bahr-e-hasti men sohbat-e-ahbab
yuun hai jaise baru-e-ab-e-habab
gardish-e-asman men ham kya hain
par-e-kahe miyana-e-gardab
bada-e-nab kya hai ḳhun-e-jigar
zardi-e-rang hai shab-e-mahtab
jis ko raqs-o-surud kahte hain
vo bhi hai ik hava-e-ḳhana-ḳharab
umr kahte hain jis ko vo kya hai
misl-e-tahrir mauj-e-naqsh-bar-ab
jism kya ruuh ki hai jaula-nigah
ruuh kya ik savar-e-pa-ba-rikab
husn aur ishq kya hain ye bhi hain
ḳhatfa-e-barq-o-qatra-e-simab
zindagani-o-marg bhi kya hain
ek misl-e-ḳhayal-o-digar-e-ḳhvab
fursat-e-umr qatra-e-shabnam
vasl-e-mahbub gauhar-e-nayab
kyuun na ishrat do-chand ho jo hai
yaar mah-chehra aur shab-e-mahtab
sab kitabon ke khul gae maani
jab se dekhi ‘nazir’ dil ki kitab