Zindagi

aaj andhera miri nas nas men utar jaega

ankhen bujh jaengi bujh jaenge ehsas o shuur

aur ye sadiyon se jalta sa sulagta sa vajud

is se pahle ki sahar mathe pe shabnam chhidke

is se pahle ki miri beti ke vo phuul se haath

garm rukhsar ko thandak bakhshen

is se pahle ki mire bete ka mazbut badan

tan-e-mafluj men shakti bhar de

is se pahle ki miri biivi ke hont

mere honton ki tapish pi jaaen

raakh ho jaega jalte jalte

aur phir raakh bikhar jaegi

zindagi kahne ko be-maya sahi

gham ka sarmaya sahi

main ne is ke liye kya kya na kiya

kabhi asani se ik saans bhi yamraj ko apna na diya

aaj se pahle bahut pahle

isi angan men

dhup-bhare daman men

main khada tha mire talvon se dhuan uthta tha

ek be-nam sa be-rang sa khauf

kachche ehsas pe chhaya tha ki jal jaunga

main pighal jaunga

aur pighal kar mira kamzor sa ”main”

qatra qatra mire mathe se tapak jaega

ro raha tha magar ashkon ke baghair

chikhta tha magar avaz na thi

maut lahrati thi sau shaklon men

main ne har shakl ko ghabra ke khuda maan liya

kaat ke rakh diye sandal ke pur-asrar darakht

aur patthar se nikala shoala

aur raushan kiya apne se bada ek alaav

janvar zabh kiye itne ki khuun ki lahren

paanv se uth ke kamar tak aaiin

aur kamar se mire sar tak aaiin

som-ras main ne piya

raat din raqs kiya

nachte nachte talve mire khuun dene lage

mire aaza ki thakan

ban gai kanpte honton pe bhajan

haddiyan meri chatakhne lagin indhan ki tarah

mantar honton se tapakne lage roghan ki tarah

”agni maata miri agni maata

sukhi lakdi ke ye bhari kunde

jo tiri bhent ko le aaya huun

un ko svikar kar aur aise dhadhak

ki machalte shoale khinch len josh men

suraj ki sunahri zulfen

aag men aag mile

jo amar kar de mujhe

aisa koi raag mile”

agni maan se bhi na jiine ki sanad jab paai

zindagi ke nae imkan ne li angdai

aur kanon men kahin duur se avaz aai

buddham sharadam gachhami

dhammam sharadam gacchami

sangham sharadam gacchami

chaar abru ka safaya kar ke

be-sile vastr se dhanpa ye badan

ponchh ke patni ke mathe se damakti bindiya

sote bachchon ko bina pyaar kiye

chal pada haath men kashkol liye

chahta tha kahin bhiksha hi men jivan mil jaae

jo kabhi band na ho dil ko vo dhadkan mil jaae

mujh ko bhiksha men magar zahr mila

hont tharrane lage jaise kare koi gila

jhuk ke suuli se usi vaqt kisi ne ye kaha

tere ik gaal pe jis pal koi thappad maare

dusra gaal bhi aage kar de

teri duniya men bahut hinsa hai

us ke siine men ahinsa bhar de

ki ye jiine ka tariqa bhi hai andaz bhi hai

teri avaz bhi hai meri avaz bhi hai

main utha jis ko ahinsa ka sabaq sikhlane

mujh ko latka diya suuli pe usi duniya ne

aa raha tha main kai kuchon se thokar kha kar

ek avaz ne roka mujh ko

kisi minar se niche aa kar

allahu-akbar allahu-akbar

hua dil ko ye guman

ki ye pur-josh azaan

maut se degi amaan

phir to pahuncha main jahan

main ne dohrai kuchh aise ye azaan

guunj utha saara jahan

allahu-akbar allahu-akbar

isi avaz men ik aur bhi gunja elaan

kullo-man-alaiha-fan

ik taraf dhal gaya khurshid-e-jahan-tab ka sar

hua falij ka asar

phat gai nas koi shiryanon men khuun jam sa gaya

ho gaya zakhmi dimagh

aisa lagta tha ki bujh jaega jalta hai jo sadiyon se charagh

aaj andhera miri nas nas men utar jaega

ye samundar jo badi der se tufani tha

aisa tadpa ki mire kamre ke andar aaya

aate aate vo mire vaste amrit laaya

aur lahra ke kaha

shiv ne ye bhejvaya hai lo piyo aur

aaj shiv ilm hai amrit hai amal

ab vo asan hai jo dushvar tha kal

raat jo maut ka paigham liye aai thi

biivi bachchon ne mire

us ko khidki se pare phenk diya

aur jo vo zahr ka ik jaam liye aai thi

us ne vo khud hi piya

subh utri jo samundar men nahane ke liye

raat ki laash mili paani men