aur phir yun hua
jo purani kitaben, purane sahife
buzurgon se wirse mein hum ko mile the
unhen paDh ke hum sab ye mahsus karne lage
un ke alfaz se
koi matlab nikalta nahin hai
jo tabir-o-tafsir aglon ne ki thi
maani-o-mafhum jo un pe chaspan kiye the
ab un ki haqiqat kisi wahime se ziyaada nahin hai
aur phir yun hua
chand logon ne ye aa ke hum ko bataya
ki ab in purani kitabon ko
tah kar ke rakh do
hamare wasile se
tum par nai kuchh kitaben utari gai hain
unhen tum paDhoge
to tum par
sadaqat nae taur se munkashif hogi
bosida-o-munjamid zehn mein khiDkiyan khul sakengi
tumhein ilm-o-irfan
aur aagahi ke KHazine milenge
aur phir yun hua
in kitabon ko apni kitaben samajh kar
unhen apne sine se hum ne lagaya
har ek lafz ka wird karte rahe
ek ek satr ko gungunate rahe
ek ek harf ka ras piya
aur hamein mil gaya
jaise mani-o-mafhum ka ek naya silsila
aur phir yun hua
in kitabon se
ek din ye hum ko bashaarat mili
aane wala hai duniya mein ab ek naya aadmi
le ke apne jilau mein nai zindagi
hum andheri guphaon se
auham ki tang galiyon se niklenge
hum ko milegi nai raushni
aur phir yun hua
lane wale kitabon ke
aur wo bhi jo in pe iman lae the
sab apne apne gharon se nikal kar
kisi samt ko chal paDe
aise ek raste par
jidhar se naya aadmi
aane wala tha
ya hum ko us ka yaqin tha
ki wo aaega
aur isi samt se
bas isi samt se aaega
aur phir yun hua
der tak hum nae aadmi ke rahe muntazir
der tak shauq-e-didar ki apni aaankhon mein masti rahi
der tak us ki aamad ka hum git gate rahe
der tak us ki taswir
zehnon mein apne banate rahe
der tak is KHarabe mein ek jashn hota raha
aur phir yun hua
der tak
aur bhi der tak
jab na hum ko mila
aane wale ka koi pata
us ke qadmon ki koi na aahaT mili
hum ne phir zor se is ko aawaz di
ai nae aadmi!
ai nae aadmi!
aur ye aawaz unche pahaDon se Takra ke
be-nam sahraon se lauT ke
phir hamari taraf aa gai
aur phir yun hua
chand logon ne socha
ki shayad naya aadmi
aaega aur hi samt se
dusre chand logon ne socha
aur phir har taraf qafile qafile
aur phir har taraf raste raste
aur phir yun hua
der tak us nae aadmi ki rahi justuju
us ko aawaz dete rahe chaar su
ku-ba-ku, qarya qarya use hum bulate rahe
manzilon, manzilon
KHak uDate rahe
aur phir yun hua
sab ke chehre usi KHak mein aT gae
sab ki aaankhon mein ek tirgi chha gai
sab ko Dasne lagi rah ki be-hisi
aur phir sab wo ek dusre ke liye
ajnabi ho gae
aur phir sab ke sab
dhund mein kho gae
aur phir yun hua
hum ne phir ghar pe aa kar
kitabon ke auraq khole
unhen phir se paDhne ki KHatir uThaya
har ek satr par ghaur karte rahe der tak
aur har lafz ko
dusre lafz se joD kar
silsila harf-o-naghma ka, saut-o-sada ka milate rahe
aur phir yas-o-ummid ke darmiyan
DhunDte hi rahe us nae aadmi ka nishan
aur hamein bas milin
apni aawaz ki zard, sukhi hui patiyan
aur phir yun hua
hum se suraj kai roz ruTha raha
aasmanon se uThti rahin
tah-ba-tah badliyan
kali kali nazar aain sab wadiyan
kale ghar, kali diwaren, kali chhaten
kali saDkon pe chalti hui kali parchhaiyan
ye zamin
kale sagar mein TuTi hui naw ki tarah se Dagmagane lagi
maut ki nind aane lagi
aur phir yun hua
hum ne apne gharon mein
jalae KHud apne diye
hum ne bikhre hue KHwab, TuTe hue aaine
phir se joDe
bujhe jism ki rakh se
sar uThate hue ek nanhe se shoale ko
aur apne chehre mein
ek aur chehre ko dekha
phir apne lahu ki sadaen sunin
aur apne liye aap apni kitaben likhin
Nazm
Nae aadmi ki talash mein:
Khalilur Rahman Azmi