taqayya so ab ye shart e hayaat thahrii
— Parveen Shakir
So ab ye shart-e-hayaat Thahree
Ki shahar ke sab najeeb afraad
Apne apne lahoo kee hurmat se munharif ho ke jiinaa seekhen
Vo sab aqeede ki in gharaanon men
Un kee aankhon ke rangton kee tarah tasalsul se chal rahe the
Sunaa hai baatil qaraar paa.e
Vo sab vafaadaariyaan ki jin par lahoo ke va.ade halaf hue the
Vo aaj se maslahat kee ghaDiyaan shumaar hongee
Badan kee vaabastagee kaa kya zikr
Ruuh ke ahd-naame tak faskh maane jaa.en
Khamoshee-o-maslahat-pasandee men khairiyat hai
Magar mire shahr-e-munharif men
Abhee kuch aise ghayyoor-o-saadiq ba-qaid-e-jaan hain
Ki harf-e-inkaar jin kee qismat nahin banaa hai
So haakim-e-shahr jab bhee apne ghulaam-zaade
Unhen giraftaar karne bheje
To saath men ek ek kaa shajra-e-nasb bhee ravaana karnaa
Aur un ke hamraah sard patthar men chunne denaa
Ki aaj se jab
Hazaar-haa saal ba.ad ham bhee
Kisee zamaane ke Tekslaayaa haDappa ban kar talaashe jaa.en
To us zamaane ke log
Ham ko
Kaheen bahut kam-nasab na jaanen
So ab ye shart-e-hayat Thahri
Ki shahar ke sab najib afrad
Apne apne lahu ki hurmat se munharif ho ke jina sikhen
Wo sab aqide ki in gharanon mein
Un ki aankhon ke rangton ki tarah tasalsul se chal rahe the
Suna hai baatil qarar pae
Wo sab wafadariyan ki jin par lahu ke wade halaf hue the
Wo aaj se maslahat ki ghaDiyan shumar hongi
Badan ki wabastagi ka kya zikr
Ruh ke ahd-name tak fasKH mane jaen
KHamoshi-o-maslahat-pasandi mein KHairiyat hai
Magar mere shahr-e-munharif mein
Abhi kuch aise ghayyur-o-sadiq ba-qaid-e-jaan hain
Ki harf-e-inkar jin ki qismat nahin bana hai
So hakim-e-shahr jab bhi apne ghulam-zade
Unhen giraftar karne bheje
To sath mein ek ek ka shajra-e-nasb bhi rawana karna
Aur un ke hamrah sard patthar mein chunne dena
Ki aaj se jab
Hazar-ha sal baad hum bhi
Kisi zamane ke Tekslaya haDappa ban kar talashe jaen
To us zamane ke log
Hum ko
Kahin bahut kam-nasab na jaanen