أسفرَتِ الأيَّامُ عن مرأى حَسنْ

أسفرَتِ الأيَّامُ عن مرأى حَسنْ

وسعدُها الطالعُ باليمن اقترَنْ

وسعدُها الطالعُ باليمن اقترَنْ

The days have unveiled a lovely sight,

The days have unveiled a scene of beauty

And their rising fortune has joined with blessing.

And its rising fortune is associated with good luck

وأصبحَ الزمانُ وهو لابسٌ

وأصبحَ الزمانُ وهو لابسٌ

نشوةَ زهوٍ ربَّحت عطفَ الزمن

نشوةَ زهوٍ ربَّحت عطفَ الزمن

And time has dawned, now clothed in

And time has dawned wearing

A rapture of splendor that enriched the flank of time.

The rapture of glory that has blessed the shoulder of time

وروضةُ الأفراحِ في الكرخ زهت

وروضةُ الأفراحِ في الكرخ زهت

فكلُّ مغنًى من مغانيها أغن

فكلُّ مغنًى من مغانيها أغن

And the garden of joys in al-Karkh has bloomed,

And the garden of joys in Al-Karkh has blossomed

So every abode among its abodes resounds with song.

So every singer among its singers sings

وطائر البشرِ غدا مُغرِّداً

وطائر البشرِ غدا مُغرِّداً

يبدي فنونَ سجعِه على فَنن

يبدي فنونَ سجعِه على فَنن

And the bird of gladness has begun to sing,

And humankind's bird started singing

Displaying varied strains of its cooing upon a bough.

Expressing the arts of its rhyme over arts

يا سعدُ ما أبهجَها مسرَّةً

يا سعدُ ما أبهجَها مسرَّةً

بها أقامَ السعدُ والنحسُ ظَعن

بها أقامَ السعدُ والنحسُ ظَعن

O Fortune, what a delightful joy!

O bliss! How delightful is the joy

In it good fortune has settled, and ill fortune has departed.

With which luck stayed and misfortune faded

خصَّت زعيمَ آل بيتِ المصطفى

خصَّت زعيمَ آل بيتِ المصطفى

وعمَّت العالمَ من إنسٍ وجن

وعمَّت العالمَ من إنسٍ وجن

It singled out the leader of the Chosen One's household,

It singled out the leader of the Prophet's family

And encompassed the world of humankind and jinn.

And spread over the world, human and jinn

سرَّهمُ سرورُه كأنَّما

سرَّهمُ سرورُه كأنَّما

لديهم بشراهُ من أعلى المِنن

لديهم بشراهُ من أعلى المِنن

His joy delighted them, as though

Their happiness makes them happy as if

His glad tidings were to them among the greatest gifts.

His good news to them is from the highest blessings

لأنَّه دامَ علاهُ في الوَرى

لأنَّه دامَ علاهُ في الوَرى

مُحبَّبٌ إذ كلُّ ما فيهِ حَسن

مُحبَّبٌ إذ كلُّ ما فيهِ حَسن

For he—may his eminence endure—is among mankind

Because his supremacy in the world

Beloved, since everything in him is beautiful.

Remains beloved as everything in him is good

محمدٌ ليسَ سواهُ صالحٌ

محمدٌ ليسَ سواهُ صالحٌ

على كنوزِ المكرماتِ يُؤتمن

على كنوزِ المكرماتِ يُؤتمن

Muhammad—none but he is fit

Muhammad has no equal

To be entrusted with the treasures of noble deeds.

Entrusted with the treasures of favors

لا تعدلنَّ عنهُ في قافيةٍ

لا تعدلنَّ عنهُ في قافيةٍ

وإن بها عَدلتَ عنه فَلِمَن

وإن بها عَدلتَ عنه فَلِمَن

Never turn away from him in a rhyme;

Do not deviate from him in rhyme

And if you turn from him in it, then to whom?

And if you deviate from him for whom?

