balaagal ulaa bi kamaalihii
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balaagal-ulaa-bi-kamaalihii
He reached the highest through his perfection
[ in Persian ]
[ eh , xatm-e-rusul , kaaba-e-maqsuud tuii ]
[ dar suurat-e-har che hast maujuud tuii ]
[ aayat-e-kamal-e-haq 3ayan ast ba-to ]
[ aan zat ke dar pardaa nihaan buud tuii ]
[in Persian]
Oh, Last of the Prophets, you are the Kaaba that we seek.
You are Within the form of everything that exists.
The signs of the perfection of Truth are manifested in you.
That essence which was hidden behind the veil was you.
suhaanii raat thii aur pur sukuun zamaanaa thaa
asar meN Duubaa huaa jazb-e-aashiqaanaa thaa
unheN to arsh pe mɛHbuub ko bulaanaa thaa
havas thii diid kii meraaj kaa bahaanaa thaa
It was a beautiful night, and the times were full of tranquility.
The attraction of love was fully in effect
He had to call His beloved to heaven.
He longed his sight, Miraj was just an excuse
sar-e-laa-makaan se taalaab huii
suu-e-muntahaa vo chale nabii
ye kamaal-e-Husn kaa mojizaa
ki firaaq Haq bhii na sɛh sakaa
shab-e-meraaj liyaa arsh-e-bariiN par bulvaae
sadmaa-e-hijr xudaa se bhii gavaaraa na huaa
From the place without abode came a command.
Towards the final boundary, the prophet went.
This is the wonder of perfect beauty:
that even Truth [God] could not bear separation!
On the night of ascension, He called (him) to the Sublime Throne.
The pain of separation was not tolerable, even for God!
koii Had hai un ke uruuj kii
balaagal-ulaa-bi-kamaalihii
Is there any limit to his ascent?
He reached the highest place through his perfection
xair-ul-vaaraa , sadr-ul-dukaa , najm-ul-hudaa , nuur-ul-ulaa
[ shams-ud-duhaa ]
badr-ud-dujaa , yaanii muHammad mustafaa
Best of creation, heart of piety, star of guidance, light of the highest,
Sun of the morning,
moon of the night, that is, Muhammad the Chosen
aaqaa , ravaa saalaar-e-diin
yaa reHmat-il-aalmiin
aaN muqtadaa-e-mursaliin
aaN peshvaa-e-ambiyaa
Lord, rightful chief of the religion
Oh, mercy of the world!
That leader of the messengers!
That premier of the prophets!
[ in Persian ]
[ jannat nishaan-e-kuue-to ]
[ wa shams-e-imaan ruu-e-to ]
[ wa lail wasf-e-ruu-e-to ]
[ xuubi ye ruuyat wadduhaa ]
[ ism-e-to ism-e-aazami ]
[ jism-e-to jaan-e-aalamii ]
[ zaat-e-to faxr-e-aadmii ]
[ shaan-e-to shaan-e-kibriya ]
[in Persian]
Paradise is a sign of your way
and your face is the sun of the faith
and the night praises your face
The morning is the goodness of your face
(Your) name is the greatest of names
(Your) body is the life of the world
(Your) rank is the pride of mankind
(Your) glory is the glory of the Majesty (God)
koii Had hai un ke uruuj kii
Is there any limit to his ascent?
jo gayaa hai farsh se arsh tak
vo buraaq le gayaa bedhaRak
tabaq-e-zamiin , varaq-e-falak
gae niiche paaNv se pul saRak
laTeN zulf kii jo gaiiN laTak
to jahaan saaraa gayaa mɛhak
huiiN mast bulbuleN is qadar
to ye Gunche bole chaTak chaTak
He who has gone from ground to heaven
fearlessly rode Buraq
Surface of the earth, a page of heaven
streets and bridges went below your feet,
As his locks dangled
the entire world became fragrant.
The nightingales frenzied in such a way
that these flower buds cracked open.
koii Had hai un ke uruuj kii
Is there any limit to his ascent?
gae ghar se chaRh ke buraaq par
shab-e-vasl rux se huii saHar
ye safar thaa xuub kaa xuub tar
yahii thaa har ek kii zubaan par
He left home, having mounted Buraq
On the night of the union, his face brought dawn
This journey was the best of the best,
it was on everyone's tongue.
koii Had hai un ke uruuj kii
balaagal-ulaa-bi-kamaalihii
Is there any limit to his ascent?
He reached the highest place through his perfection
yahii ibtidaa , yahii iNtihaa
ye faroG jalvaa-e-Haq numaa
ki jahaan saaraa chamak uThaa
[ kashaf-ad-dujaa-bi-jamaalihi ]
This is the very beginning and the very end
Such was the splendor from the light of the truth-revealer
that the entire world rose shining.
