Rah-e-farar

idhar se na jao

idhar rah mein ek buDha khaDa hai

jo peshaniyon aur chehron

pe aisi bhabhut ek mal dega sab jhurriyan phaT paDengi

siyah, mar jaise, chamakte hue kale baalon

pe aisi sapidi umanD aaegi kuchh tadaruk nahin jis ka koi

koi rasta aur DhunDo

ki is pir-e-fartut ki tez nazron se bach kar

nikal jaen aur is ki zad mein na aaen kabhi hum

idhar se na jao

idhar main ne ek shaKHs ko jate dekha hai aksar

jawanon ko jo rah mein rok leta hai un se

wahin baaten karta hai mil kar

jo suqraat karta tha yunan ke manchalon se

yaqinan use ek din zahr pina paDega

idhar se na jao

idhar raushni hai

kahin aao chhup jaen jakar tamam aafaton se

mujhe ek tah-KHana malum hai KHushnuma sa

jo shahan-e-dehli ne banwaya tha is gharaz se

ki abdaliyon, nadiri fauj ki dastaras se

bachen aur baiThe rahen sare hangamon ki zad se haT kar

ye dar-asl miras hai aap ki meri sab ki

salatin-e-dehli se pahle kisi aur ne is ki buniyaad rakkhi thi lekin

wo ab qabl-e-tariKH ki baat hai kaun jaane

idhar se na jao

idhar shah-nadir nahin aaj koi bhi lekin

wahi qatl-e-am aaj bhi ho raha hai

ye miras hai aap ki meri sab ki

ye saughat bairuni hakim hamein de gae hain

chalo samne ke andhere mein ghus kar

utar jaen tah-KHane ki KHamushi mein

ye sab khiDkiyan band kar den

koi chiKHne bain karne ki aawaz hum tak na aae

koi KHun ki chhinT daman pe aakar na baiThe

kabhi tum ne ganja piya hai?

koi bhang ka shauq, koi jaDi-buTi khai

na koken afyun kuchh bhi

kabhi koi nashsha nahin tum ne chakkha

na aghlam-e-amrd-parasti se rishta raha hai

koi tajraba bhi nahin zindagi ka?

fasadat dekhe the taqsim ke waqt tum ne

hawa mein uchhalte hue DanThalon ki tarah shir-KHwaron ko dekha tha kaTte

aur pistan-burida jawan laDkiyan tum ne dekhi thin kya bain karte?

nahin ye to nashsha nahin tajraba bhi nahin aisa koi

ye ek saneha hai

faramosh-gari ka ehsan mano

ye sab kal ki baaten hain, bosida baaten

jinhen bhul jaana behtar

faramosh-gari bhi

ek neamat-e-be-baha hai

idhar se na jao

koi rah mein rok lega

naya koi KHatra naya masala koi jis ko

na socha na samjha na ehsas hai jis ka ab tak

koi aisi surat nikalo

ye sab aafaten apna daman na pakDen

koi aur rah-e-farar aisi DhunDo

ki hum zindagi ke jahannam ko jannat samajh len!