sabz-o-shadab sahil
ret ke aur paani ke giit
muskurate samundar ka sayyal chehra
chand suraj ke tukde
lakhon aine maujon men bikhre hue
kashtiyan badbanon ke anchal men apne saron ko chhupae hue
jaal niile samundar men Duube hue
khaak par sukhti machhliyan
ghatnen pattharon ki vo tarshi hui muraten
elephanta ke gharon se jo raqs karti nikal aai hain
raten ankhon men jaadu ka kajal lagae hue
shamen niili hava ki nami men nahai hui
subhen shabnam ke barik malbus pahne hue
khvab-alud kohsar ke silsile
jangalon ke ghane saae
mitti ki khushbu
mahakti hui konplen
pattharon ki chattanen
apni banhon ko bahr-e-arab men samete hue
vo chatanon pe rakkhe hue unche unche mahl
chikni divaron par
qatl, gharat-gari, buzdili, nafaa-khori ki parchhaiyan
reshmi sariyan
makhmalin jism, zahrile nakhunon ki billiyan
khuun ki pyaas khadi ke pairahanon men
jagmagate hue qumqume, park, baghat aur museum
sang-e-marmar ke but, dhaat ke aadmi
sard o sangin azmat ke paikar
ankhen be-nur, lab be-sada, haath be-jan
hind ki bebasi aur mahkumi ki yadgaren
saikdon saal ke garm atish-kade
zar o sandal ki aag
ud-o-ambar ke shole
”chalen” iflas ki gard, tarikiyan
gandagi aur ufunat
ghure sadte hue
rahguzaron pe sote hue aadmi
taat par, aur kaghaz ke tukdon pe phaile hue jism, sukhe hue haath
zakhm ki astinon se nikli hui haDDiyan
kodhiyon ke hujum
”kholiyan” jaise andhe kuen
garm sinon, mohabbat ki godon se mahrum bachche
bakriyon ki tarah rassiyon se bandhe
un ki maaen abhi kar-khanon se vapas nahin aai hain
chimniyan bhutniyon ki tarah baal khole hue
kar-khane garajte hue
khuun ki aur pasine ki bu men sharabor
khuun sarmaya-dari ke nalon men bahta hua
bhattiyon men ubalta hua
sard sikkon ki surat men jamta hua
sone chandi men tabdil hota hua
bank ki khidkiyon men charaghan
sadken din raat chalti hui
saans leti hui
aadmi khvahishon ke andhere nashebon men sailab ki tarah bahte hue
chor-bazar, satta, juari
race ke ghode, sarkar ke mantari
cinema, ladkiyan, actor, maskhare
ek ik chiiz bikti hui
gajaren, muliyan, kakdiyan
jism aur zehn aur shaeri
ilm, hikmat, siyasat
ankhdiyon aur honton ke nilam-ghar
arizon ki dukanen
bazuon aur sinon ke bazar
pinDliyon aur ranon ke godam
desh-bhagti ke dalal khadi ke byopari
aql, insaf, pakizgi, aur sadaqat ke tajir
ye hai hindostan ki urusul-bilad
sar-zamin-e-dakan ki dulhan bambai
ek jannat jahannam ki aghosh men
ya ise yuun kahun
ek dozakh hai firdaus ki god men
ye mira shahr hai
go mira jism is khak-dan se nahin
meri mitti yahan se bahut duur ganga ke paani se gundhi gai hai
mere dil men himala ke phulon ki khushbu basi hai
phir bhi ai bambai tu mira shahr hai
tere baghat men meri yadon ke kitne hi ram-khurda aahu
main ne tere pahadon ki thanDi hava khaai hai
teri shaffaf jhilon ka paani piya hai
tere sahil ki hansti hui sipiyan mujh ko pahchanti hain
nariyal ke darakhton ki lambi qataren
tere niile samundar ke tufan aur qahqahe
tere dilkash mazafat ke sabza-zaron ki khamoshiyan
rangaten, nikhaten, sab mujhe janti hain
is jagah mere khvabon ko ankhen milin
aur meri mohabbat ke boson ne apne hasin hont hasil kiye
bambai
tere siine men sarmae ka zahr bhi
inqalab aur baghavat ka tiryaq bhi
tere pahlu men faulad ka qalb hai
teri nabzon men mazdur o mallah ka khuun hai
teri aghosh men kar-khanon ki duniya basi hai
sevri, lal-bagh aur parel
aur yahan tere bete tiri betiyan
in ki dikhti hui ungliyan
suut ke ek ik taar se
mulk ke qatilon ka kafan bun rahi hain