Live at the Dubai Opera

Tracklist + Liner Notes

1. The Dawn

   Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Dastgāh/Mode: Shūr-Aeolian

   ‘The Dawn’ begins our journey into the soul of Sami Yusuf’s repertoire.   Masterfully arranged, this original composition by Sami Yusuf incorporates both Eastern and Western modal systems. A seamless marriage of the Orient and the Occident (representing Sami Yusuf’s own identity), it pushes through boundaries and incorporates instruments from the eastern and western parts of the Islamic world. We hear the distinct sounds of Persia,  Ottoman Turkey, Egypt, Syria, the far east to China, then move west to Greece and Andalusia. The sounds join at times yet each individual land’s voice is heard. On this musical odyssey we perceive that the love of the sacred unites us all and that our destinies are intertwined.

2. Al-Mu'allim

   Written, arranged, composed and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Mode: Aeolian

   LYRICS

   We once had a Teacher
   The Teacher of teachers
   He changed the world for the better
   And made us better creatures

   Oh Allah we’ve shamed ourselves
   We’ve strayed from Al Mu’allim
   Surely we’ve wronged ourselves
   What will we say in front him?

   Mu’allim

   He was Muhammad
   (Arabic: Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
   Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind
   He was Muhammad
   (Arabic: Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
   Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind
   Teacher of all Mankind.

   [Arabic:]
   Abul Qasim [one of the names of the Prophet]
   My beloved, O Muhammad
   My intercessor, O Muhammad
   The best of God’s creation is Muhammad

   He prayed while others slept
   While others ate he’d fast
   While they would laugh he wept
   Until he breathed his last

   His only wish was for us to be
   Among the ones who prosper
   Ya Mu’allim peace be upon you
   Truly you are our Teacher

3. Mother (Arabic)

   Written, arranged, composed and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Arabic Words by Sh. Zakaria Seddiki
   Maqām: Kurd

   LYRICS

   [Arabic:]
   Mother, mother, o my mother
   How I long to see o my mother
   “Your Mother, your mother, your mother”
   Is the saying of your Prophet
   In my heart, in my dreams
   You are always with me, o my mother

   You went and left me
   O light of my eyes
   O comfort of my nights
   You went and left me

   Who, other than you, will embrace me?
   Who, other than you, will cover me?
   Who, other than you, will guard over me?
   I beg for your pardon, o mother
   Forgive me

    

4. Pearl

   Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Words by Will Knox and Sami Yusuf
   Mode: Aeolian

   LYRICS

   I spent a thousand sleepless nights
   In wait of dreams I could not find
   I walked a thousand empty roads
   In search of signs to bring me home
   With every breath I spoke your name
   And heard it rolling in the waves
   Beneath a veil of ocean blue
   I broke illusion from the truth

   You said, walk to me and I’ll run you
   Call me and I’ll show you
   Hiding like a pearl for you
   To heal and guide you
   From deep inside you
   Hiding like a pearl for you

   And from the pulse beneath my skin
   You called me to a source within
   Where every layer revealed one more
   A secret brighter than before

   And at the heart there lay just one
   The root of all that I’d become
   I watched the surface start to break
   Free of form, free of shape

    

5. Ya Nabi

   Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Words by Dr. Imed Nsiri
   Music: Traditional Islamic Qawwali
   Raag: Kafi
   *Originally sung by the Sabri Brothers (‘Khwaja Ki Deewani’)

   LYRICS

   [Arabic:]
   Salutations upon our Guide, the beloved, the grandfather of Hasan and Hussein

   My prophet, the quintessence of generosity,
   the Imam (leader) of the Two Holy Mosques

   Our prophet is the best of those who walk on two legs
   O You who love him, send salutations upon the master of the two worlds

   Salutations of God upon him and his family and his blessed companions

   O Prophet
   Salutations of God upon him and his family and his auspicious companions
   You have no match, no one can compare
   O my prophet, O my beloved, O sanctuary, O bearer of good tidings

   I am crazy
   Crazy for Khwaja
   [A reference to Mu‘in ad-Din Chishti (d. 1236)]

   O Prophet
   Salutations of God upon him and his family
   and his auspicious companions

6. Fiyyashiyya

   Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Words & Music by Sidi Othman ibn Yahya Cherki (Traditional)
   English translation by Dr. Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad)
   Maqām: ‘Ajam

   LYRICS

   A humble slave I am of an almighty Lord
   No work is too hard for that One who’s adored

   But though I’m a beggar who cannot afford
   To claim any strength, sure and strong is my Lord

   He says, where He wills, when He wishes a thing,
   just “Be”, and it is, by the might of a King

   The ruler whose edicts and wise rulings bring
   All blessings and grace by the might of a King

   I haven’t got the force,
   No strength between my sides
   Why feel such remorse
   when the Maker provides?

