أنجم بدا في الأفق أم طلعة البدر — Aloshari

أَنجم بَدا في الأُفق أَم طَلعة البَدر

وَهَذا ضِياء الشَمس أَم غُرة الفَجر

Is it a star appearing on the horizon, or the rising of the full moon?

And is this the sun's radiance, or dawn's first light?

وَما هَذِهِ الأَنوار هَل هِيَ طَلعة

تَصعد مِنها الضوء مِن داخل الستر

And what are these lights—is it a countenance

from which light rises from within the veil?

نَعم قمر الفَخري لاحَ عَلى الوَرى

فَفاقَ عَلى المصباح وَالكَوكَب الدري

Yes, al-Fakhri's moon has shone upon humankind,

outshining the lamp and the brilliant star.

تَلألأ عَنهُ النور غب مَجيئه

تلألؤ عَين الشَمس في قصب التبر

Light sparkled from him upon his arrival,

as the sun's orb sparkles in rods of native gold.

بَدا فَرأَينا السَعد بِان بِوجهه

وَشمنا وَميض الفَتح مِن أُفق الفَخر

He appeared, and we saw good fortune manifest in his face,

and espied victory's flash from glory's horizon.

وَحفت بِهِ الأَملاك في حال وَضعه

كَما فَعَلت بِالجد في أَول الأَمر

The angels gathered around him at his birth,

as they did around his forefather at the very beginning.

وَظلله الرَحمَن في ظل عَرشه

كَتَظليل خَير الخَلق مِن وَصب الحر

The All-Merciful shaded him beneath His throne,

as the best of creation was shaded from the torment of heat.

وَقَد صانهُ الرَحمَن مِن كُلِّ حاسد

كَما صين ذاكَ الجد مِن فِئَة الكُفر

The All-Merciful protected him from every envier,

as that forefather was protected from the company of unbelief.

وَأَصبَح مَحروساً مِن الشَر وَالأَذى

كَما عصم الجد الكَريم مِن الشَر

He became guarded against evil and harm,

as his noble forefather was preserved from evil.

وَمَن كانَ مِن أَصل النَبيين أَصله

فَبَشره إِن اللطف في ذاتِهِ يَسري

Whoever has his origin in the stock of prophets,

give him glad tidings: divine kindness courses through his very being.

وَمن قَومه الأَخيار مِن آل أحمد

فَلَم يَخشَ مِن سوء عَلَيهِ وَلا ضر

And whoever's people are the righteous of Ahmad's household

need fear neither evil befalling him nor harm.

أَئِمة فَضل طهر اللَه أَصلَهُم

وَشرَفهُ فازداد طهراً عَلى طهر

Imams of excellence, whose lineage God purified

and ennobled, increasing its purity upon purity.

فَجئني بِجد كَالنَبي مُحَمَّد

وَأُم كَبنت المُصطَفى صاحب الذكر

Then bring me a forefather like the Prophet Muhammad,

and a mother like the daughter of the Chosen One, possessed of renown.

هُناكَ جُدود وَالجُدود كَثيرة

وَشتان ما بَينَ الهجين إِلى المهر

There are forefathers, and forefathers are many,

but how far apart are the crossbred and the colt!

وَثمة أمات كَثير وَنسوَة

وَأَينَ اخضِرار السَيف مِن صَدأ الصفر

And there are many mothers and women,

yet how far a sword's green sheen is from the rust of brass!

هِيَ الدَوحة الفَيحاء قَد فاحَ نَشرها

فَعطر هَذا الكَون مِن ذَلِكَ النَشر

It is the spreading tree whose fragrance has diffused,

perfuming this universe with that scent.

رَسَت في تخوم المَجد كُل عُروقها

وَلَكنها طالَت عَلى قُبة النسر

All its roots were anchored in the bounds of glory,

yet it grew above the Eagle's dome.

رَوَت مِن عباب الدين فَاِشتَد ساقها

وَأَغصانها مُدت إِلى مُنتَهى البَحر

It was watered from faith's surging depths, and its trunk grew strong;

its branches stretched to the sea's farthest reach.

بَواسق جادَت بِالثمار فَأَينَعَت

ثِمار الهُدى وَالعلم وَالفَضل لا التَمر

Lofty boughs yielded fruit that ripened—

fruits of guidance, knowledge, and excellence, not dates.

عُلوم وَعرفان حلوم وَحكمة

وَسر قَديم لا يُقاس عَلى سر

Sciences and spiritual knowledge, forbearance and wisdom,

and an ancient mystery beyond comparison with any mystery.

مَناقب لا تحصي الدفاتر بَعضها

وَلَو أَمعَنَت فيها إِلى آخر العُمر

Virtues whose smallest portion volumes cannot count,

even were they to delve into them until life's end.

