Baadlon se bhikar kar shayad registan ho jaon  
Mumkin hai falaq se toot kar mein raigan ho jaon

Tumhe to aadat ho chuki inn vehshaton ki 
Mein teri dunya mein shayad viran ho jaon  

Tere haaton mein sansein bhujti jaa rahi hain  
Aisay na kahin rekhaon ka nishan ho jaon 

Faraghat mein shayad beht kar socho mujhe 
Youhn teri likhi hui koi dastaan ho jaon 

Jis aqeedat se sambhala tune mujhe 
Youn tera harf e dua ya imaan ho jaon 

Azadi likhi jaati hai gham e judai se agar
Phir kyun na apni parwaz se anjaan ho jaon 

Mat daal iss qafas ki aadat youn mujhe kay 
Ashiyane par pohonchu aur be’maqan ho jaon 

Jaloon shu’aon mein ya uljhoon aandhion se
Kaisay teri kissi aarzu ki uraan ho jaon 

Tareekhion mein roshan hain ab bhi kuch sitaray
Azmaa kar dhek “Zaib”, shayad tera asman ho jaon 

Kya sahi tha kya ghalat wo jatana ab kya  
Yahan tak laa kar nazar se girana ab kya 

Raha rooba’ru andaaz e ibadat mein bhi wo
Roz-e-hashr apne anjaam se ghabrana ab kya 

Kuch to soz e intezar ka barham rakh lete 
Mudat baad bazm mein aye ho youn jana ab kya 

Jab nahi teri sargoshian mere sarhanay to
Batlao root’hi neendon ko manana ab kya 

Qubool hai ye talkh andaz e sukhan bhi ab to
Roohtna hi bhool gaye phir tera manana ab kya 

Na mauj e leher, na hun tere asmaan ki koi uraan 
Bataa ye na’muqammal saffar nibhana ab kya 

Teri awaaz mein koi saaz e qurbat bhi to nahi 
Lehaza adhoori si ghazal gungunana ab kya 

Meri taqdir ke registano se hai raghbat usse  
Ek dariya ankhon se phir bahana ab kya 

Azad -e-ehd-e-waffa ho tum to ghabrana kaisa 
Iss yaqeen o intezar ka jalna jalaana ab kya

Na waada-e-manzil na naseeb-e-raah-e-safar
Bhatakti rekhaon kay saffar ko mitana ab kya 

Be’khayali mein bohot door nikal aye shayad 
Dair hogayi, raftagar ko sadaa dena ab kya 

Waqt e rukhsat ye chiragh madham kar dena 
Be’maqsad inn roshnion ko satana ab kya 

Uske kissi tootay khuab ki chubhan ho tum 
Zara sa ruk jao Zaib uski aziyat barhana ab kya 

Notes 
Rooba’ru / in the direct presence
Roz-e-hashr / The day of reckoning
Andaz e sukhan / conversational style
Ehd-e-wafa / Promises of faithful 
Na’muqammal / incomplete
Waqfiyat / famililiarity 
Registan / desert
Raftagar / someone departed
Raah-e-safar / way of journey
Be’khayali / lost in thought 
Sadaa / Calling out to 
Aziyat / pain or troubles

Ya hain aajiz ya mohobbat ko zawaal hai
Poocha nahi shayad uska bhi yahi haal hai

Humari waqt se bhi koi wabastagi nahi rahi
Kya maalum mulaqat ko hua din ya saal hai

Tarq-e-taaluq ke dhang aaye nahi mujhe
Kabhi usse judai to kabhi shauq-e-visaal hai

Mere pehlu mein zikr kissi aur ka karta hai
Ye bewaffai nahi mehez uska jamaal hai

Uske sab jhoot kaisay sach na hon batao
Jabke vazaahaton ki uske paas dhaal hai

Ajeeb lagta hai dil ka sukoon bhi ab to
Lehaza silsila ranj-o-gham ka bahaal hai

Koi acha bhi laggay to harkat nahi karta
Ye berukhi kyun, apne hi dil se sawaal hai

Sab barbadian be’sabab nahi hoti Zaib,
Mumkin hai iss mein khuda ki koi chaal hai

Notes
/Bahaal/ – Ongoing
/Be’sabab/ – Without means
/Harkat/ – Movement/show signs of life
/Jamaal/ – Elegance/beauty
/Lehaza/ – Therefore
/Tarq/ – Abandonment
/Vazaahat/ – Explanation
/Visaal/ – Meeting
/Wabastagi/ – Association
/Zawaal/ – Decline/ending