تاللهِ لولاهُ لما بضاعةٌ

تاللهِ لولاهُ لما بضاعةٌ

من القوافي نَفَقت بذا الزمن

من القوافي نَفَقت بذا الزمن

By God, were it not for him, no merchandise

By Allah, were it not for him, no rhymes

Of rhymes would have sold in this age.

Would have flowed in this time

يسني لها أثمانها مُستحيياً

يسني لها أثمانها مُستحيياً

ولو يميحُ نفسهُ معَ الثمن

ولو يميحُ نفسهُ معَ الثمن

He pays lavish prices for them, yet feels ashamed,

I am too shy to pay their price

Even were he to bestow himself along with the price.

Even if he tries to sell himself with the price

هذا الذي تضمَّنت أبراده

هذا الذي تضمَّنت أبراده

منه فتًى أطهرَ من ماءِ المُزن

منه فتًى أطهرَ من ماءِ المُزن

This is he whose cloaks enfold,

This one whose tents contained

In him, a youth purer than water from rainclouds.

A young man purer than rainwater

هذا الذي تقوَّم المجدُ به

هذا الذي تقوَّم المجدُ به

فشخصُه والمجد روحٌ وبدن

فشخصُه والمجد روحٌ وبدن

This is he through whom glory stands firm;

This one by whom glory is valued

Thus his person and glory are soul and body.

So his persona and glory are spirit and body

أين بنو العَلياءِ من محلِّه

أين بنو العَلياءِ من محلِّه

يا بُعدَ ما بين الوهادِ والقُنن

يا بُعدَ ما بين الوهادِ والقُنن

Where do the sons of eminence stand beside his station?

Where are the highborn compared to his status?

Oh, how far apart are the lowlands and the peaks!

Oh, how far between the valleys and peaks!

مولًى غدا أمراه أحلى لذَّةً

مولًى غدا أمراه أحلى لذَّةً

حتَّى إلى عينِ العِدى من الوسَن

حتَّى إلى عينِ العِدى من الوسَن

A lord whose two commands have become sweeter in savor,

His affairs have become the sweetest pleasure

Even to the eye of his enemies, than slumber.

Even to the eye of the enemy, a delight

قد لُقِّبت راحته أمّ الندى

قد لُقِّبت راحته أمّ الندى

لأنَّ منها كان ميلادُ المنن

لأنَّ منها كان ميلادُ المنن

His palm has been named the mother of generosity,

His comfort was titled the mother of dew

For from it came the birth of bounties.

Because the birth of blessings was from it

ترتضعُ الآمالُ من أخلافها

ترتضعُ الآمالُ من أخلافها

دَرَّ الندى الغزيرَ لا درَّ اللبن

دَرَّ الندى الغزيرَ لا درَّ اللبن

Hopes suckle from its teats

Hopes are nursed from its udders

The copious flow of generosity, not the flow of milk.

The pouring thick rain, not the milk rain

فليُهنه اليومَ خِتان نجله

فليُهنه اليومَ خِتان نجله

فإنَّه أيمن مولودٍ خُتن

فإنَّه أيمن مولودٍ خُتن

So may his son's circumcision gladden him today,

So congratulate today the one who circumcised his son

For he is the most auspicious child ever circumcised.

For he is the luckiest newborn circumcised

قد وَلَدته كاملاً أُمُّ العُلى

قد وَلَدته كاملاً أُمُّ العُلى

وفي زيادةٍ ونقصٍ لم يشَن

وفي زيادةٍ ونقصٍ لم يشَن

The mother of eminence bore him perfect,

His perfect mother Al-Ulaa gave birth to him

And neither excess nor deficiency marred him.

Without any increase or decrease that marked him

ثمَّ فلم يختنه إلاَّ سنَّةً

ثمَّ فلم يختنه إلاَّ سنَّةً

أدامهُ الله لإحياءِ السنن

أدامهُ الله لإحياءِ السنن

Then he circumcised him only in observance of the Sunna;

Then none circumcised him but by tradition

May God preserve him to revive the traditions.

