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Ahmad Mushtaq

1932 (Lahore) – Present • The Nostalgic Modernist

"Currently residing in the USA, Ahmad Mushtaq is celebrated for his incredibly unique tone of melancholy and nostalgia. He took the traditional format of the ghazal and applied a distinctly modern, quiet, and reflective approach, writing immortal verses about aging, memory, and the passing of eras."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

ka.i chaand the sar-e-aasman ki chamak chamak ke palat gaye na lahoo mire hi jigar mein tha na tumhari zulf siyah thi...
naye deewanon ko dekhen to khushi hoti hai hum bhi aise hi the jab aaye the veerane mein...
pata ab tak nahin badla hamara wahi ghar hai wahi qissa hamara...
tanhai mein karni to hai ik baat kisi se lekin wo kisi waqt akela nahin hota...
khair badnaam to pahle bhi bahut the lekin tujh se milna tha ki par lag gaye ruswai ko...
ek lamhe mein bikhar jaata hai taana-baana aur phir umr guzar jaati hai yakjai mein...
ahl-e-hawas to khair hawas mein hue zaleel wo bhi hue kharab mohabbat jinhon ne ki...
main ne kaha ki dekh ye main ye hawa ye raat us ne kaha ki meri padhai ka waqt hai...
tu agar paas nahin hai kahin maujud to hai tere hone se bade kaam hamare nikle...
ishq mein kaun bata sakta hai kis ne kis se sach bola hai...
ye paani khamushi se bah raha hai ise dekhen ki is mein doob jaayen...
paani mein aks aur kisi aasman ka hai ye naav kaun si hai ye dariya kahan ka hai...
rone lagta hoon mohabbat mein to kahta hai koi kya tire ashkon se ye jangal hara ho jayega...
ab us ki shakl bhi mushkil se yaad aati hai wo jis ke naam se hote na the juda mire lab...
mil hi jayega kabhi dil ko yaqeen rahta hai wo isi shahr ki galiyon mein kahin rahta hai...
ik raat chandni mire bistar pe aayi thi main ne tarash kar tira chehra bana diya...
ik zamana tha ki sab ek jagah rahte the aur ab koi kahin koi kahin rahta hai...
roz milne pe bhi lagta tha ki jug beet gaye ishq mein waqt ka ehsaas nahin rahta hai...
ye tanha raat ye gahri fazayen use dhoonden ki us ko bhool jaayen...
bhool gayi wo shakl bhi aakhir kab tak yaad koi rahta hai...
maut khamoshi hai chup rahne se chup lag jayegi zindagi aawaz hai baatein karo baatein karo...
dil fasurda to hua dekh ke us ko lekin umr bhar kaun jawan kaun haseen rahta hai...
tum aaye ho tumhein bhi aazma kar dekh leta hoon tumhaare saath bhi kuchh door jaa kar dekh leta hoon...
jis ki saanson se mahakte the dar-o-baam tire ai makan bol kahan ab wo makeen rahta hai...
khoya hai kuchh zaroor jo us ki talash mein har cheez ko idhar se udhar kar rahe hain ham...
ham apni dhoop mein baithe hain 'mushtaq' hamare saath hai saaya hamara...
yaar sab jama hue raat ki khamoshi mein koi ro kar to koi baal bana kar aaya...
ham un ko soch mein gum dekh kar wapas chale aaye wo apne dhyan mein baithe hue achchhe lage ham ko...
gum raha hoon tire khayalon mein tujh ko aawaz umr bhar di hai...
neendon mein phir raha hoon use dhoondta hua shamil jo ek khwab mire rat-jage mein tha...
tu ne hi to chaha tha ki milta rahun tujh se teri yahi marzi hai to achchha nahin milta...
hamara kya hai jo hota hai jee udaas bahut to gul tarashte hain titliyan banate hain...
main bahut khush tha kadi dhoop ke sannate mein kyun tiri yaad ka baadal mire sar par aaya...
bala ki chamak us ke chehre pe thi mujhe kya khabar thi ki mar jayega...
