Mashriq haar gaya

'kipling' ne kaha tha
mashriq mashriq hai

aur maghrib maghrib hai
aur donon ka milna na-mumkin hai

lekin maghrib mashriq ke ghar-angan mein aa pahuncha hai
mera naukar bbc se KHabren sunta hai

main 'be-dil' aur 'hafiz' ke bajae
'shakespeare' aur 'rilke' ki baaten karta hun

aKHbaron mein
maghrib ke chaklon ki KHabren aur taswiren chhapti hain

mujh ko chuggi daDhi wale 'akbar' ki khisyani hansi par
rahm aata hai

iqbaal ki baaten (gustaKHi hoti hai)
majzub ki baD hain

'waris-shah' aur 'bullhe-shah' aur 'baba-farid'?
chaliye jaane dije in baaton mein kya rakkha hai

mashriq haar gaya hai!
ye 'baksar' aur 'palasi' ki haar nahin hai

'Tipu' aur jhansi-ki-rani ki haar nahin hai
san-sattawan ki jang-e-azadi ki haar nahin hai

aisi haar to jiti ja sakti hai (shayad hum ne jit bhi li hai)
lekin mashriq apni ruh ke andar haar gaya hai

qubla-KHan tum haar gae ho!
aur tumhaare TukDon par palne wala lalchi marko-polo

jit gaya hai
akbar-e-azam! tum ko maghrib ki jis ayyara ne tohfe bheje the

aur baDa bhai likkha tha
us ke kutte bhi in logon se afzal hain

jo tumhein maha-bali aur zillullah kaha karte the
mashriq kya tha?

jism se upar uThne ki ek KHwahish thi
shahwat aur jibillat ki tariki mein

ek diya jalane ki koshish thi!
main soch raha hun, suraj mashriq se nikla tha

(mashriq se jaane kitne suraj nikle the)
lekin maghrib har suraj ko nigal gaya hai

main haar gaya hun
main ne apne ghar ki diwaron par likkha hai

main haar gaya hun
main ne apne aaine par kalak mal di hai

aur taswiron par thuka hai
haarne wale chehre aise hote hain

meri ruh ke andar ek aisa gahra zaKHm laga hai
jis ke bharne ke liye sadiyan bhi na-kafi hain

main apne bachche aur kutte donon ko 'Tipu' kahta hun
mujh se mera sab kuchh le lo

aur mujhe ek nafrat de do
mujh se mera sab kuchh le lo

aur mujhe ek ghussa de do
aisi nafrat aisa ghussa

jis ki aag mein sab jal jaen
main bhi!!