Tū Kujā Man Kujā (تو کجا من کجا) is an Urdu na‘at written by Pakistani poet and lyricist Muzaffar Warsi. The titular refrain, which is in Persian, literally translates to “Where are you? Where am I?” (In the translation below, we have opted 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
Urdu
Transliteration
1. 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
2. Too abad aafreeñ, maiñ hooñ do chaar pal
too yaqeeñ maiñ gumaañ, maiñ sukhan too amal
too hai maasoomiyat, maiñ niree maasiyat
too karam maiñ khataa, too kujaa man kujaa
3. Too hai ehraam-e anvaar baandʰe huwe
maiñ duroodoñ kee dastaar baandʰe huwe
kaaba-ye ishq too, maiñ tere chaarsoo
too asar maiñ duaa, too kujaa man kujaa
4. Too haqeeqat hai maiñ sirf ehsaas hooñ
too samandar, maiñ bʰaṭkee huwee piyaas hooñ
meraa gʰar khaak par aur teree rah-guzar
sidratul–muntahaa, too kujaa man kujaa
5. Meraa har saañs to khoon nichoṛe meraa
teree rehmat magar dil na toṛe meraa
kaasa-ye zaat hooñ, teree khairaat hooñ
too sakhee maiñ gadaa, too kujaa man kujaa
6. Ḍagmagaawooñ jo haalaat ke saamne
aaye teraa tasavvur mujʰe tʰaamne
meree khush qismatee, maiñ teraa ummatee
too jazaa maiñ razaa, too kujaa man kujaa
7. Meraa malboos hai parda-poshee teree
mujʰ ko taab-e sukhan de khamoshee teree
too jalee maiñ khafee, too aṭal maiñ nafee
too sila maiñ gila, too kujaa man kujaa
8. Dooriyaañ saamne se jo haṭne lageeñ
jaaliyoñ se nigaahaiñ lapaṭne lageeñ
aañsuwoñ kee zabaañ ho meree tarjumaañ
dil se nikle sadaa, too kujaa man kujaa
Translation
1. 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!
2. You are eternity, I am a handful of moments,
You are certainty, I am doubt. I am mere talk, you are action.
You are purity itself. I am nothing but sin.
You are grace, I am a disgrace.
How great you are – how base am I!
3. Pure light from heaven forms your gown,
While I a ragged turban of durood have bound,
You are the Kaaba of Love, I your circling pilgrim.
If I am just a prayer, you are the answer to prayers.
How great you are – how base am I!
4. You are reality, I am mere perception.
I am wandering thirst, while you are the ocean.
I dwell upon the dust, while you past the station
of the Lote Tree of the Furthest Boundary.
How great you are – how base am I!
5. My every breath is squeezing life out of me,
Yet still I fail to let your mercy into my hard heart.
I am utterly broken, I rely upon your charity.
You are full of bounty, I am a lowly donkey.
How great you are – how base am I!
6. Whenever I am distraught due to the states I find myself in,
Your visage appears before me, comforting me.
How fortunate I am, to be one of your followers.
You are the giving, I am the happy reception.
How great you are – how base am I!
7. I clothe myself in your concealment of faults.
I have exhausted my words, grant me your sacred silence.
You are clear, I am obscure. You are unshakeable, I am nothing.
You are connection, I am complaint.
How great you are – how base am I!
8. As the distances between us are cast aside,
And my glance is fixed on the lattice of your tomb,
Let the language of tears be the interpreter
Of my heart’s constant cry:
How great you are – how base am I!
Show All
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!
– 2 –
Too abad aafreeñ, maiñ hooñ do chaar pal
too yaqeeñ maiñ gumaañ, maiñ sukhan too amal
too hai maasoomiyat, maiñ niree maasiyat
too karam maiñ khataa, too kujaa man kujaa
You are eternity, I am a handful of moments,
You are certainty, I am doubt. I am mere talk, you are action.
You are purity itself. I am nothing but sin.
You are grace, I am a disgrace.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 3 –
Too hai ehraam-e anvaar baandʰe huwe
maiñ duroodoñ kee dastaar baandʰe huwe
kaaba-ye ishq too, maiñ tere chaarsoo
too asar maiñ duaa, too kujaa man kujaa
Pure light from heaven forms your gown,
While I a ragged turban of durood have bound,
You are the Kaaba of Love, I your circling pilgrim.
If I am just a prayer, you are the answer to prayers.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 4 –
Too haqeeqat hai maiñ sirf ehsaas hooñ
too samandar, maiñ bʰaṭkee huwee piyaas hooñ
meraa gʰar khaak par aur teree rah-guzar
sidratul–muntahaa, too kujaa man kujaa
You are reality, I am mere perception.
I am wandering thirst, while you are the ocean.
I dwell upon the dust, while you past the station
of the Lote Tree of the Furthest Boundary.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 5 –
Meraa har saañs to khoon nichoṛe meraa
teree rehmat magar dil na toṛe meraa
kaasa-ye zaat hooñ, teree khairaat hooñ
too sakhee maiñ gadaa, too kujaa man kujaa
My every breath is squeezing life out of me,
Yet still I fail to let your mercy into my hard heart.
I am utterly broken, I rely upon your charity.
You are full of bounty, I am a lowly donkey.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 6 –
Ḍagmagaawooñ jo haalaat ke saamne
aaye teraa tasavvur mujʰe tʰaamne
meree khush qismatee, maiñ teraa ummatee
too jazaa maiñ razaa, too kujaa man kujaa
Whenever I am distraught due to the states I find myself in,
Your visage appears before me, comforting me.
How fortunate I am, to be one of your followers.
You are the giving, I am the happy reception.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 7 –
Meraa malboos hai parda-poshee teree
mujʰ ko taab-e sukhan de khamoshee teree
too jalee maiñ khafee, too aṭal maiñ nafee
too sila maiñ gila, too kujaa man kujaa
I clothe myself in your concealment of faults.
I have exhausted my words, grant me your sacred silence.
You are clear, I am obscure. You are unshakeable, I am nothing.
You are connection, I am complaint.
How great you are – how base am I!
– 8 –
Dooriyaañ saamne se jo haṭne lageeñ
jaaliyoñ se nigaahaiñ lapaṭne lageeñ
aañsuwoñ kee zabaañ ho meree tarjumaañ
dil se nikle sadaa, too kujaa man kujaa
As the distances between us are cast aside,
And my glance is fixed on the lattice of your tomb,
Let the language of tears be the interpreter
Of my heart’s constant cry:
How great you are – how base am I!
Audio Samples
Muzaffar Warsi
Nader Khan 🥁
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 🎶
Categories
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