paani thaa magar apne hi dariyaa se judaa thaa — Ateequllah

fazaa mein haath to uTThe the ek saath kai
kisi ke vaaste koi duaa na kartaa thaa

tum ne to faqat us ki rivaayat hi suni hai
ham ne vo zamaana bhi guzarte hue dekhaa

zaraa se rizq mein barkat bhi kitni hoti thi
aur ik charaagh se kitne charaagh jalte the

ye raah-e-talab yaaro gumraah bhi karti hai
saamaan usi kaa thaa jo be-sar-o-saamaan thaa

aaina aaina tairtaa koi aks
aur har khvaab mein dusraa khvaab hai

kuchh aur din abhi is jaa qayaam karnaa thaa
yahaan charaagh vahaan par sitaara dharnaa thaa

mujid jo nuur kaa hai vo meraa charaagh hai
parvaana huun main anjuman-e-kaaenaat kaa

tum agar chaaho to miTTi se abhi paidaa hon phuul
main agar maangun to dariyaa bhi na de paani mujhe

kahin na thaa vo dariyaa jis kaa saahil thaa main
aankh khuli to ik sahraa ke muqaabil thaa main

paani mein aks aur kisi aasmaan kaa hai
ye naav kaun si hai ye dariyaa kahaan kaa hai

nahin teraa nasheman qasr-e-sultaani ke gumbad par
tu shaahin hai baseraa kar pahaaDon ki chaTaanon mein

fitrat ko khirad ke ru-ba-ru kar
taskhir-e-maqaam-e-rang-o-bu kar