وَهَل تكتب النساخ إِلا الَّذي رَوَت

وَما الخبر المَنقول يا صاح كَالخبر

Do copyists write anything beyond what they have related?

A transmitted report, my friend, is not direct experience.

فَإِنَّ قَصر الشعر البَليغ بِوَصفِهم

فَإِن قُصور الشعر مِن قلة الشعر

If eloquent verse falls short in describing them,

its failing comes from a lack of poetic insight.

على أنَّني أَبغي القَريض هَدية

عَلى قَدر المهدي هَديته تَجري

Yet I seek to offer verse as a gift;

a gift accords with the measure of its giver.

فَزَينت أَشعاري وَكُل قَصائِدي

بِمَولاي عَبد اللَه ذي المَجد وَالفَخر

So I adorned my verses and all my odes

with my lord Abd Allah, possessor of glory and pride.

كَريم المُحيا ضاحك الثغر باسم

عَظيم الحجى بادي الحَيا واسع الصَّدر

Noble of countenance, laughing-lipped and smiling,

great in intellect, manifest in modesty, broad of heart.

تَقي سَخي عارف القَلب عامل

إِمام همام عالم علم حبر

Pious, generous, knowing of heart, devoted in deed;

an imam, a gallant man, a scholar, a beacon, a sage.

لَهُ الخطة العَلياء وَالرُتبة الَّتي

بحار الهُدى وَالعلم مِن تَحتِها تَجري

His is the loftiest station, that very rank

beneath which seas of guidance and knowledge flow.

بَصير رَأى عَن ساحة اللؤم قَد ناى

وَفا من وَأى بِالعرف مِن حَيث لا يَدري

Discerning in judgment, he has kept far from the precinct of baseness.

He who promised kindness fulfilled it, from an unsuspected quarter.

سَليل العبا زهر الرُبى وافر النَبا

كَثير الحبا ماضي الشَبا وافر النَصر

Scion of the Cloak, blossom of the uplands, abundant in eminence,

lavish in gifts, keen of edge, abundant in victory.

بِحَيث مَتى عات عَتا نَصره أَتى

يَمير إِذا جاءَ الشتا كُل ذي عُسر

Whenever a rebel rages, his victory comes;

he provisions every needy person when winter arrives.

إِذا ما حثا مِن ماله أَوسَع الحشى

فَصارَ الغثا مِن كَفه ماؤه يَجري

When he scatters handfuls of his wealth, he fills bellies,

and flotsam is borne on water flowing from his palm.

مُنير الدمى عالي الحجى مركب النجا

وَباب الرجا لِلناس في العُسرِ وَاليُسر

Illuminating beautiful figures, lofty in intellect, a vessel of salvation,

and a gate of hope for people in hardship and ease.

وَمَولى مَحا شَمس الضُحى كُل مَن نَجا

إِلَيهِ صَحا من غمرة الجَهل وَالسُكر

A lord who eclipsed the morning sun; whoever fled

to him awoke from the stupor of ignorance and drunkenness.

وَكنز السخا مِن كَفه الجود وَالرخا

بحب الاخا في اللَه مستجمع الأَمر

A treasure of generosity: bounty and plenty spring from his palm;

unifying affairs through brotherly love in God.

بعيد المدى يتم العِدى نير الهُدى

مميت الرَدى بحر الجدى واسع البر

Far-reaching, orphaning his foes, radiant in guidance,

slayer of death, sea of largesse, vast in goodness.

نَقي الغذا عاري الأَذى سَيد إِذا

أَلَم الأَذى يَأتيك كَالوابل المثري

Pure in sustenance, free of harm, a lord who, when

harm befalls, comes to you like an enriching downpour.

رَفيع الذرى يجدي الوَرى حَيثما سَرى

قوي العرى لَيث الشَرى واحد العصر

Lofty of crest, he benefits mankind wherever he travels by night;

strong in bonds, a lion of al-Shara, peerless in his age.

جَميل الجَزا في مالهِ الجَم قَد غَزا

فَصارَ الرزا في جحفل المال وَالوفر

Handsome in recompense, he has raided his own abundant wealth,

so loss has fallen upon the army of riches and abundance.

عَلا وَرَسا لَما اكتَسى حلية الكسا

فَصارَ المسا مِن نور جَدواه كَالفَجر

He rose and stood firm when he donned the adornment of the Cloak;

evening became like dawn through the light of his bounty.

سَليم الحشا نور نَشا فَضله فَشا

كَوتر العشا في الناس أَو ليلة القَدر

Sound of heart, a light arisen, his excellence spread

among people like the odd-numbered night prayer, or the Night of Decree.

