Safar meiN hooN

Safar meiN hooN aur ruka kharha hooN

maiN charooN simt meiN chal raha hooN magar kahaN hooN

waheeN— jahaN surkh roshnaii ka eik qatra

kissi qalam ki kaseef nib sey gir para hai!

MaiN khud bhi shayed kissi qalam se gira howa aik surkh qarta hooN

zindgi ki jabeeN per chamakti bindiya si ban gaya hooN

magar maiN bindiya naheen hooN, shayed ke woh to taqdees ka nishaaN hai

dilooN ke dhagooN ki ik girah hai

girah jo sadiyooN meiN bananey waley rishtooN ki aashram hai

jo aaney wali tarrapti sadiyooN ki ibteda hai

girah jo junction hai patrriyooN ka, musafirooN ka

nayi naveeli rafakatooN ka, muhabbatooN ka, aaziyatooN ka

magar maiN tanha hooN — bekaraaN wussatooN meiN tanha

safaid mazi, safaid farda, safaid yeh lamha-e-ibadat

ke jis meiN koyi naheen ibarat

safaid mathey pe surkh dhabba hooN

ibteda, inteha ke dhagooN se kat chuka hooN

maiN surkh dhabba hooN

kapkapatey lateef aksooN ka silsila hooN

tamaam chehrey jo tery ander se jhanktey haiN

mery hi chehrey ki jhalkiyaaN haiN

mery hi seeney ki dharhkaneeN haiN

yeh taiz rangooN ke tund darya

jo dukh ke koh-e-garaaN se ris kar

zameeN ki banjar, udaas saltanat ko chhuu kar is aik be-ant surkh nuqtey ke behr-e-zulmaat meiN girey haiN

mery hi benaam dast-o-paa haiN!

yeh jugmagati si kehkashaaeeN jo ibteda se

khuda ki qudrat meiN qaid, bahir ko urh rahi haiN

girheN bani haiN

waheeN kharhi haiN

waheeN, jahan surkh roshnaii ka eik qatra

kissi qalam ki kaseef nib se gir para hai

woh eik qatra jo mera dil hai

jo mery aksooN ka silsila hai

jo mery honey se surhruu hai

jo meri paabasta aarzoo hai!

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