ikk aur paRaao aa puhuncha,

ikk aur paRaao aa puhuncha,
jeevan kay iss khuwaab safar ki aur ikk manzil khatam huwi
shaam-o-sehar kay bay-maa’ni taqveem kay thal mai
pphail rahi hay,
nisf sadi ki rait!
nisf sadi ki jalti rait pe chaaroN jaanib
naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bikhray hain
jis jis raah pe mai nikla hoon
aur jidhar say meri jaanib log chalay hain
rait pe sab ka haal likha hay,
rait kay iss sehra mai milay hain
kiya kiya nakhlistaan!
aur saraaboN kay saayoN mai kitni khaak uRi!
rait pe sab ehvaal likha hay
nisf sadi ki jalti rait pe
har lamhe ka haal likha hay

(2)
mujhe yaad hay
teri daastan-e-jamaal mai woh jo baab tha
meray zikar ka
jo warq warq mai thi roshni
woh jo ramz thi gul-e-harf mai
meri shoq ki, teray naaz ki

mujhe yaad hay - mujhe yaad hay
teray pairahan mai rachi huwi
woh mehak jo teray badan ki thi
meri jaan mai hay jo basi huwi

meri por por mai darj hain
woh jo harf teray sukhan kay thay
meray kunj-e-lab mai muqeem hain
woh jo rang tere badan kay thay

woh ajeeb say mah-o-saal thay
magar aik ‘assr-e-wisaal thay
kabhi abr thay, kabhi phool thay
kabhi titliyoon ki misaal thay

mujhe yaad hay - mujhe yaad hay
woh kalaam jo keh na dhal saka
kisi lafz mai
yeh jo harf harf parrha gaya
kisi aur baat kay zikr maiN
kisi aur cheez kay dhiyaan maiN
woh kitaab jo keh likhi gaee
teri khaamushi ki zubaan maiN
mujhe yaad hay, sar-e-raah-e-jaan
woh chiraagh sa, kisi aas ka
jissay aandhiyaaN na bujha sakeen
keh woh roshni ki asaas tha
woh jo pehlay pehlay visaal par
teri chashm-e-khush mai ravaaN huwa
tere hijr ki shab-e-taar mai
woi jugnu’on ka sa qaafla
meray raaston ka shareek tha
woh jo harf tu nay ‘ataa kiyay
meri zindagi ki kitaab ko
yeh tamaam rabt unhi say hay
unhi mausamoN ki tarang ka hay jamaal yeh
jo bahaar meray sukhan mai hay
unhi suhbatoN ki umang ka hay kamaal yeh
keh jo hosla sa thakan mai hay

(3)
gumaan-e-hasti mai wohi ik dhoop pphaili hay
baham deegar ulajhtay, pphailtay, bikhray sawaalon ki!
magar abr-e-yaqeen ka khushnuma saaya
na pehlay tha, na ab uss ki
koi aahaT,
kisi bhi simt say awaaz daiti hay
kisi ki chup sawaalon ko naey aghaaz daiti hay

samandar ki tehoN mai jo safeenay un-ginat sadyoN
say doobay hain
woh kis ko yaad kartay hain
jo paani unn kay malbay ka amaanat-daar thehra tha
unhay kaisay bulaata hay
hawa ujjray makaanoN kay dareechoN say guzarti hay
to kiya mehsoos karti hay!

azal kiya hay
agar wo hay to uss say qabal ki taqveem kaisi thi
abad kay jiss kinaaray ki taraf apnay taeen
ham sab ravaana hain
kahaan hay woh!
agar woh hay to uss kay baad ki tafheem kaisay ho!
buhut mumkin hay jo cheezain bazaahir bannay wali hain
kabhi ki ban chuki hoN
aur mustaqbil
faqat ik khuwaab ho jo khuwaab ki tajseem lagta hay!!

zameen ab tak hazaaron martaba
bass bass kay ujRi hay keh pehli baar
yeh iss khail ka kirdaar thehri hay?
yeh neela aasmaan
jo ik hasaar-e-bay-amaaN ki misl chaaron oar pphaila hay
agar ik ista’ara hay kisi bay-karani ka!
to phir iss musht-e-khaaki ki
bisaat-e-justuju kiya hay?
zameeN-zaadoN ki qismat mai agar mitti hi likhi thi?
to phir yeh hao-hoo kiya hay?

