kuch to ehsas-e-ziyan tha pahle
dil ka ye hal kahan tha pahle

ab to manzil bhi hai khud garm-e-safar
har qadam sang-e-nishan tha pahle

safar-e-shauq k farsang na puch
waqt beqaid-e-makan tha pahle

ye alag bat k gam ras hai ab
is main andesha-e-jan tha pahle

yun na ghabraye huye phirte the
dil ajab kunj-e-aman tha pahle

ab bhi tu pas nahi hai lekin
is qadar dur kahan tha pahle

dere dale hain bagolon ne jahan
us taraf chashm-e-rawan tha pahle

ab wo dariya na basti na wo log
kya khabar kaun kahan tha pahle

har kharaba ye sada deta hai
main bhi abad makan tha pahle

kya se kya ho gai duniya pyare
tu wahin par hai jahan tha pahle

ham ne abad kiya mulk-e-sukhan
kaisa sunsan saman tha pahle

ham ne bakhshi hai khamoshi ko zuban
dard majbur-e-fugan tha pahle

ham ne roshan kiya mamur-e-gam
warna har simt dhuan tha pahle

gam ne phir dil ko jagaya 'Nasir'
khanabarbad kahan tha pahle