa kaa javaab aaj un kaa mizaaj barham hai ab na dast-e-karam na vo daaman dil pareshaan hai aankh pur-nam hai ai ajal manzil-e-hayaat bataa log kahte the faasla kam hai kis qadar khush-nasib huun 'maahir' mere daaman mein daulat-e-gham hai"
"vo na aae to dekho har taraf udaasi hai phuul bhi hain nam-dida chaandni khafaa si hai vaaqai miri vahshat kuchh to rang le aai mujh pe hansne vaalon ke rukh pe bad-havaasi hai jaam de na de rukh se bas naqaab sarkaa de har nigaah ai saaqi mai-kade mein pyaasi hai maslahat-shiaaro haan daar hai miri manzil jurm ahd-e-haazir mein sirf haq-shanaasi hai baaghbaan bahaaron par kyon nazar nahin teri shokh shokh phulon kaa rang kyon kapaasi hai vo mire khayaalon mein hans rahe hain ai 'maahir' subh khubsurat hai shaam dilrubaa si hai"
"jafaaon kaa mujhe kuchh gham nahin hai tiri ye bhi navaazish kam nahin hai kahaan laayaa miraa zauq-e-asiri koi saathi koi hamdam nahin hai hasin hai khuld mai-khaana bhi dekhaa yahaan kyaa qibla-e-aalam nahin hai zamaana ro rahaa hai mere gham par kisi ki aankh to pur-nam nahin hai miri rudaad-e-gham par hansne vaale ye aansu qatra-e-shabnam nahin hai hansi un ke labon par kyon hai 'maahir' fasaana is qadar mubham nahin hai"
"bahaar mein bhi chaman ajnabi lage hai mujhe har ek phuul mein murda-dili lage hai mujhe har ek baat kaa un ki yaqin kartaa huun har ek baat mein sanjidgi lage hai mujhe bujhaa bujhaa saa ye sabza bujhaa bujhaa saa chaand baDi ajiib si ye zindagi lage hai mujhe tire khayaal ki jannat mein hans rahaa huun main tire baghair buri zindagi lage hai mujhe qadam qadam pe ye muD muD ke dekhnaa 'maahir' kisi ne jaise ki aavaaz di lage hai mujhe"
"aaj us ne kahaa hai aane ko niind aati nahin zamaane ko kyaa kahaa tu ne mujh se ai sayyaad chhoD duun apne aashiyaane ko meri barbaadiyon se ye sach hai dars mil jaaegaa zamaane ko un ki aankhon ko dekh kar sochaa kaun jaae sharaab-khaane ko aaj naaraaz ho gae vo bhi aur kyaa chaahiye zamaane ko bhuul baiThe hain khud ko ai 'maahir' ham chale the unhein bhulaane ko"
