Contemporary · Okara
Zafar Iqbal of Okara announced a new ghazal with "Aab-e-Rawan" (1962) and has kept unsettling it since: coined words, broken idioms, an ironic anti-romantic stance that scandalized purists and energized successors. A lawyer by training and a newspaper columnist for decades, he is among the most prolific — and most argued-about — living ghazal poets.
ye jo rawan hain chaar so itne dhuein ke aadmi
kis liye chob sabz ko aag se aashna karoon
quaid kare toh aap hai quaid sahe toh aap hai
mein kise rokta phiroon aur kise raha karoon
raat ruki hai aan kar zard safeed ghaas par
laakh sukhan hai darmiyan kis se kise juda karoon
shaakh hali toh dar gaya dhoop khuli toh mar gaya
kaash kabhi toh jeete ji subh ka saamna karoon
pata chala koi girdaab se guzarte hue
na band hote hue baab se guzarte hue
ki ye toh rakhta pareshaan hi mujhe shab bhar
mein jaag utha hoon tire khawaab se guzarte hue
mein apne dil ke andheeron ko yaad rakhta hoon
tire badan ki tab w taab se guzarte hue
hawa khauf khizan mein larazta rahta hoon
kisi bhi waadi shaadaab se guzarte hue
mujhe jo milti nahi dushmanon ki khair khabar
toh poochh leta hoon ahbaab se guzarte hue
zamin pe dekhta hoon aab mein gulaab rawan
aur aasmaan pe sarkhaab se guzarte hue
mein chhod aaya hoon peechhe hazaarha meendak
sukhan saraai ke taalaab se guzarte hue
mujhe toh ek bahaana hi chahiye tha faquat
ki doob jaaoon ga paaeeaab se guzarte hue
kahan chali gain karke ye tod phod zafraؔ
wo bijliyan mire asaab se guzarte hue
asi se aae hain aashob aasman waale
jise ghubaar samajhte the kaarwan waale
mein apni dhan mein yahan aandhiyan uthaata hoon
magar kahan wo maze khaak aashiyan waale
mujhe diya na kabhi mere dushmanon ka pata
mujhe hua se ladaate rahe jahan waale
mire saraab tamannaa pe rashk tha jin ko
bane hain aaj wahi bahar beekran waale
mein naala hoon mujhe apne labon se door na rakh
mujhi se zinda hai toh mere jism w jan waale
ye musht khaak zafraؔ mera pairhan hi toh hai
mujhe zamin se daraayin na kahakshan waale
yoon toh hai zer nazar har maajra dekha hua
phir nahi dekha hai wo rang hua dekha hua