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Irfan Siddiqi

1939 (Badaun) – 2004 (Lucknow) • The Neoclassical Master

"A master from Lucknow who achieved something remarkable: he reclaimed the classical, highly refined language of the traditional ghazal but applied it brilliantly to address modern existential crises. He often used the historical tragedy of Karbala as an overarching metaphor for contemporary struggles and moral dilemmas."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

utho ye manzar-e-shab-taab dekhne ke liye ki neend shart nahin khwab dekhne ke liye...
badan mein jaise lahoo taziyana ho gaya hai use gale se lagaye zamana ho gaya hai...
tum parindon se ziyada to nahin ho aazad shaam hone ko hai ab ghar ki taraf laut chalo...
raat ko jeet to paata nahin lekin ye charagh kam se kam raat ka nuqsan bahut karta hai...
hoshiyari dil-e-nadan bahut karta hai ranj kam sahta hai elaan bahut karta hai...
badan ke donon kinaron se jal raha hoon main ki chhoo raha hoon tujhe aur pighal raha hoon main...
sar agar sar hai to nezon se shikayat kaisi dil agar dil hai to dariya se bada hona hai...
sham-e-khema koi zanjeer nahin ham-safaran jis ko jaana hai chala jaye ijazat kaisi...
ham to raat ka matlab samjhen khwab, sitare, chaand, charagh aage ka ahvaal wo jaane jis ne raat guzari ho...
jo kuchh hua wo kaise hua jaanta hoon main jo kuchh nahin hua wo bata kyun nahin hua...
ret par thak ke gira hoon to hawa poochhti hai aap is dasht mein kyun aaye the wahshat ke baghair...
hamein to khair bikharna hi tha kabhi na kabhi hawa-e-taza ka jhonka bahana ho gaya hai...
tum suno ya na suno haath badhao na badhao doobte doobte ik baar pukarenge tumhein...
ajab harif tha mere hi saath doob gaya mire safine ko gharqab dekhne ke liye...
sarhadein achchhi ki sarhad pe na rukna achchha sochiye aadmi achchha ki parinda achchha...
ek ladka shahr ki raunaq mein sab kuchh bhool jaye ek budhiya roz chaukhat par diya raushan kare...
apne kis kaam mein layega batata bhi nahin ham ko auron pe ganwana bhi nahin chahta hai...
tum se mile to khud se ziyada tum ko akela paaya ham ne...
us ki aankhein hain ki ik doobne wala insan doosre doobne wale ko pukare jaise...
mere hone mein kisi taur se shamil ho jao tum masiha nahin hote ho to qatil ho jao...
main chahta hoon yahin saare faisle ho jaayen ki is ke baad ye duniya kahan se launga main...
ham ne dekha hi tha duniya ko abhi us ke baghair lijiye beech mein phir deeda-e-tar aa gaye hain...
rooh ko rooh se milne nahin deta hai badan khair ye beech ki deewar gira chahti hai...
kaha tha tum ne ki laata hai kaun ishq ki taab so ham jawab tumhaare sawal hi ke to hain...
shoala-e-ishq bujhana bhi nahin chahta hai wo magar khud ko jalana bhi nahin chahta hai...
ham sab aaina-dar-aaina-dar-aaina hain kya khabar kaun kahan kis ki taraf dekhta hai...
hamare dil ko ik aazar hai aisa nahin lagta ki ham daftar bhi jaate hain ghazal-khwani bhi karte hain...
ab aa gai hai sahar apna ghar sambhalne ko chaloon ki jaaga hua raat bhar ka main bhi hoon...
jaane kya thaan ke uthta hoon nikalne ke liye jaane kya soch ke darwaze se laut aata hoon...
magar giraft mein aata nahin badan us ka khayal dhoondta rahta hai istiaara koi...
us ko manzoor nahin hai miri gumrahi bhi aur mujhe raah pe laana bhi nahin chahta hai...
hawa-e-koofa-e-na-mehrban ko hairat hai ki log khema-e-sabr-o-raza mein zinda hain...
aakhir-e-shab hui aaghaz kahani apni ham ne paaya bhi to ik umr ganwa kar us ko...
wo jo ik shart thi wahshat ki utha di gai kya meri basti kisi sahra mein basa di gai kya...
ham to sahra hue jaate the ki us ne aa kar shahr aabad kiya nahr-e-saba jaari ki...
nafrat ke khazane mein to kuchh bhi nahin baqi thoda sa guzare ke liye pyaar bachayen...
roop ki dhoop kahan jaati hai maaloom nahin shaam kis tarah utar aati hai rukhsaron par...
sab ko nishana karte karte khud ko maar giraya ham ne...
ude to phir na milenge rafaqaton ke parind shikayaton se bhari tahniyan na chhoo lena...
jaan ham kar-e-mohabbat ka sila chahte the dil-e-sada koi mazdoor hai ujrat kaisi...
main jhapatne ke liye dhoond raha hoon mauqa aur wo shokh samajhta hai ki sharmata hoon...
aaj tak un ki khudai se hai inkar mujhe main to ik umr se kafir hoon sanam jaante hain...
kuchh ishq ke nisab mein kamzor ham bhi hain kuchh parcha-e-sawal bhi aasan chahiye...
ham ne muddat se ulat rakkha hai kaasa apna dast-e-dadar tire dirham-o-dinar pe khaak...
ajnabi jaan ke kya naam-o-nishan poochhte ho bhai ham bhi usi basti ke nikaale hue hain...
ham kaun shanawar the ki yun paar utarte sookhe hue honton ki dua le gayi ham ko...
