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Iftikhar Arif

1944 (Lucknow) – Present • Voice of Modern Tragedy

"Having worked for prestigious institutions like the BBC and PTV, Iftikhar Arif is a prominent intellectual and poet. He is renowned for brilliantly weaving the historical and spiritual tragedy of Karbala into metaphors for the socio-political realities, injustices, and moral decay of the modern world."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

tum se bichhaD kar zinda hain jaan bahut sharminda hain...
miTTi ki mohabbat mein ham aashufta-saron ne vo qarz utare hain ki vajib bhi nahin the...
khvab ki tarah bikhar jaane ko ji chahta hai aisi tanhai ki mar jaane ko ji chahta hai...
dil pagal hai roz nai nadani karta hai aag mein aag milata hai phir paani karta hai...
dua ko haat uThate hue larazta hun kabhi dua nahin mangi thi maañ ke hote hue...
khud ko bikharte dekhte hain kuchh kar nahin paate hain phir bhi log khudaon jaisi baaten karte hain...
mire khuda mujhe itna to mo'tabar kar de main jis makan mein rahta hun us ko ghar kar de...
beTiyan baap ki aankhon mein chhupe khvab ko pahchanti hain aur koi dusra is khvab ko paDh le to bura maanti hain...
ye vaqt kis ki raunat pe khaak Daal gaya ye kaun bol raha tha khuda ke lahje mein...
zamana ho gaya khud se mujhe laDte-jhagaDte main apne aap se ab sulh karna chahta hun...
ek charagh aur ek kitab aur ek ummid asasa us ke baad to jo kuchh hai vo sab afsana hai...
duaen yaad kara di gai thiin bachpan mein so zakhm khate rahe aur dua diye gae ham...
azaab ye bhi kisi aur par nahin aaya ki ek umr chale aur ghar nahin aaya...
ghar ki vahshat se larazta hun magar jaane kyun shaam hoti hai to ghar jaane ko ji chahta hai...
samundaron ko bhi hairat hui ki Dubte vaqt kisi ko ham ne madad ke liye pukara nahin...
vafa ki khair manata hun bevafai mein bhi main us ki qaid mein hun qaid se rihai mein bhi...
raas aane lagi duniya to kaha dil ne ki ja ab tujhe dard ki daulat nahin milne vaali...
tamam khana-ba-doshon mein mushtarak hai ye baat sab apne apne gharon ko palaT ke dekhte hain...
vahi firaq ki baaten vahi hikayat-e-vasl nai kitab ka ek ik varaq purana tha...
payambaron se zaminen vafa nahin kartin ham aise kaun khuda the ki apne ghar rahte...
main zindagi ki dua mangne laga hun bahut jo ho sake to duaon ko be-asar kar de...
sitaron se bhara ye aasman kaisa lagega hamare baad tum ko ye jahan kaisa lagega...
vahi charagh bujha jis ki lau qayamat thi usi pe zarb paDi jo shajar purana tha...
koi to phuul khilae dua ke lahje mein ajab tarah ki ghuTan hai hava ke lahje mein...
dil kabhi khvab ke pichhe kabhi duniya ki taraf ek ne ajr diya ek ne ujrat nahin di...
vo kya manzil jahan se raaste aage nikal jaaen so ab phir ik safar ka silsila karna paDega...
buland hathon mein zanjir Daal dete hain ajiib rasm chali hai dua na maange koi...
ik khvab hi to tha jo faramosh ho gaya ik yaad hi to thi jo bhula di gai to kya...
shikam ki aag liye phir rahi hai shahr-ba-shahr sag-e-zamana hain ham kya hamari hijrat kya...
ghar se nikle hue beTon ka muqaddar maalum maañ ke qadmon mein bhi jannat nahin milne vaali...
karen to kis se karen na-rasaiyon ka gila safar tamam hua ham-safar nahin aaya...
bahut mushkil zamanon mein bhi ham ahl-e-mohabbat vafa par ishq ki buniyad rakhna chahte hain...
ham apne raftagan ko yaad rakhna chahte hain dilon ko dard se aabad rakhna chahte hain...
