Shaer-e-azam

kal ek adib o shaer o naqid mile hamein

kahne lage ki aao zara bahs hi karen

karne lage ye bahs ki ab hind o pak mein

wo kaun hai ki shaer-e-azam jise kahen

main ne kaha 'jigar' to kaha dead ho chuke

main ne kaha ki 'josh' kaha qadr kho chuke

main ne kaha 'firaq' ki azmat pe tabsira

bole 'firaq' shaer-e-azam ara-rara

main ne kaha 'nadim' to bole ki journalist

main ne kaha 'rais' to bole satirist

main ne kaha ki hazrat-e-'mahir' bhi KHub hain

kahne lage ki un ke yahan bhi uyub hain

main ne kaha kuchh aur to bole ki chup raho

main chup raha to kahne lage aur kuchh kaho

main ne kaha ki 'sahir' o 'majruh' o jaan-nisar

bole ki shairon mein na kije inhen shumar

main ne kaha kalam-e-'rawish' la-jawab hai

kahne lage ki un ka tarannum KHarab hai

main ne kaha tarannum-e-'anwar' pasand hai

kahne lage ki un ka watan deoband hai

main ne kaha ki un ki ghazal saf-o-pak hai

bole ki un ki shakl baDi KHaufnak hai

main ne kaha ki ye jo hain 'mahshar'-inayati?

kahne lage ki rang hai un ka riwayati

main ne kaha 'qamar' ka taghazzul hai dil-nashin

kahne lage ki un mein to kuchh jaan hi nahin

main ne kaha 'niyaz' to bole ki aib hain

main ne kaha 'surur' to bole ki nukta-chin

main ne kaha 'zarif' to bole ki gandagi

main ne kaha 'salam' to bole ki bandagi

main ne kaha 'faraaz' to bole ki zer-o-bam

main ne kaha 'adam' to kaha wo bhi kal-adam

main ne kaha 'KHumar' kaha fan mein kachche hain

main ne kaha ki 'shad' to bole ki bachche hain

main ne kaha ki tanz-nigaron mein dekhiye

bole ki saikaDon mein hazaron mein dekhiye

main ne kaha ki shaer-e-azam hain 'jafari'

kahne lage ki aap ki hai un se dosti

main ne kaha ki ye jo hain 'mahshar'-inayati

kahne lage ki aap hain un ke himayati

main ne kaha 'zamir' ke hiyumar mein fikr hai

bole ye kis ka nam liya kis ka zikr hai

main ne kaha ki ye jo dilawar-figar hain

bole ki wo to sirf zarafat-nigar hain

main ne kaha mizah mein ek baat bhi to hai

bole ki is ke sath KHurafat bhi to hai

main ne kaha to shaer-e-azam koi nahin

kahne lage ki ye bhi koi lazmi nahin

main ne kaha to kis ko mein shaer baDa kahun

kahne lage ki main bhi isi kashmakash mein hun

payan-e-kar KHatm hua jab ye tajziya

main ne kaha huzur to bole ki shukriya