dhoop meN tezi nahiN
aise aata hai har ik jhonka hawa ka jaise
dast-e-shafqat hai barhi umar ki mahbooba ka
aur mere shaanoN ko is tarah hila jata  hai
jaise maiN neend meN hooN

aurateN charkHe liye baiThi haiN
kuchh kapaas auT-ti haiN 
kuchh silaai ke kisi kaam meN masroof haiN yuN
jaise ye kaam hai dar asal har ik shai ki asaas

aik se aik chuhal karti hai
koi kahti hai meri churhiyaN khanakiN ko khankhaari meri saas
koi kahti hai bhari chaandni aati nahi paas
raat ki baat sunaati hai koi hans hans kar
lazzat-e-wasal hai aazar koi kahti hai
maiN to ban jaati hooN beemar koi kahti hai
maiN chalta aata hooN iss sheesh mahal meN dekho
sab hansi rok ke kahti haiN nikaalo iss ko 

ik parinda kisi aik perh ki Tahni pe chahakta hai kahiN
aik gata huwa yuN jata hai dharti se falak ki jaanib
poori quwwat se koi gend uchhale jaise
ik phudakta hai sar-e-shaakH pe jis tarah koi
aamad-e-fasal-e-bahaari ki kHushi meN naache
go nadni bojh se apne hi jhuk parhti hai
nazneeN jaise hai koi ye bhari mahfil meN
aur kal haath hue haiN peele
koyaleN kookti haiN
jaamuneN pakti haiN aamoN pe bahaar aayi hai
argHanoN bajta hai yakjoi ka
neem ke perhoN meN jhoole haiN jidhar dekho udhar
sawani gaati haiN sab larhkiyaaN awaaz mila kar har soo
aur iss awaaz se goonj uThti hai basti saari

maiN kabhi aik kabhi doosre jhoole ke qareeN jata hooN
aik hi kam hai wahi chehra nahiN
aakHrish poochh hi leta hooN kisi se barh kar
kyuN 'habeeba' nahi aayi ab tak?

khilikhila parhti haiN sab larhkiyaaN sun kar ye naam
lo ye sapne meN haiN ik kahti hai
baawli sapna nahiN shahar se aayeN haiN abhi
doosri Tokti hai
baat se baat nikal chalti hai
ThaaT ki aayi thi baraat chameli ne kaha
bainD baja bhi tha, deepa boli
aur dulhan pe hua kitna bakher
kuchh na kuchh kahtiN rahiN sab hi magar maine sirf
itna poochha wo nahi bah-ti hai ab tak ke nahiN
jis se wabaasta haiN ham aur ye basti saari?
kyuN nahi bahti , chameli ne kaha
aur wo bargad ka ghana perh kinaare uss ke?
wo bhi qaayam hai abhi tak yuN hi
wada kar ke jo 'habeeba' nahiN aati thi kabhi
aankheN dhota tha nadi meN jaakar
aur bargad ki ghani chaaoN meN so jata tha

maah-o-saal aate chale jaate haiN
fasal pak jaati hai, kaT jaati hai
koi rota nahiN iss mauqe par
halqa dar halqa na aahan ko tapa ke DhaaleN
koi zanjeer na ho
zeest dar zeest ka ye silsila baaqi na rahe

bheerh hai bach-choN ki choTi si gali men dekho
aik ne gend jo phenki to lagi aa ke mujhe
maiN ne ja pakrha usse, dekhiN hui soorat thi
kis ka hai? maiN ne kissi se poochha
ye 'habeeba' ka hai, ramzaani bola
bholi soorat pe hansi aa gayi mujh ko 
wo bhi hansne laga, ham donoN yuhiN hi hanste rahe
der tak hanste rahe

titliyaaN naachti haiN
phool se phool pe yuN jaati haiN
jaise ik baat ho jo 
kan meN kahni hai kHamoshi se
aur har phool hans parhta hai sun kar ye baat