DIWAN E SUKHAN
Explore more on Diwan E Sukhan

Adil Mansuri

1936 (Ahmedabad) – 2008 (New Jersey) • The Bilingual Experimentalist

"A highly experimental artist who made massive contributions to both Urdu and Gujarati modernism. Before migrating to the USA, Mansuri was also known for his innovative calligraphic art. His poetry continuously broke structural rules, exploring identity, exile, and surrealism."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

mere toote hausle ke par nikalte dekh kar us ne deewaron ko apni aur ooncha kar diya...
kis tarah jama kijiye ab apne aap ko kaghaz bikhar rahe hain purani kitab ke...
wo kaun tha jo din ke ujale mein kho gaya ye chaand kis ko dhoondne nikla hai shaam se...
koi khud-kushi ki taraf chal diya udasi ki mehnat thikane lagi...
jo chup-chap rahti thi deewar par wo tasweer baatein banane lagi...
jeeta hai sirf tere liye kaun mar ke dekh ik roz meri jaan ye harkat bhi kar ke dekh...
kyun chalte chalte ruk gaye veeran raasto tanha hoon aaj main zara ghar tak to saath do...
mujhe pasand nahin aise karobar mein hoon ye jabr hai ki main khud apne ikhtiyar mein hoon...
zara der baithe the tanhai mein tiri yaad aankhein dukhane lagi...
dariya ke kinare pe miri laash padi thi aur paani ki tah mein wo mujhe dhoond raha tha...
kab tak pade rahoge hawaon ke haath mein kab tak chalega khokhle shabdon ka karobar...
chup-chap baithe rahte hain kuchh bolte nahin bachche bigad gaye hain bahut dekh-bhal se...
neend bhi jaagti rahi poore hue na khwab bhi subh hui zameen par raat dhali mazar mein...
soe to dil mein ek jahan jaagne laga jaage to apni aankh mein jaale the khwab ke...
kabhi khaak walon ki baatein bhi sun kabhi aasmanon se neeche utar...
allah jaane kis pe akadta tha raat din kuchh bhi nahin tha phir bhi bada bad-zaban tha...
aaise dare hue hain zamane ki chaal se ghar mein bhi paanv rakhte hain ham to sambhal kar...
hammam ke aaine mein shab doob rahi thi cigarette se naye din ka dhuan phail raha tha...
kab se tahal rahe hain gareban khol kar khaali ghata ko kya karein barsaat bhi to ho...
bismil ke tadapne ki adaon mein nasha tha main haath mein talwar liye jhoom raha tha...
phoolon ki sej par zara aaram kya kiya us gul-badan pe naqsh uth aaye gulab ke...
darwaza khatkhata ke sitare chale gaye khwabon ki shaal odh ke main oonghta raha...
tu kis ke kamre mein thi main tere kamre mein tha...
har aankh mein thi tootte lamhon ki tishnagi har jism pe tha waqt ka saaya pada hua...
jaane kis ko dhoondne dakhil hua hai jism mein haddiyon mein rasta karta hua peela bukhar...
na koi rok saka khwab ke safeeron ko udaas kar gaye neendon ke rahgeeron ko...
hudud-e-waqt se baahar ajab hisar mein hoon main ek lamha hoon sadiyon ke intezar mein hoon...
phir baalon mein raat hui phir haathon mein chaand khila...
darwaza band dekh ke mere makan ka jhonka hawa ka khidki ke parde hila gaya...
ham ko gaali ke liye bhi lab hila sakte nahin ghair ko bosa diya to munh se dikhla kar diya...
lahoo mein utarti rahi chandni badan raat ka kitna thanda laga...
khidki ne aankhein kholi darwaze ka dil dhadka...
phir koi wusat-e-afaq pe saaya daale phir kisi aankh ke nuqte mein utara jaun...
ungli se us ke jism pe likkha usi ka naam phir batti band kar ke use dhoondta raha...
tasweer mein jo qaid tha wo shakhs raat ko khud hi frame tod ke pahlu mein aa gaya...
khud-ba-khud shaakh lachak jayegi phal se bharpur to ho lene do...
tum ko daawa hai sukhan-fahmi ka jaao 'ghalib' ke taraf-dar bano...
wo tum tak kaise aata jism se bhaari saaya tha...
dariya ki wusaton se use naapte nahin tanhai kitni gahri hai ik jaam bhar ke dekh...
khwahish sukhane rakkhi thi kothe pe dopahar ab shaam ho chali miyan dekho kidhar gayi...
nashsha sa dolta hai tire ang ang par jaise abhi bhigo ke nikala ho jaam se...
jism ki mitti na le jaye baha kar saath mein dil ki gahrai mein girta khwahishon ka aabshar...
yaadon ne use tod diya maar ke patthar aaine ki khandaq mein jo parchhain padi thi...
aawaz ki deewar bhi chup-chap khadi thi khidki se jo dekha to gali oongh rahi thi...
girte rahe nujoom andhere ki zulf se shab bhar rahin khamoshiyan sayon se ham-kanar...
wo jaan-e-nau-bahar jidhar se guzar gaya pedon ne phool patton se rasta chhupa liya...
ab tootne hi wala hai tanhai ka hisar ik shakhs cheekhta hai samundar ke aar-paar...
wo chai pee raha tha kisi doosre ke saath mujh par nigaah padte hi kuchh jhenp sa gaya...
chai mein us ke pistan the mera badan paani mein tha...
Explore more on Diwan E Sukhan