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Kaifi Azmi

1919 (Azamgarh) – 2002 (Mumbai) • Red Poet

"Writing his first ghazal at the tender age of 11, Kaifi Azmi grew up to be a hardcore communist intellectual and a leading Bollywood lyricist. He famously wrote the poem 'Aurat', urging women to rise up and march shoulder-to-shoulder with men. Despite suffering a paralyzing stroke later in life, his spirit never broke; he continued to write fiercely powerful, socially conscious poetry until his final days. He is the father of actress Shabana Azmi."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

bas ik jhijak hai yahi haal-e-dil sunane mein ki tera zikr bhi aaega is fasane mein...
insan ki khvahishon ki koi intiha nahin do gaz zamin bhi chahiye do gaz kafan ke baad...
rahne ko sada dahr mein aata nahin koi tum jaise gae aise bhi jaata nahin koi...
jhuki jhuki si nazar be-qarar hai ki nahin daba daba sa sahi dil mein pyaar hai ki nahin...
basti mein apni hindu musalman jo bas gae insan ki shakl dekhne ko ham taras gae...
tum itna jo muskura rahe ho kya gham hai jis ko chhupa rahe ho...
ab jis taraf se chahe guzar jaae karvan viraniyan to sab mire dil mein utar gain...
muddat ke baad us ne jo ki lutf ki nigah ji khush to ho gaya magar aansu nikal paDe...
koi to suud chukaae koi to zimma le us inqalab ka jo aaj tak udhaar sa hai...
mera bachpan bhi saath le aaya gaanv se jab bhi aa gaya koi...
peD ke kaTne valon ko ye malum to tha jism jal jaenge jab sar pe na saaya hoga...
gar Dubna hi apna muqaddar hai to suno Duubenge ham zarur magar nakhuda ke saath...
jis tarah hans raha hun main pi pi ke garm ashk yun dusra hanse to kaleja nikal paDe...
belche laao kholo zamin ki tahen main kahan dafn hun kuchh pata to chale...
koi kahta tha samundar hun main aur miri jeb mein qatra bhi nahin...
roz baDhta hun jahan se aage phir vahin lauT ke aa jaata hun...
bahaar aae to mera salam kah dena mujhe to aaj talab kar liya hai sahra ne...
ghurbat ki ThanDi chhaanv mein yaad aai us ki dhuup qadr-e-vatan hui hamein tark-e-vatan ke baad...
itna to zindagi mein kisi ke khalal paDe hansne se ho sukun na rone se kal paDe...
jo ik khuda nahin miltا to itna maatam kyun yahan to koi mira ham-zaban nahin milta...
ki hai koi hasin khata har khata ke saath thoDa sa pyaar bhi mujhe de do saza ke saath...
roz baste hain kai shahr nae roz dharti mein sama jaate hain...
shab-e-intizar aakhir kabhi hogi mukhtasar bhi ye charagh bujh rahe hain mire saath jalte jalte...
rah gai zindagi dard ban ke dard dil mein chhupaae chhupaae...
dil ki naazuk ragen TuuTti hain yaad itna bhi koi na aae...
nazar mili bhi na thi aur un ko dekh liya zaban khuli bhi na thi aur baat bhi kar li...
jab us ne haar ke khanjar zamin pe phenk diya tamam zakhm-e-jigar muskurae hain kya kya...
jo kahi gai na mujh se vo zamana kah raha hai ki fasana ban gai hai meri baat Talte Talte...
aaj phir Tuutengi tere ghar ki naazuk khiDkiyan aaj phir dekha gaya divana tere shahr mein...
jo vo mire na rahe main bhi kab kisi ka raha bichhaD ke un se saliqa na zindagi ka raha...
nasheb-e-hasti se afsos ham ubhar na sake faraz-e-daar se paigham aae hain kya kya...
labon se uD gaya jugnu ki tarah naam us ka sahara ab mire ghar mein na raushni ka raha...
divaren to har taraf khaDi hain kya ho gae mehrban saae...
uTha ke sar mujhe itna to dekh lene de ki qatl-gah mein divane aae hain kya kya...
na jaane kis ka saaya dil se guzra zara aavaz dena raazdaro...
shah-name likkhe hain khanDarat ki har iinT par har jagah hai dafn ik afsana tere shahr mein...
ik khvab khushi ka dekha nahin dekha jo kabhi to bhuul gae manga hua tum kuchh de na sake jo tum ne diya vo sahne do...
jangal ki havaen aa rahi hain kaghaz ka ye shahr uD na jaae...
ab aage jo bhi ho anjam dekha jaega khuda talash liya aur bandagi kar li...
kya dard kisi ka lega koi itna to kisi mein dard nahin bahte hue aansu aur bahen ab aisi tasalli rahne do...
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