pehle ustaad thay Ehsaan-o-Naseer-o-Momin
hui Ehsaan se pur-islaah tabiyat meri
phir hua Hazrat-e-Sehbaai ki islaah ka faiz
taba baareek hui unki badaulat meri
aur hum-bazm rahey Momin-o-Zauq-o-Ghalib
ustaadon se hi hardam rahi sohbat meri
munaqid hoti hai jab sheher mein bazm-e-Insha
kartey hain ehl-e-sukhan waqat-o-izzat meri

(Nawab Shahab al-Din Ahmad Khan Bahadur, pen-
named “Saqib,” the eldest successor of Nawab Ziyaʾ al-Din Ahmad Khan Bahadur; peerless in the
universe as a composer of poetry and prose, of the elect disciples of Nawab Asad Allah Khan Bahadur
“Ghalib.”)

Ancient Sky, Delhi’s mortal enemy,
what did you gain when Dehli’s every trace was lost?
Alas that Shah Jahan’s building should be dug up!
Alas, for Delhi’s splendour has been razed.
Neither the Fort is there, nor its old street.
Why, then, should Delhites think Delhi is Heaven?
Thanks to this city’s ruin, other cities are peopled.
Delhi’s autumn is the worldly meadow’s spring.
Why shouldn’t Delhites bemoan their luck
when Bakht Khan takes taxes from Delhi?
There were thousands of musicians with enchanting melodies, but now
the few ones left are singing elegies for Delhi.
God sent us a governor, just and wise,
then some of Delhi’s houses were peopled again.
Who is that ruler of Jamshed’s rank? Cooper sahib!
May he be called the Shah Jahan of Delhi!
Night and day, the citizens of Delhi chant:
God save the ones who brought such grace to Delhi!”
Once more the Jama Masjid’s bustle fills the market,
once more, every store in Delhi is adorned.
There is a beautiful museum in the Fort
like a Chinese idol-house it watches over Delhi.
Chandni Chowk was ruined, but then built anew
let us call it the youthful fortune of Delhi.
The colour of adornment in the Chowk’s garden is such
that even Paradise swears by the life of Delhi.
No doubt Iranians will hear this ghazal, and they’ll say:
“Perhaps Saqib was of the knowers of the language of Delhi.”

(From Salahuddin Ahmad, ed., “Fughan-e Dihli” (Lahore, 1954 [Delhi, 1863]

Phir ek saal ki taariik raah tai karke
Mata-e-nur lutaati yeh raat aayi hai
Magar yeh soch raha hun jav aayegi tau humein
Ghira huwa phir inn zulmaat mein paayegi

Yeh zulmatein jo musalsal hain hum pe sadiyon se
Yeh ek raat mein tau duur ho nahin sakti
Siyahposh fizaayein yeh deed a o dil ki
Nishaat o nur se maamur ho nahin sakti

Magar yeh raat jo mehmaan hai chand lamho’n ji
Iss ek raat ko hum kyyn na jawedaa’n* kar lein
Yeh raat laayi hai saath apne jin ujaalo’n ko
Naa kis liye inhe’n mehfooz e qalb o jaan kar lein
*eternal

Qadam qadam pe jo raushan hain yeh diye inse
Faqat nigaah hi kyu  iktisaab e nur* karein
Jo kar sakein tau inhein kyun na hum ataa kar dein
Woh raushni jo takaddur dilo’n ka duur kare
*attainment of light

Phir ek saal ki taariik* raah tai karke
Mata-e-nur lutaati yeh raat aayi hai
Ufaq se ta-ba-ufaq raushni ki arzaani
Yeh raat kitne ujaalo’n ko saath laayi hai

Yeh baam o dar, yeh charaagh, yeh qumqumo’n ki qataar
Sipaahe nur siyaahi se barsar e paikar

Yeh zard chehre pe surkhi, fasurda nazro’n mein rang
Bujhe bujhe se dilo’n ko ujlaati hai umang

Yeh leher leher, yeh raunaq, yeh humhuma, yeh hayaat
Jagaaye jaise chaman ko naseem e subh ki baat

Har ek shamma pe dil de rahe hain parwaane
Nazar nazar se baraste hain kitne afsaane

Gazab hai laila e shab ka singhaar aaj ki raat
Nikhar rahi hai uroos e bahaar aaj ki raat

Hazaar jung ke saaye, hazaar qahat ke bhoot
Hazaar sharr ke dalail , hazaar gham ke suboot

Hazaar zakhmo’n ki teese’n, hazaar daagho’n ke dard
Hazaar khushk labo’n par, hazaar naala e sard

Hazaar khwaab o haqeeqat ki kashmakash ka aalam
Hazaar khoon e tamanna ki mehfilo’n ka maatam

Hazaaron saal ke dukh dard mein nahaaye huye
Hazaaron aarzuo’n ki chita jalaaye huye

Khiza’n naseeb bahaaron ke naaz uthaaye huye
Shikast o fatah ke kitne fareb khaaye huye

Inn aandhiyo’n mein bashar muskura tau sakte hain
Siyaah raat mein shamma jala tau sakte hain

The nazm was composed on 30th Oct 1951 at Lucknow when Suroor sb was reader Lucknow University.. It was also published in his collection ” Zauq e Junoon ” in 1955.