mujhe maaloom hai ahl-e-wafa par kya guzarti hai samajh kar soch kar tujh se mohabbat kar raha hoon main...
bahta aansoo ek jhalak mein kitne roop dikhayega aankh se ho kar gaal bhigo kar mitti mein mil jayega...
dukh ke safar pe dil ko rawana to kar diya ab saari umr haath hilate rahenge ham...
koi tasweer mukammal nahin hone paati dhoop dete hain to saaya nahin rahne dete...
wo jo raat mujh ko bade adab se salam kar ke chala gaya use kya khabar mire dil mein bhi kabhi aarzoo-e-gunah thi...
hoti hai shaam aankh se aansoo rawan hue ye waqt qaidiyon ki rihai ka waqt hai...
kaise aa sakti hai aisi dil-nasheen duniya ko maut kaun kahta hai ki ye sab kuchh fanaa ho jayega...
jab shaam utarti hai kya dil pe guzarti hai sahil ne bahut poochha khamosh raha paani...
sang uthana to badi baat hai ab shahr ke log aankh utha kar bhi nahin dekhte deewane ko...
wahi gulshan hai lekin waqt ki parvaz to dekho koi taair nahin pichhle baras ke aashiyanon mein...
jaise pau phat rahi ho jangal mein yun koi muskuraye jaata hai...
wahan salam ko aati hai nange paanv bahaar khile the phool jahan tere muskurane se...
are kyun dar rahe ho jangal se ye koi aadmi ki basti hai...
milne ki ye kaun ghadi thi baahar hijr ki raat khadi thi...
chaand bhi nikla sitare bhi barabar nikle mujh se achchhe to shab-e-gham ke muqaddar nikle...
guzre hazar baadal palkon ke saaye saaye utre hazar sooraj ik shah-nasheen-e-dil par...
bahut udaas ho tum aur main bhi baitha hoon gaye dinon ki kamar se kamar lagaye hue...
mohabbat mar gayi 'mushtaq' lekin tum na manoge main ye afwah bhi tum ko suna kar dekh leta hoon...
wo waqt bhi aata hai jab aankhon mein hamari phirti hain wo shaklen jinhein dekha nahin hota...
tire aane ka din hai tere raste mein bichhane ko chamakti dhoop mein saaye ikatthe kar raha hoon main...
dil bhar aaya kaghaz-e-khaali ki soorat dekh kar jin ko likhna tha wo sab baatein zabani ho gayin...
hijr ik waqfa-e-bedaar hai do neendon mein wasl ik khwab hai jis ki koi taabeer nahin...
jahan daale the us ne dhoop mein kapde sukhane ko tapakti hain abhi tak rassiyan aahista aahista...
kisi jaanib nahin khulte dariche kahin jaata nahin rasta hamara...
faza-e-dil pe kahin chha na jaaye yaas ka rang kahan ho tum ki badalne laga hai ghaas ka rang...
is maarke mein ishq bechara karega kya khud husn ko hain jaan ke laale pade hue...
chhat se kuchh qahqahe abhi tak jaalon ki tarah latak rahe hain...
ab shughl hai yahi dil-e-eeza-pasand ka jo zakhm bhar gaya hai nishan us ka dekhna...
jo muqaddar tha use to rokna bas mein na tha un ka kya karte jo baatein nagahani ho gayin...
chup kahin aur liye phirti thi baatein kahin aur din kahin aur guzarte the to raatein kahin aur...
umr bhar dukh sahte sahte aakhir itna to hua apni chup ko dekh leta hoon sada bante hue...
yahi duniya thi magar aaj bhi yun lagta hai jaise kaati hon tire hijr ki raatein kahin aur...
jaane kis dam nikal aaye tire rukhsar ki dhoop muddaton dhyan tire saya-e-dar par rakkha...
dhuen se aasman ka rang maila hota jaata hai hare jangal badalte ja rahe hain karkhanon mein...
jhilmilate rahe wo khwab jo poore na hue dard bedaar tapakta raha aansoo aansoo...
jahan-e-ishq se ham sarsari nahin guzre ye wo jahan hai jahan sarsari nahin koi shai...
ye wo mausam hai jis mein koi patta bhi nahin hilta dil-e-tanha uthata hai soobat shaam-e-hijran ki...
tamasha-gah-e-jahan mein majal-e-deed kise yahi bahut hai agar sarsari guzar jaayen...
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