zaraa sii baat pe har rasm to.D aayaa thaa
dil-e-tabaah ne bhii kyaa mizaaj paayaa thaa 

[mizaaj = temperament/nature]

muaaf kar naa sakii merii zindagii mujh ko
vo ek lamhaa ki mai.n tujh se tang aayaa thaa 

[muaaf = forgive]

shaguftaa phuul simaT kar kalii bane jaise
kuchh is tarah se tuune badan churaayaa thaa 

guzar gayaa hai ko_ii lamhaa-e-sharar kii tarah
abhii to mai.n use pahachaan bhii na paayaa thaa 

pataa nahii.n ki mere baad un pe kyaa guzarii
mai.n chand Khvaab zamaane me.n chho.D aayaa thaa 

zamaanaa aaj nahii.n Dagamagaa ke chalane kaa
sambhal bhii jaa ki abhii vaqt hai sambhalane kaa

bahaar aaye chalii jaaye phir chalii aaye
magar ye dard kaa mausam nahii.n badalane kaa

ye Thiik hai ki sitaaro.n pe ghuum aaye hai.n
magar kise hai saliqaa zamii.n pe chalane kaa

phire hai.n raato.n ko aavaaraa ham to dekhaa hai
galii galii me.n samaa.N chaa.Nd ke nikalane kaa

tamaam nashaa-e-hastii tamaam kaif-e-vajuud
vo ik lamhaa tere jism ke pighalane kaa

tamaan umr azaabo.n kaa silasilaa to rahaa
ye kam nahii.n hame.n jiine kaa hausalaa to rahaa

guzar hii aaye kisii tarah tere diivaane
qadam qaadam pe koii saKht marhalaa to rahaa

chalo na ishq hii jiitaa na aql haar sakii
tamaam vaqt maze kaa muqaabalaa to rahaa

mai.n terii zaat me.n gum ho sakaa na tuu mujh me.n
bahut qariib the ham phir bhii faasalaa to rahaa

ye aur baat ki har chhe.D laa_ubaalii thii
terii nazar kaa dilo.n se mu_aamalaa to rahaa

[laa_ubaalii=without enthusiasm]

bahut hasii.n sahii wazae-ehatiyaat terii
merii havas ko tere pyaar se gilaa to rahaa

subah kii aas kisii lamhe jo ghaT jaatii hai
zindagii saham ke Khvaabo.n se lipaT jaatii hai

[aas=hope; lamhe=moment; saham=scared]

shaam Dhalate hii teraa dard chamak uThataa hai
tiiragii duur talak raat kii chhaT jaatii hai

[tiiragii=darkness]

barf siino.n kii na pighale to yahii ruud-e-hayaat
juu-e-kam-aab kii maani.nd simaT jaatii hai

[ruud-e-hayaat=river of life; juu-e-kam-aab=stream with little water]

aahaTe.n kaun sii Khvaabo.n me.n basii hai jaane
aaj bhii raat gaye nii.nd uchaT jaatii hai

haa.N Khabar-daar ki ik laGzish-e-paa se bhii kabhii
saarii taariiKh kii raftaar palaT jaatii hai

sub_h ke dard ko raato.n kii jalan ko bhuule.n
kisake ghar jaaye.N ki us vaadaa-shikan ko bhuule.n

aaj tak choT dabaaye nahii.n dabatii dil kii
kis tarah us sanam-e-sang_badan ko bhuule.n

ab sivaa isake madaavaa-e-Gam-e-dil kyaa hai
itanii pii jaaye.N ki har ra.nj-o-mehan ko bhuule.n

[mehan=sorrow]

aur tahaziib-e-gam-e-ishq nibaah de kuchh din
aaKhirii vaqt me.n kyaa apane chalan ko bhuule.n

sau chaa.Nd bhii chamake.nge to kyaa baat banegii
tum aaye to is raat kii auqaat banegii

un se yahii kah aaye ki ham ab na mile.nge
aaKhir ko_ii taqariib-e-mulaaqaat banegii

ye ham se na hogaa ki kisii ek ko chaahe.n
ai ishq! hamaarii na tere saath banegii

hairat kadaa-e-husn kahaa.N hai abhii duniyaa
kuchh aur nikhar le to tilismaat banegii

ye kyaa ke ba.Dhate chalo ba.Dhate chalo aage
jab baiTh ke soche.nge to kuchh baat banegii

rahii hai daad talab unakii shoKhiyaa.N hamase
adaa shanaas to bahut hai.n magar kahaa.N hamase

sunaa diye the kabhii kuchh galat-salat qisse
vo aaj tak hai.n usii tarah badagumaa.N hamase

ye ku.nj kyuu.N naa ziaarat gahe muhabbat ho
mile the vo i.nhii.n pe.Do.n ke darmiyaa.N hamase

hamii.n ko fursat-e-nazzaaragii nahii.n varanaa
ishaare aaj bhii karatii hai.n khi.Dakiyaa.N hamase

har ek raat nashe me.n tere badan kaa Khayaal
naa jaane TuuT gaii kai suraahiyaa.N hamase

mauj-e-gul, mauj-e-sabaa, mauj-e-sahar lagatii hai
sar se paa tak vo samaa.N hai ki nazar lagatii hai

hamane har gaam sajdo.n e jalaaye hai.n chiraaG
ab terii raahaguzar raahaguzar lagatii hai

lamhe lamhe basii hai terii yaado.n kii mahak
aaj kii raat to Khushbuu kaa safar lagatii hai

jal gayaa apanaa nasheman to koii baat nahii.n
dekhanaa ye hai ki ab aag kidhar lagatii hai

saarii duniyaa me.n Gariibo.n kaa lahuu bahataa hai
har zamii.n mujhako mere Khuun se tar lagatii hai

vaaqyaa shahar me.n kal to koii aisaa na huaa
ye to "Akhtar" ke daftar kii Khabar lagatii ha

kaun kahataa hai tujhe mai.n ne bhulaa rakhaa hai
terii yaado.n ko kaleje se lagaa rakhaa hai

lab pe aahe.n bhii nahii.n aa.Nkh me.n aa.Nsuu bhii nahii.n
dil ne har raaz muhabbat kaa chhupaa rakhaa hai

tuune jo dil ke a.ndhere me.n jalaayaa thaa kabhii
vo diyaa aaj bhii siine me.n jalaa rakhaa hai

dekh jaa aake mahakate huye zaKhmo.n kii bahaar
mai.n ne ab tak tere gulashan ko sajaa rakhaa hai