تَقي عَصى من كانَ لِلّه قَد عَصى

فَفاقَ الحَصى جَدواه بِالعد وَالحَصر

Pious, he defied whoever had disobeyed God;

his bounty exceeded the pebbles in number and reckoning.

سَليل الرضا وَالمُرتَضى حبه رضا

كَنار الغَضا في حدة الذهن وَالفكر

Scion of al-Rida and al-Murtada, love for him is contentment;

like ghada-wood fire in sharpness of mind and thought.

بَعيد الخطى لَيث سَطا كُلما وَطا

يَبث العَطا حَتّى أَنافَ عَلى البَحر

Long of stride, a lion attacking whenever he treads,

dispensing bounty until he surpasses the sea.

سَعيد حَظا حَتّى غَدا عِندهُ الحَظى

كَنار لَظى وَالبخل مِن جُملة الكُفر

Blessed in fortune, until favor became, in his eyes,

like a raging blaze—and miserliness is a kind of unbelief.

إِذا ما رَعى عَبداً دَعا نَحوه سَعى

يَرد الوعا يَهتز بِالبيض وَالصُفر

When he tends a servant who calls, he hastens toward him;

he enters the fray, exulting with white blades and yellow spears.

فَتى ما بَغى لا وَالَّذي يسمَع الرغا

يَخوض الوَغى بِالبيض وَالضمر الشقر

A youth who never transgressed—no, by Him who hears the camels' bellowing—

he plunges into battle with white blades and lean chestnut steeds.

وَنَهر الشفا وَابن الصَفا وَالَّذي كَفى

فَزالَ الجَفا وَالحيف عَن كُل ذي ضر

A river of healing, a son of purity, one who sufficed,

so harshness and injustice vanished from every sufferer.

واصل التُقى وابن النقا وَالَّذي رَقا

فَحازَ اللقا وَالفَوز في أَول العُمر

Maintaining piety, son of purity, one who ascended,

and won union and triumph at life's beginning.

وَشَخص زَكا حَتّى حَكى النار في الذكا

لَهُ المُشتَكى يا صاح مِن سَطوة الدَهر

A man so purified that he resembled fire in brilliance;

to him complaints are brought, my friend, against time's onslaught.

عَظيم الوَلا راقي العلى واحد الملا

مَليح الحلى يروي الكلى مِنهُ بِالنزر

Great in loyalty, ascending the heights, peerless among the throng;

lovely in adornment, he quenches the kidneys with a little from him.

سمي السَما مجلي العَمى منهل الظَما

مَنيع الحِمى غَيث السَما مَذهب الفَقر

Peer of the sky, dispeller of blindness, a spring for the thirsty;

impregnable in sanctuary, heaven's rain, banisher of poverty.

عَظيم السَنا عالي البَنا غاية المُنى

مُبيد العَنا بَحر الغِنى كامل القَدر

Great in radiance, lofty in structure, the utmost of wishes;

destroyer of hardship, sea of wealth, perfect in worth.

رَفيع اللوا مَولى حَوى كَل ما اِنطَوى

وَفاقَ طوى لَما اِستَوى هامة النسر

Lofty of banner, a lord encompassing all that lies hidden,

surpassing Tuwa when he rose to the Eagle's crown.

رَحيب السها فاقَ السُها واسع اللُهى

لِمَن قَد وَهى حَتّى اِنتَهى في جَوى الجَمر

Broad in expanse, surpassing al-Suha, lavish in gifts

for one grown weak, reduced to the burning anguish of embers.

كَثير الحَيا عالي الضيا يشبه الحَيا

تدفن ذاكَ الكَف في ساعة العسر

Abundant in modesty, lofty in radiance, he resembles rain;

that palm is buried in the hour of hardship.

أَتيت يَسيراً مِن كَثير وَإِنَّني

وَحَقك واهي البال وَالذهن وَالفكر

I have brought a little of much, though I,

by your honor, am feeble in attention, mind, and thought.

فَخُذها فَقَد جاءَت تهنيك سَيدي

بِمولودك المَشمول بِالفَتح وَالنَصر

So accept it: it has come to congratulate you, my master,

on your newborn, enfolded in triumph and victory.

كَريم وَسيم جاءَ بِاليمن وَالهَنا

شَريف المحيا طَيب الأَصل وَالنَجر

Noble and handsome, he came with good fortune and joy,

noble of countenance, fine in origin and lineage.

عَلا شَرَفاً دونَ العِباد وَأَرخوا

عَلى الهُدى باهي الحجى وَلد الفَخر

He rose in nobility above other men; record the date:

Upon guidance, splendid in intellect, glory was born.