zindagi khvaab hai aur khvaab bhi aisaa ki miyaan — Ahmad Ata

ab yahaan kaun nikaalegaa bhalaa duudh ki nahr
ishq kartaa hai tu jaisaa bhi hai achchhaa hai miyaan

naa-rasaai ne ajab taur sikhaae hain 'ataa'
yaani bhule bhi nahin tum ko pukaaraa bhi nahin

saDak pe baiTh gae dekhte hue duniyaa
aur aise tark hui ek khud-kushi ham se

vaisaa hi kharaab shakhs huun main
jaisaa koi chhoD kar gayaa thaa

main teri ruuh mein utraa huaa milungaa tujhe
aur is tarah ki tujhe kuchh khabar nahin honi

aaj dekhaa hai use aisi mohabbat se 'ataa'
vo yahi bhuul gayaa us ko kahin jaanaa thaa

kam-umri mein sunet hain
mar jaate hain achchhe log

balaa-e-jaan thi jo bazm-e-tamaashaa chhoD di main ne
khushaa ai zindagi khvaabon ki duniyaa chhoD di main ne

idhar to tuul diyaa hai umiid ko us ne
udhar hayaat ataa ki hai mukhtasar mujh ko

afsos umr kaT gai ranj-o-malaal mein
dekhaa na khvaab mein bhi jo kuchh thaa khayaal mein

zindagi tu bhi hamein vaise hi ik roz guzaar
jis tarah ham tujhe barson se guzaare hue hain

meri saari zindagi ko be-samar us ne kiyaa
umr meri thi magar us ko basar us ne kiyaa