Ibn-e-Insha

Ibn-e-Insha is known for simple language in much of his poetry; this poem evokes images of a simpler time -- there is almost an innocence in the easy nature of the writing:

Hum ghoom chuke bastee ban men
Ik aas kee phaans liye man men
Koi saajan ho koi pyaaraa ho
Koi deepak ho koi taaraa ho
Jab jeevan raat andhereee ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Jab saawan baadal chaae hon
Jab phaagan phool khilaae hon
Jab chandaa roop lutaataa ho
Jab sooraj dhoop nahaataa ho
Yaa shaam ne bastee gheree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Haan dil kaa daaman phaelaa hai
Kyoon goree kaa dil maelaa hai
Hum kab tak peet ke dhoke men
Tum kab tak door jharoke men
Kab deed se dil ko seree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Kyaa jhagraa sood khasaare kaa
Yeh kaaj nahin banjaare kaa
Sab sonaa roopa le jaae
Sab duniya duniya le jaae
Tum ek mujhe bahteree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Akhtar Azad

Clearly, the verses are super-long here. Formatting took quite a while!


Koi chaudveen raat kaa chaand ban kar tumhaare tasavvur men
                                                                                                    aaya to ho gaa
        Kisee se to kee ho gee tum ne muhabbat, kisee ko gale se lagayaa
                                                                                                    to ho gaa

Tumhaare khayaalon kee angnaaiyon men meree yaad ke phool
                                                                                                    mehakte to hon ge
        Kabhi apnee aankhon ke kaajal se tum ne meraa naam likh kar
                                                                                                    mitaayaa to ho gaa

Labon se muhabbat kaa jaadoo lagaa kar, bharee bazm men sab se
                                                                                                    nazren churaa kar
        Nigaahon kee rahon se dil men samaa kar kisee ne tumhen bhi
                                                                                                    churaayaa to ho gaa

Kabhi aaine se nigaahen milaa kar jo lee ho gee bharpoor angraaee
                                                                                                    tu ne
        To ghabraa ke khud teree angraaeeon ne tere husn ko gudgudayaa
                                                                                                    to ho gaa

Nigaahon men shama-e-tamanna jalaa kar takee hon gee tum ne bhee
                                                                                                    raahen kisee kee
        Kisee ne to wa'dah kiyaa ho gaa tum se, kisee ne tumhen bhee
                                                                                                    rulaayaa to ho gaa

Charaagh Hasan Hasrat

Yaa rab, gham-e-hijraan men, itnaa to kiyaa hotaa
        Jo haath jigar par hai, woh dast-e-du'aa hotaa

Ik ishq kaa gham aafat, aur us peh yeh dil aafat
        Yaa gham na diyaa hotaa, yaa dil na diyaa hotaa

Naakaam-e-tamanna dil, is soch men rehtaa hai
        Yoon hotaa to kyaa hotaa, yoon hotaa to kyaa hotaa

Umeed to bandh jaatee, taskeen to ho jaatee
        Wa'dah naa wafaa karte, wa'dah to kiyaa hotaa

Ghairon se kahaa tum ne, ghairon se sunaa tum ne
        Kuch hum se kahaa hotaa, kuch hum se sunaa hotaa