tumhara shahr tumhare badan ki khushbu se
mahak raha thaa, har ik baam tum se raushan tha
hava tumhari tarah har ravish pe chalti thi
tumhare honton se hansti thiin narm-lab kaliyan
ata hui thi sahar ko tumhari sim-tani
mili thi shaam o shafaq ko tumhari gul-badani
tumhara naam tasavvur bhi thaa, takhayyul bhi
yaqin bhii, shauq bhii, ummid bhii, tamanna bhi
saji thi zulf-e-javan aarzu ke phulon se
umid-var the har samt ashiqon ke giroh
magar ye kya hai ki har kucha aaj viran hai
gali gali men hain faulad-pa siyah ifrit
chaman chaman men sadi laash ka taaffun hai
havaen garm hain barud ka andhera hai
khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai
tumhara shahr, tumhare badan ki khushbu ko
taras raha hai, har ik baam tira-e-saman hai
na raushni hai, na nikhat, na naghma hai, na nava
har ik ravish pe hava chal rahi hai nauha-kunan
sahar ki gul-badani hai lahu ka pairahan
na shaam hai na sahar sirf ik siyah kafan
tumhare shahr ki uryaniyon ko dhanpta hai
khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai
vo ik julus sa ik mod par nazar aaya
koi aziim janaza guzarne vaala hai
hava men nala-o-fariyad ki hai kaifiyat
har ek aankh men ansu, har ek hont pe aah
dilon ka nauha-e-gham siskiyon men dhalta hai
vo dard hai ki koi khul ke ro nahin sakta
magar janaza kahin bhi nazar nahin aata
kafan-farosh bhi hain, gorkan bhi hain lekin
koi bata nahin sakta ki kis ki mayyat hai
koi bata nahin sakta kidhar gaya tabut
koi bata nahin sakta kahan hai qabristan
chalo qarib se dekhen ye bad-nasib hain kaun
clerk hain jo abhi daftaron se nikle hain
tamam ek si shaklen hain hindison ki tarah
kisan hain jo abhi ketiyon se palte hain
nikal ke aae hain mazdur kar-khanon se
aur un ki pusht pe afsurda kholiyon ki qatar
suron pe udte dhuen ke siyah-rang alam
barhana bachchon ke rone ki dardnak sada
julus-e-gham hai janaza ba-dosh chalta hai
magar janaza kidhar hai nazar nahin aata
khabar nahin ki yahan se kidhar ko jaana hai