Tezab, Aakar KHushbu Ka

nibu pahaDi ke daman mein

ek ganw hai

'madraban'

jahan mein paida hua tha

(mera nam mohamad-faruq hai)

meri man seb ki tarah surKH aur miThi thi

gulab ki tarah komal aur moattar

wo KHushbu ka aakar thi

lagi lipTi chhal-kapaT jhuT

ye lafz us ne sune to the

aazmae nahin the

dohrae nahin the

radio se nizar-qabani ka qasida-e-mutawahashshiya nashr hota hai

ya koi mughanni kalidas ka ritu-samhaar sunata

to wo phuT phuT kar roti

main puchhta rone ka karan

to kahti

dewtaon ki in zabanon mein

jadu ka asar hai

in mein saty ki disha

aur siraat-al-mustaqim ki nishan-dahi hai

main bar-ha us ki sadgi par ro deta

mera bap danton mein dynamite dabae

ungliyon ke poron mein tezab ke ban ugata hai

aur pile murda mariyal kaghaz ke chehre par

lahu ke phul kaDhta hai

KHud se alag ho kar KHud par miT kar

apni jaedad se pyar karne lagta hai

wo aaTh jahazon ka malik hai

jo us ne waqt ke samundar ke paniyon par utar diye hain

aur KHud ek control-room mein baiTh kar

un ki harkat ka tayyun karta hai

main bhi us ka ek jahaz hun

patthar chabana, palkon ki jhaDiyon par sidra ugana

subh-sawere masjid ke darwaze par KHuda se

aankhen chura kar guzar jaana

aur KHuda ke mahbub par farefta ho kar

KHuda se raqabat banT lena

us ki ada ban gaya hai

main surKH miThe seb aur tezab ke isi

imtizaj ki paida-war hun

main kaun hun