jaanvar aadmi farishta khudaa — Altaf Hussain Hali

ek raushan dimaagh thaa na rahaa
shahar mein ik charaagh thaa na rahaa

aa rahi hai chaah-e-yusuf se sadaa
dost yaan thoDe hain aur bhaai bahut

ham ne avval se paDhi hai ye kitaab aakhir tak
ham se puchhe koi hoti hai mohabbat kaisi

gul-o-gulchin kaa gila bulbul-e-khush-lahja na kar
tu giraftaar hui apni sadaa ke baais

ronaa hai ye ki aap bhi hanste the varna yaan
taan-e-raqib dil pe kuchh aisaa giraan na thaa

farishte se baDh kar hai insaan bannaa
magar is mein lagti hai mehnat ziyaada

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

jism-e-aazaadi mein phunki tu ne majburi ki ruuh
khair jo chaahaa kiyaa ab ye bataa ham kyaa karein

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

umr bhar kaun nibhaataa hai ta'alluq itnaa
ai miri jaan ke dushman tujhe allaah rakkhe

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