allāh ai buto hameñ dikhlā.e lucknow
sote meñ bhī ye kahte haiñ ham haa.e lucknow
aisā huā huuñ hijr meñ us ke nahīf-o-zār
dekhe agar mujhe vahīñ sharmā.e lucknow
aa.e na mere paas to maiñ aap hī chalūñ
mujh ko ḳhudā kare kahīñ bulvā.e lucknow
kalkatta ke hasīnoñ ko jab dekh letā huuñ
us vaqt dil meñ hotā hai saudā-e-lucknow
ab luT gayā hai kyā rahā dozaḳh se baḌh ke hai
rashk-e-bahisht kahte the sab jā-e-lucknow
ḳhush-chashmī āhuoñ kī vo bhūle jahān meñ
dekhe jo aañkh nargis-e-shahlā-e-lucknow
gulshan ajab bahār ke har qasr rashk-e-ḳhuld
aur gomtī ġhazab kī hai dariyā-e-lucknow
hūr-o-parī ko rashk thā ik ek shaḳhs par
be-misl the sabhī mah-e-sīmā-e-lucknow
marne ke ba.ad bhī na miTegā jigar se daaġh
jannat meñ ham ko ho.egī parvā-e-lucknow
jab se haTā hai vo tah-o-bālā ye ho gayā
jannat koī zarūr thā bālā-e-lucknow
maiñ kyā kahūñ faqīroñ ko jo kuchh ġhurūr thā
ik ik gadā-e-shahr thā dārā-e-lucknow
haTtā nahīñ tasavvur-e-asbāb-o-mulk-o-māl
kānoñ meñ baj rahī hai vo shahnā-e-lucknow
kyā kyā hasīñ the jam.a paristāñ kā taḳhta thā
nazroñ meñ phirte haiñ ruḳh-e-zebā-e-lucknow
shāhoñ pe faḳhr karte the is mulk ke gadā
thā misl-e-jām-e-jam mai-o-mīnā-e-lucknow
har-chand laakh tarah bhulātā huuñ yaad ko
'aḳhtar' pukār uThtā hai dil haa.e lucknow