ai dil-e-zar likho janib-e-janan kaghaz
haal ka likhte hain fuqara su-e-sultan kaghaz
marjaa-e-gabr-o-musalman hai vo but nam-e-ḳhuda
bhejte hain use hindu o musalman kaghaz
un ka mazmun bhi albatta huvaida hoga
ab jo aane lage us shoḳh ko pinhan kaghaz
haif hai sub.h-e-vatan se na hua varid-e-vaqt
hech gaahe ba-sar-e-sham-e-ghariban kaghaz
kisi ka bhi na javab aaya hamen ghurbat men
laakh ham likhe vatan ko su-e-yaran kaghaz
vasf afshan ka hai kis sim-badan ke likhna
kaghzi ham ko hai darkar zar-afshan kaghaz
is qadar ham ne giran kar diye likh likh ke kise
varna kis martaba the shahr men arzan kaghaz
likhte ham to ḳhat-e-mahbub ko har dam nau-ḳhat
likhne dete jo hamen dida-e-giryan kaghaz
mujh se divane ko kya ḳhat vo pari-zad likhe
likhte albatta hain insan su-e-insan kaghaz
bhejta huun main kisi rashk-e-gulistan ki taraf
mera pahunchae magar murgh-e-gulistan kaghaz
bhejta huun main kisi sani-e-bilqis ke saub
mera le jaae magar murgh-e-sulaiman kaghaz
kya magar bhuul gae bais-e-jamiyyat-e-ḳhvesh
ham ko bheje na adam se jo azizan kaghaz
kahte hain nisf mulaqat hai maktub bhi yaar
kabhi likkho to su-e-matam-e-nalan kaghaz