The ghazal below is by janab Raffiq Sheikh sahib. He lives somwhere in Africa , yet another proof of Urdu's world wide popularity.
His ghazal is well balanced in terms of the behar (metre) suggesting of someone who has been writing ghazals for a good number of years and we hope he continues to do so.
milnaa hi do diloN ka dar-asal hai judaai
ro ro kay keh ra-hay haiN armaan machal machal kay
ai bulbul-e gulistaN tum yuN na muskuraao
ho jagah koi woH yaarab jahaaN chaaNd ho, naH taa-ray
apni "Rafik" jahan meiN bas arzoo yahi hai
tujhko qasam wafaa ki aaNsoo naH tu bahaana
ulfat ka rang-o-gham say rishta hai yeH puranaa
duniya meiN naam-e-ulfat ashkoN ka hai kHazanaa
poshida iss kHushi meiN gHam ka hai taranaa
naH to Dar ho bijliyoN ka, ghar ho naH aashiyana
kar-nay wafaa haiN aaye, kar-kay wafaa hai jaana
September 12th 1998 :