Duri

mujhe maut aaegi, mar jaunga main,
tujhe maut aaegi, mar jaegi tu,

wo pahli shab-e-mah shab-e-mah-e-do-nim ban jaegi
jis tarah saz-kohna ke tar-e-shikasta ke donon sire

dur ufuq ke kinaron ke manind
bas dur hi dur se thartharaate hain aur pas aate nahin hain

na wo raaz ki baat honTon pe late hain
jis ne mughanni ko daur-e-zaman-o-makan se nikala tha,

baKHshi thi KHwab-e-abad se rihai!
ye sach hai to phir kyun

koi aisi surat, koi aisa hila na tha
jis se hum aane wale zamane ki aahaT ko sun kar

wahin us ki yurish ko sapnon pe yun rok lete
ke hum teri manzil nahin, tera malja o mawa nahin hain?

ye socha tha shayad
ke KHud pahle is bod ke aafrinda ban jaenge

ab jo ek bahr-e-KHamiyaza-kash ban gaya hai!
to phir az-sar-e-nau masarrat se, nau-ras nai fatehana masarrat se

paenge bhuli hui zindagi ko
wahi KHud-farebi, wahi ashk-shoi ka adna bahana!

magar ab wahi bod sargoshiyan kar raha hai
ke tu apni manzil ko wapas nahin ja sakega,

nahin ja sakega
mujhe maut aaegi, mar jaunga main,

tujhe maut aaegi, mar jaunga main,
tujhe maut aaegi, mar jaegi tu,

ye ifrit pahle hazimat uThaega, miT jaega!