Do Gawaah

Ab maamla is mod pe aakar teher gaya

Bola mujhe gawahon ka waada kidhar gaya

Baat hai dil ki sahi per un ka hai hukum
Yan chashm-deed gawaah bhi zaalim se dar gaya

Ishq hai qaatil per de ga maut main sukoon

Subha hui to raat ka mushkil peher gaya

Le de ke teher gaye the do gawaah mere paas 

Jin ke hazoor dost tamasha yeh kar gaya

Pehla gawah, 'waqt' to kub ka guzar gaya

Phir Rahi waqt aane pe woh bhi mukar gaya

~ Rahil 'Rahi' Khan

Dekho To Zara

Makke se khush haji aya dekho to zara
Kia usne khoya kia hai paya dekho to zara

Duniya ke melon ki taraf phir dil hua maail
Ya us ne rab dil main basaaya dekho to zara

Hai nadaamat us ko apna maazi dekh kar
Apne gunahon se sharmaya dekho to zara

Her saael pe karam aur subke gunaah maaf
Sab ki dua-e-khair kar aaya dekho to zara

Apno ke saath zindagi ki naee ibtida
Sab ke liye piyar jagaya dekho to zara

Shaitan her taraf aur apna nafs bhi paapi
tazkya-e-nafs kar dikhaya dekho to zara

Allah ne banaya tha jise khaas ik mehmaan
Ummat ki fatah maang laya dekho to zara

Arafat ka maidaan khushi ka woh thikhaana
Dil khol ke aansoo bahaaya dekho to zara

Rahi tha gunah-gaar yaa rab sir se per tak
Kia khoob nau-maulood lotaya dekho to zara

~ Rahil "Rahi" Khan

Unke Hont Per

Her saans ko chhooti hui, jhuki jhuki nazar
Hum daikhte hi reh gaye manzil ko bhool kar

Kuch guftugu shereen, gehri zulfon ki lehar
Baaqi na raha hosh, aisa husn ka seher

Deedaar-e-yaar se qabal aati hai yeh khabar
Woh kar chuka hai qasd-e-hijr bun ke hamsafar

Hukum diya husun saraapa ne is taraah
Firaaq hi insaan ko banati hai sukhanwar

Likhi nahi ghazal koi muddat se aap ne
Gawaara nahi ab tera afsaana mukhtasar

Ghazlon men jitna chaahen hum bolen ye dil ki baat
Per kar naa saken kabhi ise supurd-e-nasar

Salaam na likhaa to karen unko hum naraaz
Majaal nahi pesh kar den dil-o-chaak jigar

Jigar aakhir qaabu kiya unki adaaon pe
Per dil na seh sakaa qaatil aankhon ka asar

Yaar ko bhoolen, to bhooli yaad phir aaee 
Chahaa tha unko hum ne yun be-los is qadar

Piyaar se nahi to chalo shikwa hi sahee
Aaya to mera naam aakhir unke hont per

Koo-e-yaar jab se hua qaafley ki dhool
Phirtaa hai beqaraar yeh majnoo idhar udhar

Aata nahi nazar jis ki hai Rahi ko talaash
Chhaan maare saare Masaajid aur Girja Ghar

~ Rahil 'Rahi' Khan

Love sure has funny ways

Here is the English version of this (stanza by stanza - check it out)

Best friends for life, no less
Bold, young and the restless
Friendship never second to hate
Trying that was useless

Those were the days


Acquaintances that everyone seeks
Rose so pretty among the leaves
So mercilessly erased
Oh those fond memories

Barkeeper never satiates


Trust broken on a whim
Statuses out, selfies in
Like, and you will be spared
Ignoring is a bigger sin

Doing good never pays


Heartthrobs race to thrill
Little wonder looks could kill
Delicate lips captivate
Words that betray my will

Love sure has funny ways


Criminals roam gleefully
Oppressors who decree
When justice is delayed
The truth shall set you free

