poetry of Ahmed Faraz
Raat yun dil mein teri khoi hui yaad aayi,
Jaise veeraney mein chupke se bahaar aayi.
Tum takalluf ko bhi ikhlaas samajhte ho ‘Faraz’,
Dost hota nahi har haath milane wala.
Tumhe kitna chaahte hain, yeh kabhi socha nahi,
Tum se mil kar tumse bichhadna bhi zaroori tha.
Jo chahte hain dil se, vo kabhi milte nahi,
Zindagi guzar jaati hai, bas intezaar mein.
Yeh jo hum hain, sab kuch kho chuke hain,
Aur tum ab bhi khush ho apni jeet par.
Us ne khud apni judai ka sabab poocha tha,
Main ne dariya ke kinare pe khade mar diya.
Kitna be-meher hai yeh dil, jo har baar tujhe chahta hai,
Tujh se door rehkar bhi, bas teri hi raah takta hai.
Main hoon aur kuch iss tarah ki tanhaai hai,
Waqt ke har qadam pe teri yaad aayi hai.
Dil se teri yaad ko juda to nahi kiya,
Rakh diya kahin aur, khoya to nahi kiya.
Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayein hum dono,
Na tum mujh ko pehchano, na main tumhein jaanoon.
Zindagi se yeh gila hai mujh ko,
Tu itna kyun khaas hai mere liye.
Mohabbat mein jo kami thi, teri yaadon ne puri kar di,
Ab main tanha nahi hoon, tu mere saath hai.
Har qadam par raat hai, har mod par andhera hai,
Teri yaad ka diya ab bhi mere dil mein jalta hai.
Dil ki khushbu ko tu mehsoos kar ke dekh,
Waqt ki dhun mein tu iss ko bhool na jaana.
Tere ishq mein yeh haal hai dil ka,
Har soorat mein bas tu hi nazar aata hai.
Tumhein bhool jaana chaaha tha, lekin,
Yeh chaahat bhi adhoori reh gayi.
Raaste jo kabhi humne milkar chune the,
Aaj wo raaste tanhaaiyon mein dhal gaye.
Jis raah pe chala hoon, ab wahan se waapas nahi aata,
Kya fayda us raah ka, jo sirf teri taraf le jaata hai.
Zindagi teri yaadon ke saaye mein guzarti hai,
Tere bina yeh raat bhi tanhaai ki dastak deti hai.
Aankhon se door, magar dil ke paas ho tum,
Tanhaaiyon mein bas teri yaad ka raaz ho tum.
Na tu aya na teri yaad ki barsaat hui,
Bas yunhi khamoshi ki shab baras gayi.
Dil se dil ka rishta yun hi nahi toot jaata,
Tere bina meri duniya kaise chalti hai.
Tumse milna to ek khwab tha,
Jo aaj tak pura nahi hua.
Woh aaya to sapne dikha kar chala gaya,
Aur main khud ko kho kar, us mein bas gaya.
Ab to dil ka har ahsaas tujh se hai juda,
Lekin yaadon mein ab tak tera nishaan hai basa.
Hum ko to har qadam teri yaad hai,
Dil ke har kona mein tera hi ek zikr hai.
Tere bina yeh dil akela hai,
Har lamha bas tujh ko chahta hai.
Us ka milna bhi sirf ek khwaab tha,
Jo toot gaya, aur hum tanha rahe.
Main phir se teri yaadon mein kho gaya,
Jo kabhi mera tha, vo sapna ho gaya.
Chhupaya hai tujhe dil ki gehraiyon mein,
Wahan se tu kabhi door nahi hota.
Dil ne jo baat kahi, vo kabhi kisi ne na suni,
Aur hum yunhi khamosh rahe apni kahani ke saath.
Tere saath guzaare lamhon ko yaad karta hoon,
Aur phir se un mein khud ko paata hoon.
Zindagi ka ek hi haqeeqat hai ‘Faraz’,
Jo dil se chahta hai, vo kabhi haasil nahi hota.
Tum ne hum ko bhool jana tha,
Hum ne tumhein yaad rakhna tha.
Teri khamoshi ne humse yeh keh diya,
Mohabbat ka rasta ab humare liye nahi hai.
Jis raah pe hum chalte rahe,
Us raah mein bas tumhein yaad karte rahe.
Aaj bhi dil mein tera ehsas hai,
Aur tere bina yeh zindagi veeraan hai.
Na tu tha, na tera saath tha,
Lekin teri yaadon ka ek halka sa raaz tha.
Dil ne kabhi na jaana,
Ke tu kitna door tha, aur main kitna tanha.
Teri yaad ko hum ne dil se lagaya hai,
Jo bhi dard hai, sab mein tu chhupa hai.
Tanhaaiyon mein teri yaad ka sahara hai,
Aur yeh dil bas tujhi ka deewana hai.
Kabhi teri muskurahat ko apna kaha tha,
Aaj wahi muskurahat hum se juda hai.
Dil se teri yaadon ko mita nahi saka,
Har ghadi yeh dard bas badhta chala gaya.
Tumhare ishq mein hum yunhi bechain rahe,
Aur tum door jaakar apni duniya mein bas gaye.
Us ka milna ek pal ka tha,
Lekin us pal mein zindagi jee gaya.
Jitna tumhein chaaha, utna khud ko khona pada,
Aur phir yeh zindagi bas ek dastaan ban gayi.
Teri yaadon se kabhi door nahi jaa sakta,
Yeh dil tere bina kabhi chain nahi paata.
Tere bina har raasta sooni hai,
Aur yeh dil tere bina roohani hai.
Dil se teri khushbu ko mehsoos karta hoon,
Aur phir us mein khud ko paata hoon.
Tumhein khud se juda karna ek sapna tha,
Jo kabhi pura nahi hua, aur hum yunhi tanha rahe.