aaj lekin mere daman-e-chaak mein

Poem written by  Sahir Ludhianvi in 1947

saathiyo! main ne barson tumhare liye
chaand, taaron, bahaaron k sapne bunne
husn aur ishq ke geet gata raha
aarzon ke aivaan sajata raha
main tumhara mughanni, tumhare liye
jab bhi aya naye geet lata raha

aaj lekin mere daman-e-chaak mein
gard-e-rah-e-safar ke siva kuch nahi
mere barbat k seene mein naghmon ka dam ghut gaya hai
taanen cheekhon ke anbaar mein dab gai hain
aur geeton k sur hichkiyaan ban gaye hain
main tumhara mughanii hon, naghma nahi hon
aur naghme ki takhleeq ka saazo-saman

saathiyo! aaj tum ne bhasm kar dia hai
aur main apna Toota hoa saaz thaame
sard laashon k anbaar ko tak raha hon
mere chaaron taraf maut ki vahshatein naachti hain
aur insaan ki haivaaniyat jaag uthi hai

barbriyat ke Khunkhaar afreet
apne na paak jabron ko khole
Khoon pee pee ke Ghurra rahe hain
bachche maaon ki godon mein sahme hue hain
ismaten sar-barhana pareshan hain
har taraf shor-e-aaho-bukaa hai
aur main is tabahi k tofaan mein
aag aur Khoon k haijaan mein
sarnigon aur shikastaa makaanon k malbe se pur raaston par
apne naghmon ki jholi pasaare
dar-ba-dar phir rahaa hon
mujhko aman aur tahzeeb ki bheek do
mere geeton ki lay, mere sur, meri nai
mere majrooh honton ko phir saunp do

saathiyo! main ne barson tumhare liye
inqilaab aur baghawat ke naghme alaape
ajnabi raaj ke zulm ki chaaNv mein
sarfaroshii ke Khwaabeeda jazbe ubhaare
is subah kii raah dekhi
jismeiN is mulk ki ruuh aazaad ho
aaj zanjeer-e-mahkoomiyat kaT chuki hai
aur is mulk ke bahro-bar, baamo-dar
ajnabi qaum ke zulmat-afshaaN farere kii manhoos chaaNv se aazaad haiN
khet sona ugalne ko bechain haiN
vaadiyaaN lahlahaane ko betaab haiN
kohsaaroN ke seene meiN haijaan haiN
saNg aur Khisht beKhwaab-o-bedaar haiN
inkii aaNkhoN meiN ta'ameer ke Khwaab haiN
inke KhwaaboN ko takmeel ka roop do
mulk kii vaadiyaaN, ghaaTiyaaN, khetiyaaN, aurateiN, bachchiyaaN -
haath phailaaye Khairaat ki muntazir haiN
iinko amn aur tahzeeb kii bheek do
maaoN ko unke hoNToN ki shaadaabiyaaN
nanhe bachchoN ko unko Khushi baKhsh do
mere sur baKhsh do, meri nai baKhsh do
aaj saari fazaa bhikaari hai
aur maiN is bhikaari fazaa meiN
apne naGhmoN ki jholi pasaare
dar-ba-dar phir rahaa houN
mujhko phir mera khoyaa huaa saaz do
maiN tumhaaraa muGhannii tumhaare liye
jab bhi aaya, naye geet laataa rahouNgaa

Sahir Ludhianvi