Muzaffar Warsi

Tū Kujā Man Kujā

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo: Romero Maia)

Tū Kujā Man Kujā (تو کجا من کجا) is an Urdu naat written by Pakistani poet and lyricist Muzaffar Warsi. The titular refrain, which is in Persian, literally translates to “Where are you? Where am I?” (We have opted below for the more poetic “How great you are – how base am I!” which more closely captures the sentiment.) Throughout the poem, the poet expresses his unworthiness of praising the Prophet ﷺ, comparing his own lowly state with the sublime qualities of the Final Messenger. The popular qawwali version, composed and first sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, combines verses from this poem with verses from another of Warsi’s poems, “Ya Rehmatal lil-‘Alamin”.

Lyrics

– verse 1 –

تو امیرِ حرم میں فقیرِ عجم
تیرے گن اور یہ لب، میں طلب ہی طلب
تو عطا ہی عطا میں خطا ہی خطا
تو کجا من کجا ۔ تو کجا من کجا

Too ameer-e haram, maiñ faqeer-e ajam
tere gun aur ye lab, maiñ talab hee talab
too ataa hee ataa, maiñ khataa hee khataa
too kujaa man kujaa, too kujaa man kujaa

You are the Prince of the Holy Sanctuary, I am a foreign beggar.
Your praise is beyond these lips. I am constant demand,
While you are endless supply. I fail and I fail on every try.
How great you are – how base am I!

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Audio Samples

Muzaffar Warsi 🎙️
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Qawwali version) 🎶

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