Conscience cures whatever ails


Growing pains, imminent doom
Deep divide, inflicted wounds
God's Will has been declared
Darkness will be over soon

The Messenger illuminates


Poetry, good old fun
Seen them all, if seen one
Heart felt, when he shared
In these couplets, and then some

Rahi blazes all new trails

~ Rahil 'Rahi' Khan

Ek ishaara kaafi tha

Doston ko yaaron ko

Zinda dil be-qaraaron ko
Door koi naa kar sake
Aik pal bhi piyaaron ko

Kitna haseen woh maazi tha

Har qadam ke saathiyon ko
Phool jaise daaliyon ko

Kho diya hai jaane kaise

Aur bhula ke baaqiyon ko

Piyaasa khud hi saaqi tha

Thodi ghalat fahmiyon ko

Facebook pe selfiyon ko

Like karen bhi jalan se

Karee karaai nekiyon ko

Aakhir hona paap hi tha

Hai meh jabeenon ko

Dilruba haseenon ko

Aashnaai ke bahaane 

Be-qaraar honton ko

Ek ishaara kaafi tha

Fasaad ke safeeron ko

Zulm ki zanjeeron ko

Dekho sutum zarefi yeh

Shayad un luteron ko

Zameer khud ka qaazi tha

Gehre dil ke zakhmon ko

Nafraton ke harbon ko

Rab ki inaayat se

Marz ke andheron ko

Nabi ka ujaala shaafi tha

Nasr-o-nazam ke khelon ko
Na jaao unke melon ko

Sukhan-e-dil farebi se

Khoobsurat sheron ko

Gungunaata Rahi tha

~ Rahil 'Rahi' Khan

Na Sako Ge Tum

Pata hum ko ada tumhaari hai

Yun hi bhula na sako ge tum

Jeet go sada tumhaari hai
Ulfat ko hara na sako ge tum

Milne ki bus dua tumhaari hai

Chah ke bhi paa na sako ge tum

Kya qadr-o-qaza tumhaari hai?

Zindagi lota na sako ge tum

Dil pe qudrat kya tumhaari hai
Muhabbat mita na sako ge tum

Rahi naam uska bohut aali hai 

Gira ke uthaa na sako ge tum

~ Rahil Khan

Aaj Kal Ke Zamaane Main

Aaj kal ke zamaane main

Insaaniyyat ko bhulaane main

Aik hi afwaah udaate rahe

Ghairaton ko uksaane main

Nafratain ubhaarte rahe

Piyaar kahaan is fasaane main 

Kaam uljhaate rahe

Sawere main, raat aane main

Facebook pe jaate rahe

Roothne main, manaane main

Anghoote yunhi thakaate rahe

Mobile ko tod daalne main

  

Ataa pataa chalaate rahe

Mizaaj ko aazmaane main

Tumhe hamdard banaate rahe

Doosron ke kaam aane main

Milne se katraate rahe

Ajnabiyyat hataane main

Zauq-e-guftaar ganwaate rahe

Husn-e-gumaan paane main

Tum haseen nazar aate rahe

Kirdaar ke paimaane main

Hanste aur hansaate rahe

Heer ke aastaane main

Sargoshiyon main sunaate rahe

Ghazal likhi weeraane main

Takhliyaa chaahte rahe

Zulf ke sir ho jaane main

khayaalon main hi paate rahe

Tum door ho gaye bulaane main

Rahi hum rah bhulaate rahe

Us ko humsafar banaane main

~ Rahil 'Rahi' Khan

Maaf Kar Dena

Makke ki taraf Rahi chala maaf kar dena
Nadaan samajh ke kaha suna maaf kar dena

Shikwey kiye hazaar in ghazlon ki oat main
Tum se nahi tha mujh ko gila maaf kar dena

Iqraar ko betaab tha arsey se mera dil
Zaban ki girah khulwaa na saka maaf kar dena

Dil saaf kiya laakh par bhaya na aap ko
Bhaata nahi mujh ko bhi gunah maaf kar dena