javab aae na aae saval uTha to sahi phir is saval mein pahlu nae saval ke rakh...
ham bhi ik shaam bahut uljhe hue the khud mein ek shaam us ko bhi haalat ne mohlat nahin di...
hamin mein rahte hain vo log bhi ki jin ke sabab zamin buland hui aasman ke hote hue...
dayar-e-nur mein tira-shabon ka sathi ho koi to ho jo miri vahshaton ka sathi ho...
roz ik taaza qasida nai tashbib ke saath rizq bar-haq hai ye khidmat nahin hogi ham se...
main chup raha ki vazahat se baat baDh jaati hazar sheva-e-husn-e-bayan ke hote hue...
ye moajaza bhi kisi ki dua ka lagta hai ye shahr ab bhi usi be-vafa ka lagta hai...
umid-o-bim ke mehvar se haT ke dekhte hain zara si der ko duniya se kaT ke dekhte hain...
haami bhi na the munkir-e-'ghalib' bhi nahin the ham ahl-e-tazabzub kisi jaanib bhi nahin the...
duniya badal rahi hai zamane ke saath saath ab roz roz dekhne vaala kahan se laaen...
kahin kahin se kuchh misre ek-aadh ghazal kuchh sher is punji par kitna shor macha sakta tha main...
khaak mein daulat-e-pindar-o-ana milti hai apni miTTi se bichhaDne ki saza milti hai...
samajh rahe hain magar bolne ka yaara nahin jo ham se mil ke bichhaD jaae vo hamara nahin...
vo ham nahin the to phir kaun tha sar-e-bazar jo kah raha tha ki bikna hamein gavara nahin...
hua hai yun bhi ki ik umr apne ghar na gae ye jaante the koi raah dekhta hoga...
ye bastiyan hain ki maqtal dua kiye jaaen dua ke din hain musalsal dua kiye jaaen...
main us se jhuuT bhi bolun to mujh se sach bole mire mizaj ke sab mausamon ka sathi ho...
dar-o-divar itne ajnabi kyun lag rahe hain khud apne ghar mein aakhir itna Dar kyun lag raha hai...
samundar ke kinare ek basti ro rahi hai main itni duur hun aur mujh ko vahshat ho rahi hai...
mira khush-khiram bala ka tez-khiram tha miri zindagi se chala gaya to khabar hui...
kahani mein nae kirdar shamil ho gae hain nahin maalum ab kis Dhab tamasha khatm hoga...
har ik se puchhte phirte hain tere khana-ba-dosh azab-e-dar-ba-dari kis ke ghar mein rakkha jaae...
zindagi bhar ki kamai yahi misre do-chaar is kamai pe to izzat nahin milne vaali...
ye saari jannaten ye jahannam azaab o ajr saari qayamaten isi duniya ke dam se hain...
shagufta lafz likkhe ja rahe hain magar lahjon mein virani bahut hai...
ajab tarah ka hai mausam ki khaak uDti hai vo din bhi the ki khile the gulab aankhon mein...
sab log apne apne qabilon ke saath the ik main hi tha ki koi bhi lashkar mira na tha...
tamasha karne valon ko khabar di ja chuki hai ki parda kab girega kab tamasha khatm hoga...
ab bhi tauhin-e-itaat nahin hogi ham se dil nahin hoga to baiat nahin hogi ham se...
hamein to apne samundar ki ret kaafi hai tu apne chashma-e-be-faiz ko sambhal ke rakh...
jo Dubti jaati hai vo kashti bhi hai meri jo TuuTta jaata hai vo paiman bhi mira hai...
munhadim hota chala jaata hai dil saal-ba-saal aisa lagta hai girah ab ke baras TuuTti hai...
