सौ सौ उम्मीदें

सौ सौ उम्मीदें बन्धती हैं एक निगाह पर,
मुझको न ऐसे प्यार से देखा करे कोई|

- अल्लामा 'इक़बाल'

ज़हर घोल दिया तुमने

ज़हर घोल दिया तुमने ज़ीस्त की आँत-बाँत में,
के कब था मुझे भरोसा यूँ फिरका या जात पात में,
आज जब आदमी को भी नहीं मयस्सर इनसान होना,
अब भला और क्या कहूँ बढ़कर इससे ख़ास बात मैं?

- मुश्ताक़

ज़ीस्त - life
आँत-बाँत - warp & weft
फ़र्क़ों - sects
मयस्सर - loss of skill or ability

The coffee bar terrace

The coffee bar terrace is lonely,
I often sit at the table imagining
your gurgling chuckle,
at once like a baby and a classy lady,
laughingly you often would show me
the atoll where long ago you often sat
with a friend
as the sun dropped shamefaced -
your words were a sparse drizzle,
for your love triggered my torrential downpours.
An ephemeral whiff makes a glossy appearance,
leaving me to rearrange my own electric memories.

- Unsigned

We are all in the gutter

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

- Oscar Wilde

Quote for success

It's not always that you get to hit the iron when it's hot;
I believe in hitting it so hard that it gets hot."

- Unattributed

मेरी ही लिखी

मेरी ही लिखी शेर-ओ-रुबईया मुझे भेजकर
क्या पाते हो मेरी ही यादों की पोटली में सर रखकर?

- आशिक़ा 'तन्हा'

ઍક તરુ નામ

ઍક તારું નામ લખતા આવડ્યૂ,
ને પછી તો સ્લેટ આ કોરી રહી...

- આદમ તંકરવી

(I only learnt how to write your name,
and then my slate remained unsoiled.)