   [Arabic:]
   I’m but a humble slave, what should I worry about?
   All affairs are ordained, of this there is no doubt

   My Lord sees everything, while my sight leaves much out
   In the womb, He formed me from a drop

   O Allah, send your blessings on The Chosen One
   Our beloved Muhammad, Peace be upon him

   I’m safe in the shade of his all-knowing height
   And no strength have I — His all power and might.

   So glory to God, his bounty shining bright,
   All gratitude and praise are His due and His right.

7. Māhūr Instrumental

   Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Dastgāh: Māhūr

8. Ya Rasul Allah

   Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Words: Traditional Islamic
   Maqām: Bayātī

   LYRICS

   [Arabic:]
   O truthful one in sayings, O Muhammad
   O pure one in character, O Muhammad
   O guide of all the worlds, O Muhammad
   O crown of God’s messengers, O Muhammad
   O best of creation, O Messenger of God

   O full moon
   Light of the darkness
   In possession of a lofty rank
   Master of the noble and generous
   Saviour of humanity
   May peace and blessings be upon you

   O Lord of Mustafa
   For the sake of Mustafa
   Forgive all sins, Guide the hearts
   O Lord, O Allah

   O Taha, O Yaseen
   O Friend of Allah
   O Beloved of Allah
   O Muhammad
   O Messenger of God

9. You Came to Me

   Written, composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
   Maqām: Bayātī

   LYRICS:

   [Arabic:]
   Send salutations upon him

   You came to me
   In that hour of need
   When I was so lost
   So lonely

   You came to me
   Took my breath away
   Showed me the right way
   The way to lead

   You filled my heart with love
   Showed me the light above
   Now all I want
   Is to be with you

   You are my one true love
   Taught me to never judge
   Now all I want
   Is to be with you

   [Arabic:]
   O God
   Send Your blessings upon our leader, The Chosen One
   Upon Your Beloved, Your Prophet, The Chosen One

   You came to me
   In a time of despair
   I called on you
   You were there

   Without you
   What would my life mean?
   To not know the unseen
   The worlds between

   For you I’d sacrifice
   For you I’d give my life
   Anything,
   Just to be with you

   I feel so lost at times
   By all the hurt and lies
   Now all I want
   Is to be with you

   Showed me right from wrong
   Taught me to be strong
   Need you more than ever
   O Messenger of God

   You came to me
   In that hour of need
   Need you more than ever
   O Messenger of God

10. Jaaneh Jaanaan

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Ustad Babak Radmanesh
    Mode: Aeolian with allusions to Datgah-e Navā

    LYRICS

    [Persian:]
    O You whose thought seizes the heart of the young and old
    In your midst, the hearts takes flight at every moment

    You are the hope in hearts; the shelter of lives;
    The eternal light of the heavens and the earth, and the face of infinite beauty

    You have become my world, my dream, my Beloved
    Tears stream down from my eyes when I linger in thought of You

    I am at safety with You, o desire of my soul, I have no home nor name without You
    I am in darkness without You, ignorant of any direction (to take)

    Your name will never leave my tongue till I am alive
    Your loving and desirous fragrance settles my heart

    You are boundless light, eternal grace, Im a sinner but You are The Most Kind
    You are a signpost for the lovers’ hearts

    Without You, O the One who puts my heart at rest, I would be the loneliest soul in this world
    Till eternity, I will be Your most enraptured lover in this world

    I am at safety with You, o desire of my soul
    O object of my everlasting desire, the reason for the peace of my heart and mind

     

11. Sari Gelin

    Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    English Words by Will Knox
    Music: Traditional Azeri Folklore
    Mode/Mugham: Shūr

    LYRICS

    I fight for a love
    Knowing it can’t be won
    Sent from a light above
    Child of our golden Sun
    O, golden bride

    I reach for hands
    Knowing they can’t be held
    Cursed by words I can’t tell
    Broken under your spell
    O, golden bride

    And like a rose
    Turning into thorns
    My love was taken
    Back to the light above
    What can I do, my love?
    Child of our Golden Sun
    O, golden bride

    A beating drum
    Searches on for your song
    Echoes will carry on
    Wondering where you’ve gone
    O, golden bride

    Is that your voice
    Caught in the mountain air?
    Leading me to nowhere
    Drifting in silent prayer
    O, golden bride

    [Azeri:]
    The ends of your long hair are not meant to be woven
    The flower-buds are not to be plucked
    O, golden bride

    What kind of love is this?
    They will not give you to me
    Oh, what can I do?
    Oh, what should I do?
    O, golden bride

12. Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum

    Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words and Music: Traditional Islamic Qawwali
    Additional composition by Sami Yusuf
    Raag: Ahir Bhairav

    LYRICS

    [Urdu:]
    O the Ever-Living, the Ever-Lasting One!
    O the Most-Merciful, the Beneficent
    O the Just One, O the Bestower of blessings*
    O the Protecting One, the Concealing One
    O the Only-One, the Forgiver
    O the One who owns everything, who provides for everyone
    You are the Creator of all creators
    You know every secret
    O the Ever-Living, the Ever-Lasting One!