Duub jaun to koi mauj nishan tak na batae aisi naddi mein utar jaane ko ji chahta hai...
ajiib hi tha mire daur-e-gumrahi ka rafiq bichhaD gaya to kabhi lauT kar nahin aaya...
ek ham hi to nahin hain jo uThate hain saval jitne hain khaak-basar shahr ke sab puchhte hain...
main jis ko apni gavahi mein le ke aaya hun ajab nahin ki vahi aadmi adu ka bhi ho...
subh savere ran paDna hai aur ghamsan ka ran raaton raat chala jaae jis ko jaana hai...
vo jis ke naam ki nisbat se raushni tha vajud khaTak raha hai vahi aaftab aankhon mein...
har nai nasl ko ik taaza madine ki talash sahibo ab koi hijrat nahin hogi ham se...
vahi hai khvab jise mil ke sab ne dekha tha ab apne apne qabilon mein baT ke dekhte hain...
sipah-e-shaam ke neze pe aaftab ka sar kis ehtimam se parvar-digar-e-shab nikla...
gham-e-jahan ko sharmsar karne vaale kya hue vo saari umr intizar karne vaale kya hue...
main apne khvab se kaT kar jiyun to mera khuda ujaaD de miri miTTi ko dar-ba-dar kar de...
maal-e-izzat-e-sadat-e-ishq dekh ke ham badal gae to badalne pe itni hairat kya...
vo mere naam ki nisbat se mo'tabar Thahre gali gali miri rusvaiyon ka sathi ho...
khula fareb-e-mohabbat dikhai deta hai ajab kamal hai us be-vafa ke lahje mein...
ye raushni ke taaqub mein bhagta hua din jo thak gaya hai to ab us ko mukhtasar kar de...
aajizi bakhshi gai tamkanat-e-faqr ke saath dene vaale ne hamein kaun si daulat nahin di...
rang se khushbuon ka naata TuuTta jaata hai phuul se log khizaon jaisi baaten karte hain...
usi ko baat na pahunche jise pahunchni ho ye iltizam bhi arz-e-hunar mein rakkha jaae...
ye basti jaani pahchani bahut hai yahan vaadon ki arzani bahut hai...
ravish mein gardish-e-sayyargan se achchhi hai zamin kahin ki bhi ho aasman se achchhi hai...
is baar bhi duniya ne hadaf ham ko banaya is baar to ham shah ke musahib bhi nahin the...
yahi lahja tha ki mear-e-sukhan Thahra tha ab isi lahja-e-be-bak se khauf aata hai...
karobar mein ab ke khasara aur tarah ka hai kaam nahin baDhta mazduri baDhti jaati hai...
mansab na kulah chahta hun tanha hun gavah chahta hun...
main jis ko ek umr sambhale phira kiya miTTi bata rahi hai vo paikar mira na tha...
bas ek khvab ki surat kahin hai ghar mera makan ke hote hue la-makan ke hote hue...
koi junun koi sauda na sar mein rakkha jaae bas ek rizq ka manzar nazar mein rakkha jaae...
vafa ke baab mein kar-e-sukhan tamam hua miri zamin pe ik maarka lahu ka bhi ho...
ye tere mere charaghon ki zid jahan se chali vahin kahin se ilaqa hava ka lagta hai...
jab 'miir' o 'mirza' ke sukhan raegan gae ik be-hunar ki baat na samjhi gai to kya...
jo harf-e-haq ki himayat mein ho vo gum-nami hazar vaza ke naam-o-nishan se achchhi hai...
azaab-e-vahshat-e-jaan ka sila na maange koi nae safar ke liye rasta na maange koi...
dil ke maabud jabinon ke khudai se alag aise aalam mein ibadat nahin hogi ham se...
khazana-e-zar-o-gauhar pe khaak Daal ke rakh ham ahl-e-mehr-o-mohabbat hain dil nikaal ke rakh...
kahan ke naam o nasab ilm kya fazilat kya jahan-e-rizq mein tauqir-e-ahl-e-hajat kya...
mire saare harf tamam harf azaab the mire kam-sukhan ne sukhan kiya to khabar hui...
dil un ke saath magar tegh aur shakhs ke saath ye silsila bhi kuchh ahl-e-riya ka lagta hai...
hamein bhi aafiyat-e-jaan ka hai khayal bahut hamein bhi halqa-e-na-motabar mein rakkha jaae...
miTTi ki gavahi se baDi dil ki gavahi yun ho to ye zanjir ye zindan bhi mira hai...
yahi lau thi ki ulajhti rahi har raat ke saath ab ke khud apni havaon mein bujha chahti hai...
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