BaDa Shahr

karachi kisi dew-qad kekDe ki tarah

samundar ke sahil pe panw pasare paDa hai

nasen us ki faulad-o-ahan

badan ret cement patthar

basen Texiyan karen rickshaw ragon mein lahu ki bajae rawan

jism par ja-ba-ja dagh daldal-numa

jahan ankabut apne taron se bunte hain bankon ke jal

ki un mein shumal aur mashriq se aae hue

ishtiha aur KHwabon ke mare magas

phaDphaDate rahen

mustaqil aalam-e-jaan-kani mein rahen

sham hote hi is ki nam-alud aur khurduri khaal se

is ke be-Dhang aaza se

ishwa-faroshon ke pairahanon ki tarah

raushni phuTti hai

ye wo shahr-e-KHud-mutmain hai

jo apne hi dil ki shaqawat pe shaida raha

main chahat ke phulon bhare jangalon se jab aaya

to is shahr ki piTh

majlis ki diwar ki tarah meri taraf thi

main shiddat ki tanhai mein

aashna harf ka aarzu-mand

paiham taghaful se ranjida be-dil

yahan ke rusum aur aadab se be-KHabar

naKHunon se zamin khod kar

aansuon ki nami se use sinch kar

harf kaliyon ki ummid mein

dard bolta raha

kai bar main ne samundar ki bhigi hawaon se puchha

ki ai KHush-nafas rahrawo

tum is tarah begana-wash kyun guzarti ho

pal bhar ruko

koi taskin ka paigham do

aur apna ye amrit sa hath

dukhe dil pe rakh do

pa wo shahr ki sans mein

enginon ke dhuen ki kasafat se afsurda

aankhen churae guzarti rahin

kai bar yun bhi hua hai

ki main aur ye shahr ek mushtarak dukh ki zanjir mein bandh gae

aur mujhe ye guman sa hua

ki ab ajnabiyyat ki diwar girne ko hai

abhi us ki namnak aankhen kahengi ki hum ek hain

lamha-e-dard ka sath sab se baDa sath hai

magar main ne dekha ki is waqt bhi

us ki pathrai aankhon mein

aks-e-shanasai napaid tha

aur ab jab main is shahr se ja raha hun

to is ki daranti si banhon ke dandane

mere rag-o-pai mein utre hue hain