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Mohammad Alvi

1927 (Ahmedabad) – 2018 (Ahmedabad) • The Quiet Modernist

"A Sahitya Akademi Award winner from Gujarat, Mohammad Alvi intentionally moved away from the grand, dramatic tropes of classical poetry. Instead, he wrote with striking simplicity about everyday, mundane objects—like doors, cups of tea, and neighborhood cats—finding profound poetry and fresh imagery in the ordinary aspects of life."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

dhoop ne guzarish ki ek boond barish ki...
roz achchhe nahin lagte aansoo khaas mauqon pe maza dete hain...
ab to chup-chap shaam aati hai pahle chidiyon ke shor hote the...
andhera hai kaise tira khat padhoon lifafe mein kuchh raushni bhej de...
kabhi aankhein kitab mein gum hain kabhi gum hai kitab aankhon mein...
sardi mein din sard mila har mausam bedard mila...
aaj phir mujh se kaha dariya ne kya irada hai baha le jaun...
kuchh to is dil ko saza di jaye us ki tasweer hata di jaye...
apna ghar aane se pahle itni galiyan kyun aati hain...
maana ki tu zaheen bhi hai khoob-roo bhi hai tujh sa na main hua to bhala kya bura hua...
nazron se napta hai samundar ki wusatein sahil pe ik shakhs akela khada hua...
aag apne hi laga sakte hain ghair to sirf hawa dete hain...
achchhe din kab aayenge kya yun hi mar jaayenge...
us se mile zamana hua lekin aaj bhi dil se dua nikalti hai khush ho jahan bhi ho...
us se bichhadte waqt main roya tha khoob-sa ye baat yaad aayi to pahron hansa kiya...
haaye wo log jo dekhe bhi nahin yaad aayen to rula dete hain...
main khud ko marte hue dekh kar bahut khush hoon ye dar bhi hai ki miri aankh khul na jaye kahin...
ab na 'ghalib' se shikayat hai na shikwa 'meer' ka ban gaya main bhi nishana rekhta ke teer ka...
dekha to sab ke sar pe gunahon ka bojh tha khush the tamam nekiyan dariya mein daal kar...
dekha na hoga tu ne magar intezar mein chalte hue samay ko thaharte hue bhi dekh...
maut bhi door bahut door kahin phirti hai kaun ab aa ke aseeron ko rihai dega...
main us ke badan ki muqaddas kitab nihayat aqeedat se padhta raha...
kamre mein maze ki raushni ho achchhi si koi kitab dekhoon...
naya saal deewar par taang de purane baras ka calendar gira...
rakhte ho agar aankh to baahar se na dekho dekho mujhe andar se bahut toot chuka hoon...
'alvi' ye moajiza hai december ki dhoop ka saare makan shahr ke dhoye hue se hain...
wo jangalon mein darakhton pe koodte phirna bura bahut tha magar aaj se to behtar tha...
hairan mat ho tairti machhli ko dekh kar paani mein raushni ko utarte hue bhi dekh...
ik ladka tha ik ladki thi aage allah ki marzi thi...
un dinon ghar se ajab rishta tha saare darwaze gale lagte the...
chhod gaya mujh ko 'alvi' shayad wo jaldi mein tha...
aur bazaar se kya le jaun pahli barish ka maza le jaun...
abhi do chaar hi boondein giri hain magar mausam nasheela ho gaya hai...
thodi sardi zara sa nazla hai shaeri ka mizaj patla hai...
office mein bhi ghar ko khula paata hoon main table par sar rakh kar so jaata hoon main...
chala jaunga jaise khud ko tanha chhod kar 'alvi' main apne aap ko raaton mein uth kar dekh leta hoon...
ghar mein kya aaya ki mujh ko deewaron ne gher liya hai...
gham bahut din muft ki khaata raha ab use dil se nikaala chahiye...
raat pade ghar jaana hai subh talak mar jaana hai...
are ye dil aur itna khaali koi musibat hi paal rakhiye...
raat mili tanhai mili aur jaam mila ghar se nikle to kya kya aaram mila...
donon ke dil mein khauf tha maidan-e-jang mein donon ka khauf faasla tha darmiyan ka...
aisa hangama na tha jangal mein shahr mein aaye to dar lagta tha...
khidkiyon se jhaankti hai raushni battiyan jalti hain ghar ghar raat mein...
har waqt khilte phool ki jaanib taka na kar murjha ke pattiyon ko bikharte hue bhi dekh...
aankhein kholo khwab sameto jaago bhi 'alvi' pyare dekho saala din nikla...
maut na aayi to 'alvi' chhutti mein ghar jaayenge...
bula raha tha koi cheekh cheekh kar mujh ko kuen mein jhaank ke dekha to main hi andar tha...
gaadi aati hai lekin aati hi nahin rail ki patri dekh ke thak jaata hoon main...
tareef sun ke dost se 'alvi' tu khush na ho us ko tiri buraiyan karte hue bhi dekh...
darwaze par pahra dene tanhai ka bhoot khada hai...
parinde door fazaon mein kho gaye 'alvi' ujaad ujaad darakhton pe aashiyane the...
aasman par ja pahunchun allah tera naam likhoon...
bichhadte waqt aisa bhi hua hai kisi ki siskiyan achchhi lagi hain...
dhoondta hoon main zameen achchhi si ye badan jis mein utara jaye...
saamne deewar par kuchh dagh the ghaur se dekha to chehre ho gaye...
gul-daan mein gulab ki kaliyan mahak uthin kursi ne us ko dekh ke aaghosh wa kiya...
dil hai pyaasa husain ke manind ye badan karbala ka maidan hai...
dhoondne mein bhi maza aata hai koi shai rakh ke bhula di jaye...