ek main hoon ki is aashob-e-nawa mein chup hoon warna duniya mire zakhmon ki zaban bolti hai...
ajab nahin ki ye dariya nazar ka dhoka ho ajab nahin ki koi rasta nikal aaye...
ai parindo yaad karti hai tumhein pagal hawa roz ik nauha sar-e-shakh shajar sunta hoon main...
main teri manzil-e-jaan tak pahunch to sakta hun magar ye raah badan ki taraf se aati hai...
ham bhi patthar tum bhi patthar sab patthar takrao ham bhi tooten tum bhi tooto sab tooten aameen...
udaas khushk labon par laraz raha hoga wo ek bosa jo ab tak miri jabeen pe nahin...
bhool jaoge ki rahte the yahan doosre log kal phir aabad karenge ye makan doosre log...
samundar ada-fahm tha ruk gaya ki ham paanv paani pe dharne ko the...
kabhi jo zahmat-e-kar-e-rafu nahin karta hamare zakhm usi charagar ke naam tamam...
jism ki raanaiyon tak khwahishon ki bheed hai ye tamasha khatm ho jaye to ghar jayenge log...
main ne itna use chaha hai ki wo jaan-e-murad khud ko zanjeer-e-mohabbat se riha chahti hai...
tire siwa koi kaise dikhai de mujh ko ki meri aankhon pe hai dast-e-ghaebana tira...
maula, phir mire sahra se bin barse baadal laut gaye khair shikayat koi nahin hai agle baras barsa dena...
abhi se rasta kyun rokne lagi duniya khade hue hain abhi apne ru-ba-ru ham log...
dekh leta hai to khilte chale jaate hain gulab meri mitti ko khush-aasar kiya hai us ne...
dekhte hain to lahu jaise ragen todta hai ham to mar jayenge seene se laga kar us ko...
ye ham ne bhi suna hai aalam-e-asbab hai duniya yahan phir bhi bahut kuchh be-sabab hota hi rahta hai...
tum jo kuchh chaho wo tareekh mein tahrir karo ye to neza hi samajhta hai ki sar mein kya tha...
us se bichhde to tumhein koi na pahchanega tum to parchhain ho paikar ki taraf laut chalo...
ishq kya kar-e-hawas bhi koi aasan nahin khair se pahle isi kaam ke qabil ho jao...
ham bade ahl-e-khirad bante the ye kya ho gaya aql ka har mashwara deewana-pan lagne laga...
main kahan tak dil-e-sada ko bhatakne se bachaun aankh jab utthe gunahgar bana de mujh ko...
hai bahut kuchh miri tabeer ki duniya tujh mein phir bhi kuchh hai ki jo khwabon ke jahan se kam hai...
rafaqaton ko zara sochne ka mauqa do ki is ke baad ghane jangalon ka rasta hai...
dard kaisa jo duboe na baha le jaye kya nadi jis mein rawani ho na gahrai ho...
khiraj maang rahi hai wo shah-banu-e-shahr so ham bhi hadiya-e-dast-e-talab guzarte hain...
main khwab dekh raha hoon ki wo pukarta hai aur apne jism se baahar nikal raha hoon main...
mujhe ye zindagi nuqsan ka sauda nahin lagti main aane wali duniya ko bhi takhmine mein rakhta hoon...
jo teer boodhon ki fariyaad tak nahin sunte to un ke samne bachchon ka muskurana kya...
wo mujh mein bolne wala to chup hai barson se ye kaun hai jo tire ru-ba-ru pukarta hai...
ye hoo ka waqt ye jangal ghana ye kaali raat suno yahan koi khatra nahin thahar jao...
palat na jaen hamesha ko tere aangan se gudaz lamhon ki be-khwab aahaton se na rooth...
kuchh harf o sukhan pahle to akhbar mein aaya phir ishq mira koocha o bazaar mein aaya...
khuda kare saf-e-sardadgan na ho khaali jo main girun to koi doosra nikal aaye...
apne charon samt deewaren uthana raat din raat din phir saari deewaron mein dar karna mujhe...
tujh ko supurdagi mein simatna bhi hai zaroor sachcha hai karobar to nuqsan chahiye...
daulat-e-sar hoon so har jeetne wala lashkar tasht mein rakhta hai neze pe sajata hai mujhe...
hoo ka aalam hai giraftaron ki aabadi mein ham to sunte the ki zanjeer-e-giran bolti hai...
tu ik charagh-e-jahan-e-digar hai kya jaane ham is zameen pe kis tarah shab guzarte hain...
mire guman ne mire sab yaqeen jala daale zara sa shoala bhari bastiyon ko chaat gaya...
ai lahu main tujhe maqtal se kahan le jaun apne manzar hi mein har rang bhala lagta hai...
sar-barahna bibiyon ke baal chaandi ho gaye kheme phir istada kab honge rida kab aayegi...
kya jazb-e-ishq mujh se ziyada tha ghair mein us ka habib us se juda kyun nahin hua...
us ko rahta hai hamesha mari wahshat ka khayal mere gum-gashta ghazalon ka pata chahti hai...
us ki aankhon mein na jaane aks kis ka tha magar ungliyon par ek lams-e-raegan mera bhi tha...
suna tha main ne ki fitrat khala ki dushman hai so wo badan miri tanhaiyon ko paat gaya...
harif-e-tegh-e-sitam-gar to kar diya hai tujhe ab aur mujh se tu kya chahta hai sar mere...
wagarna tang na thi ishq par khuda ki zameen kaha tha us ne to main apne ghar chala bhi gaya...
unhin ki shah se unhein maat karta rahta hoon sitamgaron ki mudarat karta rahta hoon...
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