    You are the quintessence of certainty
    You are pure and immaculate
    All life begins from You
    You are the Subduer of all enemies
    Your being is eternal
    You are the solution to every problem
    You are known all over

    *In the original version, the word used here was “Dayyān” but this has been replaced to “Mannān” (The Bestower).

     

13. Ya Mustafa

    Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words and Music: Traditional Islamic Qawwali
    Raag: Bhairav

    LYRICS

    [Arabic:]
    O God, send Your blessings on The Chosen One
    Mustafa, Mustafa, Mustafa

    You’re our Prophet
    Our beloved
    Truly you are
    Most just and kind

    O Mustafa
    In your manners
    And in your deeds
    All the Prophets
    You did exceed

     

14. Hasbi Rabbi

    Music: Traditional (Afghani Folklore)
    Additional Words: Ustad. B. Radmanesh, Mehboob and B. Kherigi
    Raag: Bhairavi

    LYRICS

    [Persian:]
    Let’s go to the shrine o dear Mollā Mamad
    To see the tulips there, o sweet beloved
    O generous one, the lion of God, heal my pain
    Plead on my behalf before God
    let’s go to the shrine o dear Mollā Mamad
    To see the tulips there, o sweet beloved
    Let us weep and weep, O sweet beloved

    [Arabic:]
    My Lord is enough for me, Glory be to God
    There is nothing in my heart except God
    The light of Mohammed,
    God’s peace and blessings be upon him
    There is none worthy of worship but God

    [Urdu:]
    Who is the only One?
    Who is the King?
    Who is the Merciful?

    Who is the most praised and benevolent?
    Whatever you see in this world is His sign
    He’s the love of every soul

    [Turkish]
    He is the Forgiver of all sins
    He is the King of the universe
    He is the Refuge of all hearts

    O God hear my sorrows and my sighs
    Have mercy and pardon my sins
    Bless my night and days

    [Arabic:]
    O Lord of the worlds
    Send peace and blessings
    On Taha the trustworthy
    In every time and at every instant

    Fill my heart with conviction
    Make me steadfast on this way of life
    And forgive me and all the believers

15. Mast Qalandar

    Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words: Amir Khusro and Bulleh Shah
    Music: Traditional Islamic Qawwali
    Additional composition by Sami Yusuf
    Raag: Kafi

    LYRICS

    [Punjabi]
    The drunk Qalandar, in his drunken state*
    (Has) Only one chant – Ali, in every breath

    The generous red-robed Qalandar in his drunken state
    (a reference to the  12th century sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar)

    God has blessed countless (people)

    He has even blessed the wretched

    Whoever comes to your doorstep

    Never returns empty-handed

    Oh teacher (referring to Ali) with lofty grace

    May the darkness (within me) be purged, Oh teacher

    I have pinned my (very many) hopes in you, Oh teacher

    Grant my requests today, Oh teacher

    Oh my brother, keep saying Ali, Ali, Ali; keep on saying

    Oh my brother, Go on saying, they will (themselves) accept the truth

    If not today then tomorrow everyone will repeat Ali, Ali

    *Drunkenness here refers not to intoxication from alcohol, but to the ecstatic state of remembrance of God. As the famous verse of the Egyptian Sufi poet Ibn al-Farid says: “In remembrance of the beloved, we drank wine; we were drunk with it even before the creation of the vine.”

     

16. Lament

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi
    Dastgāh: Shūr (Āvāz-e Dashtī)

    LYRICS

    [Arabic:]
    My father be the ransom of him for whose sake I melted with anguish
    My father be the ransom of him for whose sake I died of fear
    The blush of shame on his cheek is the whiteness of dawn
    conversing with the Redness of eve
    They left me at al-Uthayl and an-Naqá

    Who will compose my distracted thoughts?
    Who will relieve my pain?
    Guide me to him!
    Who will ease my sorrow?
    Who will help a passionate lover?