Daantain pilaa ke thak gayee teri zaban-e-sard
Main bhi hun aakhir doodh ka jala maaf kar dena
  
Haji to hum kehlaaen ge duniya ki nazar main
Nazron se gar teri main gira maaf kar dena

Ya Rabb tu meherbaan hai sadaa arsh-e-bareen par
Insaan apas main na hua maaf kar dena

Mujh ko Khuda bakshe, per mera mudda'a hain aap
Naacheez ko ae khalq-e-Khuda maaf kar dena

Mujrim they hum saffaak aur machaya humi ne shor
Kotowaal ko yun ulta daantna maaf kar dena

Kaaba kis mun se jaae ga yeh Rahi besharam
Ya Rabb woh jis din tujh se mila maaf kar dena

~ Rahil Khan

Nation's Call on Memorial Day

Come one; And, come all
Jose, Sita, Ahmed, Paul

A day to honestly reflect
How nations rise, haters stall

Race for the human race
World gallops while we crawl

Men and women in uniform
Who gave it all to nation's call

Freedom earned with sacrifice
Wasn't grabbed in a brawl

United, we shall certainly stand
Divided, we will surely fall

Lest we forget we saw
U.S.A standing tall

Now, lone cops - no allies
In countries big and small

Try making it "Great Again"
With just white Barbie doll

We want immigrants out
Whose taxes built that mall

What next? Internment camps?
Freedom trapped, occupations sprawl

Forefathers from their graves
Shaking heads, pointing to y'all

"Touch names of heroes fallen
And don't build that other wall"

~ Rahil Khan

Yaad

Naiyya paar lagaati hai
Her ik thokar sikhaati hai

Bhulaaen laakh hum jinko
Unhi ki yaad saathi hai

Woh pudia hai sharaarat ki
Agar cheh  'yaad'  kehlaati hai

Tasawwar main bhi aksar woh
Manaa ker rooth jaati hai

Udaas ho jab ghazal sun ke
Taraane gungunaati hai

Khushi ki yaad bun ker phir
Yunhi ik dam rulaati hai

Per tanhaai aur yeh ik yaad
Mehfil ki jaan yeh saaqi hai

Nazar koi aae kaam aata
Aahat bajia ki aati hai

Shafqat se thapki daddy ki
Hamesha rah dikhlaati hai

Woh dekho ammi bhi huns ke
Donon ko gale lagaati hain

Dua nikli jo aansu sung
Sukoon dil mein basaati hai

Apnon ki judaai per Rab ki
Rehmat humko manaati hai

Woh piyara chalaa gaya per shukr
Keh unki yaad to baaqi hai

Khuda ki Yaad ho jo saath

Aaqibat yehi banaati hai

Ae Raahi sun keh woh Baange-
-Darah tujh ko bulaati hai

~ Rahil "raahi" Khan

Duago Jana

Nawazish Uski humko aap ne qalam-o-loh jana

Bina manzil tha warna yeh safar chalte raho janan

 
Rahe ghaafil hum apne humsafar insaan ki azmat se 
Bahana aik na tha wajh-e-bai-zameer ho jana 

Na the faarigh ke aate kaam hum bhi doosre shakhs ke
Yahan her kaam hai bus apne kaamon mein hi kho jana

Salam un par hain jo bai-laos aur dil jinke hain jaage 
Giran nahin mehfil mein warna sun azaan so jana 

Ho tum raahi, zara tehro, to yeh aarzu lo janan 
Dua-e-khair se aae the, ab tum hi duago jana

~ Rahil "raahi" Khan

We Didn't Start The Fire 2000 - 2015

First listen to the original song, by Billy Joel, just so you get into the rhythm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m50p-XScreM

Now, my additions for the 2000 - 2015 period:

[2000]

Millenium, Y2K
Uganda Mass graves
Camp David, Fallen grace
Florida Recount

(build-up music)...

Dubya, Powell
Neo-Cons Power
Democrats go down
Tricky Dick is back in town!


