jaane kyaa baat thi andhere mein — Ahmad Mahfuz

yuun to bahut hai mushkil band-e-qabaa kaa khulnaa
jo khul gayaa to phir ye uqda khulaa rahegaa

nahin aasmaan tiri chaal mein nahin aaungaa
main palaT ke ab kisi haal mein nahin aaungaa

teri ik baat nikaali thi ki raat
kitne hi baaton ke pahlu nikle

sunaa hai shahr kaa naqsha badal gayaa 'mahfuz'
to chal ke ham bhi zaraa apne ghar ko dekhte hain

us se milnaa aur bichhaDnaa der tak phir sochnaa
kitni dushvaari ke saath aae the aasaani mein ham

yahin gum huaa thaa kai baar main
ye rasta hai sab meraa dekhaa huaa

kyon tasavvur mein ji rahaa huun main
jab haqiqat mein mar hi jaanaa hai

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

na jaane us ne khule aasmaan mein kyaa dekhaa
parinda phir se jahaan-e-qafas mein lauT aayaa

ijz-o-niyaaz apnaa apni taraf hai saaraa
is musht-e-khaak ko ham masjud jaante hain

tilaai rang jaanaan kaa agar mazmun likhun khat mein
to haala gird harfon ke bane sone ke paani kaa

aag to chaaron hi jaanib thi par achchhaa ye hai
hosh-mandi se kisi chiiz ko jalne na diyaa