ye qudsiyon ki zamin
jahan falsafi ne dekha thaa, apne khvab-e-sahar-gahi men
hava-e-taza o kisht-e-shadab o chashma-e-janfaroz ki aarzu ka partav
yahin musafir pahunch ke ab sochne laga hai:
”vo khvab-e-kabus to nahin thaa?
vo khvab-e-kabus to nahin thaa?
ai falsafa-go,
kahan vo ruya-e-asmani?
kahan ye namrud ki khudai!
tu jaal bunta raha hai jin ke shikasta taron se apne mauhum falsafe ke
ham us yaqin se, ham us amal se, ham us mohabbat se,
aaj mayus ho chuke hain,
koi ye kis se kahe ki akhir
gavah kis adl-e-be-baha ke the ahd-e-tatar ke kharabe?
ajam, vo marz-e-tilism-o-rang-o-khayal-o-naghma
arab, vo iqlim-e-shir-o-shahd-o-sharab-o-khurma
faqat navasanj the dar-o-bam ke ziyan ke,
jo un pe guzri thi
us se bad-tar dinon ke ham said-e-na-tavan hain!
koi ye kis se kahe:
dar-o-bam,
aahan o chob o sang o siman ke
husn-e-paivand ka fusun the
bikhar gaya vo fusun to kya gham?
aur aise paivand se umid-e-vafa kise thii!
shikast-e-mina o jam-e-bar-haq,
shikast-e-rang-e-azar-e-mahbub bhi gavara
magar yahan to khandar dilon ke,
(ye nau-e-insan ki
kahkashan se buland-o-bartar talab ke ujde hue madain-)
shikast-e-ahang-e-harf-o-maani ke nauhagar hain,