vahaan daal par phal pakate the
aur unase roshanee nikalatee thee
ham bahut tez daudate the
maidaan se ghar kee or
kabhee to aage-aage ham
aur peechhe-peechhe baarish
oonchee ghaas kee jadon ke beech
chhote-chhote phool khilate the
kisee aur hee paudhe se
ghaas ke andar jhaankane par
hee dikhate the
kabhee jab achaanak megh ghir aate
aur shaam se pahale shaam ho jaatee
maa hamen pukaaratee huee
gaanv ke baahar tak aa jaatee
agar ham der tak jage hote
to andhere mein kaee tarah kee aavaazen sunate
jinhen din mein kabhee nahin sun paate
kuen mein dol dubone kee aavaaz
jaanavaron kee bhaaree saans
koee akela pakshee oopar taaron ke beech
bolata jaata hua
fasal kee kataee ke samay
pita thake-maande lautate
to maa
kitane meethe kanth se baat karatee
kaalee raat bahut kaalee hotee thee
safed raat bahut safed hotee thee
bahan kee sahelee thee sujaata
pokhar ke ghaat par gaatee thee
ek ladaka tha ghungharaale baal vaala divaakar
chhipakar usaka gaana sunata
ek din sujaata chalee gayee bangaal
usaka parivaar bhee
aur divaakar rah gaya bihaar mein
kaee log gaanv chhodakar chale jaate
phir kabhee vaapas nahin aate
barasaat mein chalatee puravaee
bahan ke saath ham
baageeche mein bhatakate
bahan dikhaatee ki ek ped kaise bheegata hai
oopar patton se choo raha hota paanee
jabaki bheetar kee shaakhen
bilkul kam geelee
aur neeche ka mota tana to
shaayad hee kabhee poora bheegata
vahaan chhaal par ham gond chhoote
baageeche mein har or ek mahak hotee
khoob achchhee lagatee
maa jab bhee nayee sari pahanatee
gunagunaatee rahatee
ham maa ko tang karate
use dulh na kahate
maa tang nahin hotee
balki naya gud detee
gud mein moongaphalee ke daane bhee hote
jab maa furasat mein hotee
to hamen un dinon kee baaten sunaatee
jab vah khud bachchee thee
hamen mushkil se yaqeen hota
ki maa bhee kabhee bachchee thee
diyaabaatee ke samay maa gaatee
shaam mein roshanee karate hue gaana
use har baar achchhaat lagata
maa thee anapadh
lekin usake paas geeton kee kamee nahin thee
kaee baar naye geet bhee sunaatee
rahee hogee ek anaam graam-kavi
shaam kee roshanee ke saamane vah gaatee
ham sabhee bhaee-bahan usake badan se lagakar
chup ho use sunate
vah itana badhiya gaatee ki lagata
vah koee aur kaam na kare
lekin tabhee use jaana padata rasoee mein
aanchal kee ot mein deep kee lau ko
hava se bachaatee
vah aangan paar karatee
godhooli mein neem ke neeche se
ham use dekhate rasoee mein jaate hue
jaise-jaise raat hotee jaatee
ham maa se tanik door nahin rah paate
aaj saalon baad bhee main nahin bhoola
maa ka shaam mein gaana
chaand kee roshanee mein
nadee ke kinaare jangalee ber ka jharana
in sabako mainne bachaaya dard kee aandhiyon se.