We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.

[2001 - 2002]

Murder in Congo
Gujarat in shambles
Terror, horror, suicide
Human race's ugly side
Dot-com nose dived
Anthrax or powder white?
Hurt pride, Bush decides
Sweet, crude, oil supplies!

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2003 - 2004]

Rumsfeld, Shock-n-Awe
Rice, smoking gun and all
Wolfowitz, Baghdad bash
Fallujah's backlash

We are in Afghanistan
Party moved to Pakistan.
Mullah Omar, Talibans
Planned to fail?
Or failed to plan?
Missiles, drones
Osama's clones
Even they are never home

War stocks on the rise,
safety bought for genocide!
Hang Saddam, restore pride
And let Osama slide!

In for the kill, Tora-Bora hill,
then we took the blue pill!


We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2005-2007]

Palestine, Middle East
Arafat rest in peace
Israel builds a wall
Lebanon war, "hits a wall"
Hezbollah managed to shine
Ehud could only resign
Gaza, Hamas inter-twined,
Netanyahu umpteenth time!

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


Katrina. Earthquakes
Tsunami, tidal waves
Nature's fury to the fore
Earth shaken to the core
Parents dead, kids survived
Homes destroyed, beaches shined
Global warming on the rise
Truth or convenient lies?


We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2008 - 2011]

Wall Street too big to fail
King of Pop disappears
Banks bankrupt, with no trail
Tap the TARP, break out of jail

Arab Spring for all to see
Royal Wedding, selfies
Bin Laden in the sea
Gunned down Gaddafi

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.

Fukushima Daiichi
Steve Jobs rest in peace
Occupy Wall Street
From sea to shiny sea
South, Midwest, Northeast
Nature's fury at its peak
Earthquakes, hurricanes
Here we go again!

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2012]

London Games
Smashing win
Putin in
Jubilee Queen
Twitter tweets
Top the chart
Israel,
Gaza war

Facebook IPO
Obama's second go
Romney's own demise
GOP gives up fight
Iron Lady Goodbye
Nelson dead at ninety-five

Tiny landing on Mars
Giant leap or more wars?
Boston Marathon blast
Whitney Houston, "Where You Are"?

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2013]

Benedict steps down
U.S. Government Shuts down
Russia hit by meteorites
Assad genocide


[2014]

Russian Ruble tumbles
Oil barrel plunges
Ebola outbreak
Landing on the Comet

(build up)

Facebook rises up
WhatsApp Gobbled up
Germans win the World Cup
Plane shot in Europe

Israel, Hamas again
Russians waltz in Ukraine
NATO has growing pains
ISIS is a royal pain

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it.


[2015]

Mr. Spock's Voyage Home
Mass shootings close to home
Charlie Hebdo satire
P a r i s  on fire
Volkswagon betrayal
El-Chapo out of jail
Turkey downs Russian plane
Netanyahu back again

Cuomo, Dracula
Yogi Berra, Boo ya!
B.B. King, Stabler
San Bernardino fear

Omar Sharif, Abdullah
Fred Thompson, O'Hara
Muslims go
Trump stays
What else do I have to say?

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...

A Parody For When Donald Gets Our Country Back

Folks,

Since the polls still show support for this idiot, and the GOP is kinda fancying the attention it is getting at the expense of the constitution, we might as well bid farewell to our beloved anthem come the Trump inauguration and instead be ready to sing along the below parody - of course, tongue in cheek :)

Oh, say! can you see

by that Donald's website

What so proudly we failed

to dig his tweeting & re-tweeting

Whose ports and bright borders stalled,

threw the immigrants out of sight

O'er the ransacked mosques we watched,

were the ISIS still streaming?

And the NRA's empty glare,

bullets sweating in the air,

gave proof thru the polls site,

that our Trump lad was still there

Jose, does that star spangled

visa   yet    a c c e p t e d?

O'er the land of the fear-monger's glee

And the home of the freedom's grave