    Whenever I keep secret the torments of desire
    My tears betray the flame within and the sleeplessness
    They left me at al-Uthayl and an-Naqá

    And whenever I say, ‘Give me one look!’
    The answer is, ‘Thou art not hindered but for pity’s sake.’
    My father, my father, my father

     

17. I Only Knew Love

    Arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyyah
    Music: Traditional Andalusian
    English translation by Dr. Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad)
    Maqām: Nahāwand

    LYRICS

    I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
    I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.

    I stood long in converse with Thee, who doth see
    My heart’s inner secrets, but Thou I don’t see.

    My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
    The first’s for Thy love, and the other’s for Thee.

    And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
    Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.

    And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
    For Thine is the glory in all unity.

    [Arabic]
    I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
    I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.

    My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
    The first’s for Thy love, and the other’s for Thee.

    And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
    Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.

    And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
    I see Thou as present in all that I see.

    All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,
    For Thine is the glory in all unity.

     

18. Khorasan

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Will Knox
    Mode: Aeolian

    LYRICS

    Khorasan
    I have come
    Here alone

    In my dream
    Earth and stone
    Turned to gold

    Was that you
    Long ago
    Khorasan?

    Can you guide me to the treasures I have lost?
    Can you show me every secret I forgot?
    When I came you asked me where I had come from
    You said my homeland was my kingdom all along

    Khorasan
    I must go
    Send me home

    Breathe in me
    I have healed
    I have grown

    Give me peace
    In my soul
    Khorasan

     

19. Forgotten Promises

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    English words by Will Knox
    Arabic words by Dr. Shihab Ghanem
    Mode: Ionian

    LYRICS

    Tonight the world will sleep
    But hunger will not wait
    For promises we made
    We share one soul
    We share one land
    We have one time
    to understand

    We are one humankind
    Brothers side by side
    We’ll have no regret
    We will not forget
    We are one humankind
    Sisters side by side
    We’ll have no regret
    We will not forget

    [Arabic:]
    Forgive us, O God
    Have mercy on us, O Lord
    Give your bounty to the mouths
    And keep away from them all grievances and sighs

    Our words must count
    Hunger will not wait
    For promises we made

20. Healing

    Written, composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Arabic lyrics by Dr. Walid Al-Fitaihi
    Mode: Aeolian

    LYRICS

    It’s so hard to explain
    What I’m feeling
    But I guess it’s ok
    Cause I’ll keep believing
    There’s something deep inside
    Something that’s calling
    It’s calling you and I
    It’s taking us up high to

    Healing, a simple act of
    kindness bring such meaning
    A smile can change a life, let’s start believing
    And feeling, let’s start healing

    Heal and you will be healed
    Break every border
    Give and you will receive
    It’s nature’s order
    There is a hidden force
    Pulling us closer
    It’s pulling you and I
    It’s pulling us up high to

    [Arabic:]
    Hearts in the hand of another heart
    And in God’s hand are all hearts
    An eye takes care of another eye
    And God’s eye takes care of all

    A kind word is an act of charity
    A smile to your brother is an act of charity
    All goodness is a form of charity  
    O Lord, cure the illness and heal in a way that leaves behind no ailments

    Let’s start healing

21. Fire

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Will Knox
    Mode: Ionian

    LYRICS

    Peace be with you my brother, my friend
    Come join me at the fire, once again
    It bears no judgement, shame or pride
    It warms from every side
    Its light is lost without your eyes
    Come join me at the fire

    Peace be with you my sister, my friend
    The fire’s waiting for you to come again
    When you need comfort from tears you’ve cried
    It dances by your side
    It needs a partner, so dry your eyes
    Come join me at the fire

    Let it burn your troubles, clear your mind
    Watch these embers, sparks will fly
    Let it draw you closer, guide your soul
    Free your struggle in ash and smoke
    As one with others in search of truth
    Sisters, brothers, it waits for you
    Find your place at the fire, my friends

     

22. Go (Encore)

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Will Knox
    Mode: Aeolian with allusions to Dastgāh-e Navā

    LYRICS

    And I know, know
    I must go, go
    And I know, know
    I must go, go
    I must go

    There’s just one call from my heart
    It pulls me to a world apart
    There’s just one word that I hear
    One drum, that calls me near
    When the spring has been unwound
    What is lost will soon be found

    To the call that comes from inside you
    To the light that shines just to find you
    Go
    To the drum that beats from inside you
    To the one that’s calling to find you
    Go
    And I know, know
    I must go, go
    And I know, know
    I must go, go
    I must go

    In the mirror you stare
    Your eyes are calling me there
    Your friend has taken my hand
    Guides me beyond any land

    If you’re far I’ll soon be near
    What is faint will soon be clear

    On to the drum
    To the voice of the one
    I must go, I must follow
    The spark that lights us all
    Illuminated by the call
    With one hope, with one heart I will
    Go