chikh uThtaa hai dafatan kirdaar — Ahmad Ashfaq

biktaa rahtaa sar-e-baazaar kai qiston mein
shukr hai mere khudaa ne mujhe shohrat nahin di

kisi ki shakhsiyat majruh kar di
zamaane bhar mein shohrat ho rahi hai

faasle ye simaT nahin sakte
ab paraayon mein kar shumaar mujhe

meri kam-goi pe jo tanz kiyaa karte hain
meri kam-goi ke asbaab se naa-vaaqif hain

lagtaa hai ki is dil mein koi qaid hai 'ashfaaq'
rone ki sadaa aati hai yaadon ke khanDar se

ajab Thahraao paidaa ho rahaa hai roz o shab mein
miri vahshat koi taaza aziyyat chaahti hai

shaahraahein dafatan shoale ugalne lag gaiin
ghar ki jaanib chal paDaa hai shahr gheraa kar tamaam

ret par ik nishaan hai shaayad
ye hamaaraa makaan hai shaayad

ghulaami mein na kaam aati hain shamshirein na tadbirein
jo ho zauq-e-yaqin paidaa to kaT jaati hain zanjirein

vo na aaegaa hamein maalum thaa is shaam bhi
intizaar us kaa magar kuchh soch kar karte rahe

zamaana mujh se judaa ho gayaa zamaana huaa
rahaa hai ab to bichhaDne ko mujh se tu baaqi

kaho kyaa mehrbaan naa-mehrbaan taqdir hoti hai
kahaa maan ki duaaon mein baDi taasir hoti hai