zameen ki baat nikli hay to yaad aaya
yeh jitnay faasle hain
aadmi aur aadmi kay darmiyaan
unn ki masaafat mai lahu jitna bhi bikhra hay
dil-e-aadam say nikla hay

yeh jitni sarhadain haiN
zoor-o-zar, rang-o-nasab, fazal-o-tamaddun ki
unhain khud aadmi nay apnay gird-a-gird khaincha hay
yeh jitnay tafriqay halaat kay paiRoN pe ugtay hain
sabhi ko iss chaman kay maaliyon nay aap saincha hay

hawas kay ik musalsal khuwaab ki ta’beer hay dunya
jisay taareekh kehtay hain
yeh kuch taaqat-waroN kay zulam kay qissoN ka malba hay
ghulaamoN aur kaneezoN kay kaheen bazaar lagtay hain
sagay baiton ki aankhon mai silaayan pphairi jaati hain
hawas mai takht-e-shaahi ki
baraadar aur baraadar-zaadgaaN dushman thehertay hain
khud anpay haath say gardan uRa daitay hain
uss ki bhi
keh jis ka khoon hotay hain
har aik rishtay ka halqa aik pal mai toot jaata hay
magar phir bhi
mo’arrakh - aman, sukh aur chayn likhta hay
(keh aakhir uss moarrakh ko bhi kuch din aur jeena tha)
darindoN say bharay jungle ki ikk tasveer hay dunya

makaanoN say bhari inn bastiyoon ko ghaur say daikha
to yeh keeRay makoRon ki
panaah-gaahon say bad-tar theeN
koi darvaaza khulta hay
to jaisay cheekh si koi fiza mai pphail jaati hay
galee koochoN mai chaltay hain to wehshat si chalti hay
karaahaiN,
qehqahoN ki goonj mai ameez hoti hain
to sab chehray
ajab bay-chehargi ka dil-shikan manzar banaate hain
kisi pehchaan ki dhun mai
yeh jab a’daad ki soorat mai dhaltay hain
na inn kay naam rehtay hain, na inn kay naqsh bantay hain
shikam ki bhook ki khaatir badan neelam hotay hain
aur uss kay baad roohoN tak yeh qabza pphail jaata hay
phir aisi raat paRti hay
keh aankhon mai sehar to kiya
sehar kay khuwaab tak baaqi nahi rehtay

(4)
meri umr kay yeh mah-o-saal to iss
fishaar-e-zamaaN kay
karaaN-ta-karaaN pphailtay dasht main
rait kay chand zarron ki maanind hain jo
fana kay bagoloN mai urr jaeyn gay
(khaak ban kar hawa mai bikhar jaaeyn gay)
magar yeh zamana - sadi beesveen!
jis kay jaatay dinoN kay gawaahon mai ham hain
issay daikhtay hain
to iss ki nigaahain javaaban palat kar hamay daikhti hain
keh jaisi yeh kehti hon,
“ay ahl-e-dunya
tumhain yeh khabar hay
keh kin kin sitaaron nay kab kab guzarna hay
baam-e-falak say!
aur aainda barson mai kiya kehkashaaeyn
tumhaari kamandoN kay halqay mai hon gi
tari aur khushki pe jo kuch numaaya hay
iss kay ilaava, tumhari machine-ain
tehoN ki haqiqat ko bhi jaanti hain
meray so baras mai
tumhaari rasaai mai woh kuch bhi aaya
keh jiss ka tasavvur bhi mumkin nahi tha
meri aasteenoN mai woh hairatain hain
keh laakhoN baras mai bhi yakja na hongi
magar yeh bataao keh iss saari bak bak mai
tum ko kiya mila?
tumhaaray dukhon mai koi kami aaee!
sulagti huwi bay-amaaN bastiyon ko
kaheen say muyassar nami aaee?

(5)
jo koi daikhay to sab tamaasha
hamari aankhon kay saamnay hay
yeh woh haqiqat hay
jis ko chhu kar parakh bhi saktay hain
aur jis ki
sadaaqaton say mufarr nahin hay

magar na dil ko yaqeen aaey
magar na dil ko yaqeen aaey
keh aik jaanib issi zameen par karoRoN insaaN mar rahay hain
shikam kay dozakh nay unn ko apni ‘talab’ ka eendhan bana liya hay
aur uss taraf yeh muheeb manzar
jo rizq un ko nahi muyassar
ussay jahaazoN mai bhar kay zaalim samanderon mai baha rahay hain
bata raay hain
keh iss ki bazaar ki ‘rasad’ say ‘talab’ ka meezaan kharaab ho ga
baras kay aakhir mai jab kitaabain close hongi, hisaab ho ga
to iss mai hindsoN ki sirf hindson ki baat ho gi
keh saaray ledger faqat dimaaghon ko jaantay hain
kisi bhi khaanay ki roshnaai mai dil nahi hay

(6)
jeevan kay iss khuaab safar mai chaltay chaltay
aankhain thakti jaati hain
kitni baatain, ik doojay mai gadmad ho kar
kiya kiya roop dikhaati hain
nisf sadi ka qissa ik arzhang ki soorat khulta hay
tasveerain banti jaati hain
ab tak jo kuch beet chuka
aur jo kuch honay wala hay
jeevan kay iss khuwaab safar ka
yeh din aik hawaala hay

ay dil, aa, iss pul par ruk kar
thorri dair araam karain
jis nay yeh ‘waqt’ banaya hay
ye lamhay uss kay naam karain.

AMJAD ISLAM AMJAD