He drove out darkness through his beauty.
rux-e-mustfaa kii ye raushnii
ye tajalliyoN kii hamaahmii
ki har ek chiiz chamak uThii
[ kashaf-ad-dujaa-bi-jamaalihi ]
This is the brightness of the Chosen's face
This festivity of splendors was such
that every thing rose shining.
He drove out darkness through his beauty.
na falak na chaaNd taare na saHar na hotii
na teraa jamaal hotaa na ye kaaynaat hotii
ki har ek chiiz chamak uThii
[ kashaf-ad-dujaa-bi-jamaalihi ]
Neither sky nor moon, stars, morning or night would have occurred
If your beauty hadn't existed, this universe would have not existed.
… that every thing rose shining.
He drove out darkness through his beauty.
vo saraapaa reHmat-e-kibriyaa
ki har ek pe jis kaa karam huaa
ye quraan-e-paak hai barmalaa
[ Hasunat-jamii'u-xisaalihi ]
He is the incarnation of the Almighty
whose generosity reached everyone.
He is the Holy Quran, openly
Beautified were all his characteristics.
ye kamaal-e-Haq-e-muHmmadii
ki har ek pe chashm-e-karam rahii
sar-e-Hashr naaraa-e-ummatii
[ Hasunat-jamii'u-xisaalihi ]
This is the wonder of Muhammad's truth:
that the expectation of mercy remains on everyone
On the Day of Judgement, the chant of the faithful:
Beautified were all his characteristics.
vahii Haq-nigar vahii Haq-numaa
rux-e-mustfaa hai vo aaiinaa
ki xudaa-e-paak ne xud kahaa
salluaa alaihi va-alihi
Only he is the truth-seer and truth-revealer
The face of the Chosen is such a mirror
that Holy God himself said:
"blessings upon him and his own".
miraa diin ambar-e-vaarsii
baxudaa hai ishq-e-muHammadii
miraa zikr-o-fikr hai bas yahii
salluaa alaihi va-alihi
My faith, oh Ambar Warsi,
by God, it's the love of Muhammad!
My only thought and utterance is just this:
"blessings upon him and his own".
[ in Persian and Arabic ]
[ che kunam bayaan-e kamaal-e uu ]
balaagal-ulaa-bi-kamaalihii
[ che farogh karda jamaal-e uu ]
[ kashaf-ad-dujaa-bi-jamaalihi ]
[ man hairatam zi-khisaal-e uu ]
[ Hasunat-jamii'u-xisaalihi ]
[ dil-o-jaan-e ma ba-xayaal-e uu ]
[in Persian and Arabic]
What can I say about his perfection?
He reached the highest place through his perfection
What brightness, his beauty has created!
He drove out darkness through his beauty.
I am amazed by his characteristics.
Beautified were all his characteristics.
Out hearts and minds are in contemplation of his.
e mazhar-e-nuur-e-xudaa
balaagal-ulaa-bi-kamaalihii
maulaa alii mushkil kushaa
[ kashaf-ad-dujaa-bi-jamaalihi ]
Hasnain jaan-e-faatimaa
[ Hasunat-jamii'u-xisaalihi ]
yaanii muHammad mustafaa
salluaa alaihi va-alihi
Oh, manifestation of the light of God
He reached the highest place through his perfection
Lord Ali, resolver of difficulties,
He drove out darkness through his beauty.
The Hassans, life of Fatimah,
beautified were all his characteristics.
That is to say, Muhammad the Chosen,
blessings upon him and his own.
About this song
- Singers
- Abida Parveen, Ali Zafar, Sabri Brothers, Amjad Sabri
- Lyrics
- Ambar Warsi, Saadi Shirazi
balaagal ulaa bi kamaalihii (Hindi: बलागल-उला-बि-कमालिही, Urdu: بَلَغَ~الْعُلا~بَكَمَالہِ) "He reached the highest (place) though his perfection" is a naat, a genre of devotional qawaalii made in praise to the prophet Muhammad.
Specifically, the lyrics revolve around the Meraj or Miraj, the night travel in which, according to Muslim tradition, Muhammad ascended to heaven mounting a winged animal called Buraq.
The song, which contains parts in Urdu, Persian and Arabic, was first inspired in a poem written by the famous medieval Iranian poet Saadi Shirazi.
Sirazi's poem contains the title of this song, "Balaghal ula be kamalehi", which is a well-known Arabic devotional phrase in many Muslim songs and prayers.
In the XX century, the writer Ambar Warsi took Sirazi's poem and combined it with similarly inspired works by other writers (Muzaffar Ali Shah and Fard Phulwarwi), creating the lyrics of this naat. The song was popularized by the performances of the Pakistani qawwali band "The Sabri Brothers", but there are renditions by many other later singers such as Amjad Sabri, Abida Parveen, or Ali Zafar.
This page in the Khusrau Project website contains extra background on this song, a translation, and further reading suggestions.