Qissa hai bohot purana tumhe bataayen kaisay

Kacchay dhaagon pe bhatki yaadein piroyen kaisay

Na talkh nigaahein hain, na koi karway bol hain uske

Shayad khaffa hai wo mujhse ab usse manaayen kaisay

Agar roshan hai meri khaak-e-aarzu se kehkashaan

Dil kyun nahi bharta, iss dunya ko jalaayen kaisay

Bohot mushqilon se dobara zinda hua hai dil

Faraghat mein sochte hain isse phir rulaayen kaisay

Waqt e rukhsat bhool gaya mere paas kuch purani yaadein

Hum bhi hain bewaffa, aadab e firaaq nibhaayen kaisay

Palkon ke kinaaron mein ulajh sa gaya hai wo shakhs

Samajh nahi aata chashm-e-tar se usse giraayen kaisay

Jaffaon ke samundar mein qaed hain taqdeer ke jazeeray

Batao iss paishani mein garhay khamm mitaayen kaisay

Wo aksar khojta hai harf e waffa meri khaamoshion main

Bohot mushqil mein hain ke baat aagaye barhaayen kaisay

Uske dil-o-zehen mein hain naqsh-e-kadam kissi aur ke

Samajh nahi aata wahan apni jaggah banaayen kaisay

Na raheem hai tu, na hai tu beniyaaz, ae insaan bataa,

Tere sajde mein dobara sarr jhukaayen  kaisay…

Jazeeray: Islands
Paishani: Forehead
Khamm: obstacles
Naqsh-e-kadam: Footprints
Beniyaz: Unconditional
Kehkashan: Skies/galaxi
Faraghat: Free time
Firaaq: Separation
Chashm-e-tar: Tearful eyes
Jaffa: Oppression

Kabhi yaad kia to kabhi usse bhulaa kar bhi dekha hai
Iss be’mani dunya ko humne azmaa kar bhi dekha hai

Dhoka hai naya sa aur mein hoon adab-e-firaq se nawaqif
Us se nazdikiyan to kabhi faasla barhaa kar bhi dekha hai

Musavvir bhar nahi paata kissi bhi rang se iss khalla ko
Issiliye waqtan fa waqatan muskuraa kar bhi dekha hai

Munkir ho jaatay hain jab kahin uska naam koi leta hai
Uske afsanay ko dil mein kab se dabaa kar bhi dekha hai

Ke laut aye wo, kabhi diye vastey guzishta mohobbaton ke
Kabhi talkhion ka teer kamaan se chalaa kar bhi dekha hai

Dosti kya, koi humdardi bhi jataye to aetbar karte nahi ab
“Hote nahi sab aik jaisay” khud ko behlaa kar bhi dekha hai

Tumhe waffa seekhna hai to humari tareekhion ko parakho
Maujud rehti hai jab kabhi khud ko jalaa kar bhi dekha hai

Jalwon mein raakh to kabhi saleebon pe charha insaan
Tere aagaye ae khuda maine sarr jhuka kar bhi dekha hai

Tujhse nahi harjayi shayad apne naseeb se haaray hain
Issi khayal se hath ki rekhaon ko mitaa kar bhi dheka hai

Tumhari waahid adaa pasand ayee “Zaib” maut ko shayad
Ye jo saanson par tumne ehsaan jataa kar bhi dekha hai.

Notes
Musavvir – Artist
Khalla – empty space
Waqtan fa waqtan – occasionally
Guzishta – past/gone
Talkhion – bitterness
Tareekhion – darkness
Saleebo – Cross/crucifix

Baat barhi hai hayaa se agaye to hijab phir kaisa
Tumhe jaana hai to jao, roz roz ka ye azaab phir kaisa

Tum haqiqat bayan nahi karte aur jhoot ke qael hum nahi
Bachin hain faqat khamoshian to lafzon ka hisaab phir kaisa

Challo tasleem kar lete hain kay zaalim hum hi hain
Musalsal humse ye silsila-e-sawaal o jawab phir kaisa

Khuaab jalanay se bhi roshan hua na ashiyaana mera
Iss tareekhi se jhoota waada-e-mahtab phir kaisa

Bohot mushqilon se sambhala tha khud ko “Zaib”
Baar baar usse soch kar ek naya izterab phir kaisa

