kitnii aashaaon ki laashen suukhen dil ke aangan men
— Ali Sardar Jafri
Kitnee aashaaon kee laashen sookhen dil ke aangan men
Kitne sooraj Doob ga.e hain chehron ke peele-pan men
Bachchon ke meeThe honTon par pyaas kee sookhee ret jamee
Duudh kee dhaaren gaa.e ke than se gir ga.iin naagon ke phan men
Registaanon men jalte hain paDe hue sau naqsh-e-qadam par
Aaj khiraamaan koee naheen hai ummeedon ke gulshan men
Chaknaa-choor huaa khawabon kaa dilkash dilchasp aa.eena
TeDhee tirchhee tasveeren hain TooTe-phooTe darpan men
Paa-e-junoon men paDee huee hain hirs-o-havaa kee zanjeeren
Qaid hai ab tak haath sahar kaa taareekee ke kangan men
Aankhon kee Kuch nauras kaliyaan neem-shagufta ghuncha-e-lab
Kaise kaise phuul bhare hain gulcheenon ke daaman men
Dast-e-ghaib kee tarah chhupaa hai zulm kaa haath sitam kaa vaar
Khushk lahoo kee baarish dekhee ham ne koocha-e-barzan men