andheri raaton mein dekh lena dikhai degi badan ki khushbu...
bahut khush hue aaina dekh kar yahan koi saani hamara na tha...
kitna mushkil hai zindagi karna aur na socho to kitna aasan hai...
ladki achchhi hai 'alvi' naam us ka mar jaana hai...
din dhal raha tha jab use dafna ke aaye the sooraj bhi tha malool zameen par jhuka hua...
ye kahan doston mein aa baithe ham to marne ko ghar se nikle the...
bikher de mujhe charon taraf khalaon mein kuchh is tarah se alag kar ki jud na paun main...
marne ke dar se aur kahan tak jiyega tu jeene ke din tamam hue intiqal kar...
munh-zabani quraan padhte the pahle bachche bhi kitne boodhe the...
main nahaq din kaat raha hoon kaun yahan sau saal jiya hai...
is bhari duniya se wo chal diya chupke se yun jaise kisi ko bhi ab us ki zaroorat na thi...
ab kisi ki yaad bhi aati nahin dil pe ab fikron ke pahre ho gaye...
mire hone ne mujh ko maar daala nahin tha to bahut mahfooz tha main...
yakka ulat ke rah gaya ghoda bhadak gaya kaali sadak pe chaand sa chehra chamak gaya...
sharife ke darakhton mein chhupa ghar dekh leta hoon main aankhein band kar ke ghar ke andar dekh leta hoon...
kahan bhatakte phiroge 'alvi' sadak se poocho kidhar gayi hai...
lambi sadak pe door talak koi bhi na tha palkein jhapak raha tha daricha khula hua...
gali mein koi ghar achchha nahin tha magar kuchh khidkiyan achchhi lagi hain...
par tol ke baithi hai magar udti nahin hai tasweer se chidiya ko uda dena chahiye...
mila hamein bas ek khuda aur wo bhi bedard mila...
kyun sar khapa rahe ho mazameen ki khoj mein kar lo jadeed shaeri lafzon ko jod kar...
mutmain hai wo bana kar duniya kaun hota hoon main dhane wala...
dil ka aaina hua jaata hai dhundla dhundla kab tira aks ise apni safai dega...
raat kaun aaya tha kar gaya sahar raushan...
kante ki tarah sookh ke rah jaoge 'alvi' chhodo ye ghazal-goi ye beemari buri hai...
bazaar ke daamon ki shikayat hai har ik ko phir bhi sar-e-bazaar badi bheed lagi hai...
ik yaad rah gayi hai magar wo bhi kam nahin ik dard rah gaya hai so rakhna sambhal kar...
'alvi' khwahish bhi thi baanjh jazba bhi na-mard mila...
kabhi to aisa bhi ho raah bhool jaun main nikal ke ghar se na phir apne ghar mein aaun main...
naha kar bheege baalon ko sukhati chhaton par ladkiyan achchhi lagi hain...
din bhar bachchon ne mil kar patthar phenke phal tode saanjh hui to panchhi mil kar rone lage darakhton par...
utaar phenkoon badan se phati purani qamees badan qamees se badh kar kata-phata dekhoon...
gawahi deta wahi meri be-gunahi ki wo mar gaya to use ab kahan se laun main...
log kahte hain ki mujh sa tha koi wo jo bachchon ki tarah roya tha...
sab namazein baandh kar le jaunga main apne saath aur masjid ke liye goongi azaan rakh jaunga...
roz kahta hai hawa ka jhonka aa tujhe door uda le jaun...
yaar aaj main ne bhi ik kamaal karna hai jism se nikalna hai jee bahaal karna hai...
subh se khod raha hoon ghar ko khwab dekha hai khazane wala...
ghazal kahi hai koi bhaang to nahin pi hai mushaire mein tarannum se kyun sunaun main...
sadiyon se kinare pe khada sookh raha hai is shahr ko dariya mein gira dena chahiye...
kisi se koi taalluq raha na ho jaise kuchh is tarah se guzarte hue zamane the...
ham se jo aage gaye kitne mehrban the door talak raah mein ek bhi patthar na tha...
zameen chhodne ka anokha maza kabootar ki oonchi udanon mein tha...
raat-bhar socha kiye aur subh-dam akhbar mein apne hathon apne marne ki khabar dekha kiye...
kahin kho na jaaye qayamat ka din ye achchha samay hai abhi bhej de...
tira na milna ajab gul khila gaya ab ke tire hi jaisa koi doosra mila mujh ko...
pahli boond giri tip se phir sab kuchh paani mein tha...
batti bujha ke hero heroine lipat gaye qissa bahut hi phir to mazedar ho gaya...
un ko gunah karte hue main ne ja liya phir un ke saath main bhi gunahgar ho gaya...
'faiz'-sahib sher kyun kahte nahin 'faiz'-sahib sher kahna chahiye...
use main ne bhi kal dekha tha 'alvi' naye kapde pahan ke ja raha tha...
us se bhi mil kar hamein marne ki hasrat rahi us ne bhi jaane diya wo bhi sitamgar na tha...
bahut nek bande hain ab bhi tire kisi par to ya-rab wahi bhej de...
shanti ki dukanen kholi hain fakhtayen kahan ki bholi hain...
bina murghe ke par jhatakti hain murghiyan dar-ba-dar bhatakti hain...
ik diya der se jalta hoga saath thodi si hawa le jaun...
tuda-muda hai magar khuda hai ise to sahib sambhal rakhiye...
'alvi' ne aaj din mein kahani sunayi thi shayad isi wajah se main rasta bhatak gaya...
ghar mein saaman to ho dilchaspi ka hadsa koi utha le jaun...
ghar ne apna hosh sambhala din nikla khidki mein bhar gaya ujala din nikla...
bus ke neeche koi nahin aata phir bhi bus mein baith ke behad ghabrata hoon main...
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