Notes
/Tasleem (accept)/
/Musalsal (continuous)/
/Tareekhi (darkness/night)/
/Mahtab (moon)/
/Izteraab (restlessness)/
/Haqiqat (truth)/
/Qael (convinced)/

Har shab ki tarah wahan viraana tha
Jo shiqasta dillon ka thikhana tha

Jamghat bhoolay bisray faqeeron ka
Aaj abaad saaqi ka maikhana tha

Mulaqaton ke silsile shuru huay to laga
Gham mein shareeq naya dostana tha

Kahin ranjish-e-hijr, kahin umeed-e-vasl
Silsila kahanion ka kuch rawana tha

Khamoshi se ki adaa rasm-e-mehfil
Qissa ajnabi ko shayad koi bhulana tha

Thamma uski ankhon mein saddio se jo
Samunder-e-gham wo koi puraana tha

Humare dhuk ka bandhan bana pukhta
K shariq tanhayi mein wo anjana tha

Jalaya itnay shauq se jisko dunya ne
Meri hasraton ka wo parwana tha

Aksar tanhayon mein dhoonda usse
Jab kabhi dil-e-veeran ko behlana tha

Kaisay batlaate jo guzri mujh par
Dastoor-e-dunya bhi to nibhana tha

Kahin manoos-e-waffa na hojayen
Issliye mera hausla usne azmana tha

Taqdir-e-barbad phir abaad nahi hogi
Jataa kar ye harjayee ne rulana tha

Milayeen nahi ankhein waqt-e-rukhsat
Mujhe chor kar achanak uska jaana tha

Ranj-e-judai bardasht karta wo bhi kaisay Zaib
Bewaffayi-e-yaar mehez uska bahana tha

March 2009

Kuch chiraagh armaanon kay jalanay aur bhi thay
Honay kayliye khaak yahan parwane aur bhi thay

Bichaye humne iss falak pe sirf yahi nahi
Tootay huay khuaab sarhaanay aur bhi thay

Ajab hai ye mohobbat jo mohtaaj kar deti hai
Warna takht to humne giraane aur bhi thay

Uss ranjish main kaisay guzra waqt kya malum
Tab to humme dil behlaanay aur bhi thay

Gar paar na karti ruswayi dehlees-e-zabt
To kuch dair ye zakhm sehlane aur bhi thay

Dar-ba-dar hotay hain bewaffa sunna tha, magar
Kyun mere baad uske thikaanay aur bhi thay

In roshniyon mein siyah honay ka waqt na aata
To kuch qisse tumhe “Zaib” bataanay aur bhi thay

February 2011

Jaanay kyun achanak ye raastay viraaan lagte hain
Jo thay apnay kabhi, aaj wo bhi anjaan lagte hain

Kya tha uss mein kay maan behte usse hum khuda
Aur usse inteha-e-ishq main bhi hum faqat insaan lagte hain

Paaye nahi jaatay zehen mein uske naqsh-e-mohobat
To dag-ma-gaaye huay kyun apnay imaan lagtay hain

Bhikre hain kitnay hoslay ankhon ki gehrayyon main
Thamay huay ye ashq bhi mujhe aaj toofaan lagte hain

Na firaaq hai na visaal hai, uska ehsas bhi ik saraab hai
Uske diye huay dhuk bhi aaj tak ehsaan lagte hain

Faraghat hai aaj, qissa purana koi suna tum dena
Siyahi na sahi, lahu se vark nikhaar tum dena

Ajaati hai jaan afsaney mein ranj o gham se
Youn ghamgeen dunya ko banaa tum dena

Nammi-e-asmaan mein ghuljaye ye suraj jab
Humari kisi yaad mein jaam uthaa tum dena

Nazakat se tarashay jahan dünya walon ne aib,
Dagdaar uss khudi se kar wafaa tum dena

Bazaar mein roz bhatki aarzu-e-Zuleikha, lekin
Parsa mohobbat ka parcham lehra tum dena

Kabhi hijr par to kabhi vasl par hui fidaa jo
Uss neend ko humare baad manaa tum dena

Phir se manay bewaffayi ke laeq wo humme
Kabhi fursat mein haath dua mein uthaa tum dena

Khamoshian hain kab se tere mazaar par Zaib
Jhoot hi sahi par kabhi wahan ashq baha tum dena