Ye kaun sa shahr hai

hairan hun
ye kaun sa shahr hai

'mir'-o-'ghaalib' ki dilli kabhi aisi to na thi
har gali har nukkaD par sanp kunDli mare baiThe hain yahan

paida hote hi koi bhi sanpola
Dasne ke liye par tolne lagta hai

jidhar dekhiye
har jagah sanp hi sanp hain

kahin KHuni darwaze ke aqab se
to kahin dhaula-kuan ke fly ower par

har jagah kunDli mare hue yahan
hazar-ha sanp aise hain

jo har dam tayyar baiThe hain
mauqa milte hi

wo kisi bhi narm-o-gudaz badan ko
nishana apna bana lete hain

apne zahrile dant gaD ne ke liye
jab wo phanphana kar bahar aate hain

kisi bhi rahgir ka rasta roke
ek dam

tan ke khaDe ho jate hain
hatta ki

buDha nag bhi ab yahan
apne khanDar mein tan ke khaDa hai

use bhi intizar hai
barsat ki us kali andheri raat ka hai

jab wo bul-hawas
apne kohna-mashq danton ko

kisi narm-o-nazuk ghazala par
tez kar sake hamla-e-KHun-rez kar sake

apni umr ke is aaKHiri paDaw mein wo bul-hawas
koi wardat-e-junun-angez qayamat-KHez kar sake

ya KHuda
ye kaun sa maqam hai

kya ye tera qahr nahin hai
kya ye wahi purana shahr nahin hai

sochta hun
'mir'-o-'ghaalib' ki dilli kabhi aisi to na thi