one of my favourite nazms from his book ‘talkhiyaaN’, I mainly fell in love with his poetry after reading this and ‘mataa-e-Ghair’ which I will post soon as well.

tumheiN udaas sa paataa houN maiN kaii din se
na jaane kaun se sadme uThaa rahii ho tum
voh shoKhiyaaN, vo tabassum, vo qahqahe na rahe
har ek cheez ko Hasrat se dekhtii ho tum
chhupaa chhupaa ke Khamoshi meiN apnii bechaini
Khud apne raaz kii tash_heer ban gayii ho tum

mirii umeed agar miT gayii to miTne do
ummeed kyaa hai bas ik pesh-o-pas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN
mirii Hayaat kii GhamgeeniyoN ka Gham na karo
Gham-e-Hayaat, Gham-e-yak-nafas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN
tum apne Husn kii raa’naayioN pe raHam karo
wafaa fareb hai tuul-e-hawas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN

mujhe tumhaare taGhaaful se kyaa shikaayat ho
mirii fanaa mire ehsaas ka taqaazaa hai
maiN jaantaa houN duniyaa kaa Khauf hai tumko
mujhe Khabar hai ye duniyaa ajeeb duniyaa hai
yahaaN Hayaat ke parde meiN maut paltii hai
shikast-e-saaz kii aavaaz rooh-e-naGhmaa hai

mujhe tumhaarii judaaii kaa koii ranj nahiiN
mire Khayaal kii duniyaa meiN mire paas ho tum
ye tum ne Theek kahaa hai tumheiN milaa na karouN
magar mujhe ye bataa do k kyoN udaas ho tum
Khafaa na honaa meri jurrat-e-taKhaatub par
tumheiN Khabar hai merii zindagii kii aas ho tum

mira to kuchh bhii nahiiN hai maiN ro ke jee louNgaa
magar Khudaa ke liye tum aseer-e-Gham na raho
huaa hi kyaa jo zamaane ne tum ko chheen liyaa
yahaaN pe kaun huaa hai kisii ka socho to
mujhe qasam hai mirii dukh bharii javaanii kii
maiN Khush houN, meri muhabbat ke phool Thukraa do

maiN apnii rooH kii har ik Khushii miTaa louNgaa
magar tumhaarii masarrat miTaa nahiiN saktaa
maiN Khud ko maut ke haathoN meiN sauNp saktaa houN
magar ye baar-e-masaa’ib uThaa nahiiN saktaa
tumhaare Gham ke sivaa aur bhi to Gham haiN mujhe
najaat jin se maiN ik laHzaa paa nahiiN saktaa

ye ooNche ooNche makaanoN kii DyoDhiyoN ke tale
har ek gaam pe bhooke bhikaariyoN kii sadaa
har ek ghar meiN hai iflaas aur bhook kaa shor
har ek samt ye insaaniyat kii aah-o-bukaa
ye kaarKhaanoN meiN lohe kaa shaur-o-Ghul jis meiN
hai dafn laakhoN GhareeboN kii rooH kaa naGhmaa

ye shaah-raahoN pe rangeen saaRiyoN kii jhalak
ye jhoNpaRoN meiN GhareeboN ke beqafan laasheiN
ye maal road pe kaaroN kii rel-pel kaa shor
ye paTriyoN pe GhareeboN ke zard-roo bachche

gali gali meiN ye bikte hue javaaN chehre
haseen aaNkhoN meiN afsurdagii sii chhaaii hai
ye jaNg aur ye mere watan ke shauKh javaaN
Khareedii jaatii haiN uTh_tii javaaniyaaN jinki
ye baat baat pe qaanon-o-zaabte kii giraft
ye zillateiN, ye Ghulaamii, ye daur-e-majboorii

ye Gham bahut haiN mirii zindagii miTaane ko
udaas rah ke mire dil ko aur raNj na do!

Glossary:

tabassum = smiles
qahqahe = laughters
tash_heer = advertisement
pesh-o-pas = confusion
Hayaat = life
Gham-e-Hayaat = life’s sorrows
Gham-e-yak-nafas = sorrows that last only one breath (momentary sorrows)
ra’aniyoN = beauty, tenderness
fareb = deceit, trick
tuul-e-hawas = discourse of lust
taGhaaful = neglect, negligence
fanaa = art
ehsaas = feelings, perception
taqaazaa = settlement
shikast-e-saaz = the breaking of a musical instrument
rooH-e-naGHmaa = the song of the soul
jurrat-e-taKhaatab = my bold talks
aseer-e-Gham = grief-stricken
masarrat = happiness
baar-e-masaa’ib = the weight of these calamities
najaat = free
laHzaa = a second, a moment
gaam = step
sadaa = voice
iflaas = poverty
samt = towards, directions
aah-o-bukaa = laments
shaah-raahoN = royal roads
zard-roo = yellow faced
afsurdagii = sadness
qaanon-o-zaabte = law and order
giraft = hold
zillateiN = humiliations
daur-e-majboori = the times of helplessness