dekho us ne qadam qadam par saath diya begane ka
‘aḳhtar’ jis ne ahd kiya tha tum se saath nibhane ka
aaj hamare qadmon men hai kahkashan shahr-e-mahtab
kal tak log kaha karte the ḳhvab use divane ka
tere lab-o-ruḳhsar ke qisse tere qad-o-gesu ki baat
saman ham bhi rakhte hain tanhai men dil bahlane ka
tum bhi sunte to ro dete ham bhi kahte to rote
jaan ke ham ne chhoḌ diya hai ik hissa afsane ka
kuchh to hai jo apnaya hai ham ne ku-e-malamat ko
vaise aur tariqa bhi tha ‘aḳhtar’ dil bahlane ka