May God make him live to revive traditions

وليهنَ فيه عمّه مَن لم تكن

وليهنَ فيه عمّه مَن لم تكن

بشأوهِ تَعلِق أمجاد الزمن

بشأوهِ تَعلِق أمجاد الزمن

And may his uncle find joy in him—the one

And may his uncle who glory

Whose rank the glories of time could never attain.

And time's glories were not tied to his stature

ندبٌ يعدُّ الفخرَ ثوب مدحه

ندبٌ يعدُّ الفخرَ ثوب مدحه

إن عدَّه سواه ثوباً من عَدن

إن عدَّه سواه ثوباً من عَدن

A gallant man who deems glory the robe of his praise,

A call that counts pride the garb of his praise

Even if another deems it a robe from Aden.

If anyone but him counted it a garment of Eden

وليبتهج فيه الرضا شقيقهُ

وليبتهج فيه الرضا شقيقهُ

مَن لا يشوبُ منَّه يوماً بمنّ

مَن لا يشوبُ منَّه يوماً بمنّ

And may al-Rida, his brother, rejoice in him,

And may his brother, the pleased one, rejoice in him

Who never taints his bounty with reminders of favors.

One who is never blemished by a grudge

ومَن كساه الفضلُ أبهى حلَّةٍ

ومَن كساه الفضلُ أبهى حلَّةٍ

رحيضة الأردان من كلّ درَن

رحيضة الأردان من كلّ درَن

And whom excellence has clothed in the fairest robe,

And the one dressed by favor in the finest robe

With sleeves washed clean of every stain.

Smooth silk of Ardan from every valley

وليزهُ فيه مصطفى المجد الذي

وليزهُ فيه مصطفى المجد الذي

بغير أبكار المعالي ما افتنن

بغير أبكار المعالي ما افتنن

And may glory's Mustafa exult in him, he who

And may Mustafa enjoy the glory that

Has shown his mastery only in virgin feats of honor.

Was not tempted but by fresh heights

مباركُ الطلعة ما صبَّحهُ

مباركُ الطلعة ما صبَّحهُ

ذو محنةٍ إلاَّ جلا عنها المحن

ذو محنةٍ إلاَّ جلا عنها المحن

Blessed in countenance, he is never greeted at dawn

Blessed is the rising from which

By one in distress without dispelling their afflictions.

One with worries was relieved of worries

وليسعد الهادي به من لم تحط

وليسعد الهادي به من لم تحط

في وصف معناه دقيقاتُ الفِطن

في وصف معناه دقيقاتُ الفِطن

And may al-Hadi rejoice in him—the one whom

And may the Guide be made happy by him who glory

The subtlest insights cannot encompass in describing his essence.

In describing his meaning did not limit the perceptive

مصدَّقُ الظنون حيث لا ترى

مصدَّقُ الظنون حيث لا ترى

لآملٍ يصدِّقُ المأمولُ ظن

لآملٍ يصدِّقُ المأمولُ ظن

Expectations of him are fulfilled where you never see

The fulfiller of hopes where no

A hoped-for benefactor fulfill a hopeful seeker's expectation.

Hopeful sees his wish fulfilled

يا أيكةً للفضل منها كم شدَت

يا أيكةً للفضل منها كم شدَت

وِرقُ القوافي بالثنا على غُصن

وِرقُ القوافي بالثنا على غُصن

O grove of excellence, how often have sung from you

Oh pillar of virtue through which have trailed

The gray doves of rhyme, with praise upon a bough!

The tails of rhymes praising on a branch

لا برحت بيوتُ عليائِكُم

لا برحت بيوتُ عليائِكُم

وهي لكم وللمسرَّات وطَن

وهي لكم وللمسرَّات وطَن

May the houses of your eminence forever remain,

Your noble houses have not ceased

A home for you and for rejoicings.

To be yours, and of joys, a homeland

واليومَ لابتهاجِكم أبهجت ال

واليومَ لابتهاجِكم أبهجت ال

دنيا وزال الكربُ عنها والحَزَن

دنيا وزال الكربُ عنها والحَزَن

And today, at your rejoicing, gladdened is the

And today for your delight has delighted the

World; anguish has left it, and sorrow too.

World, and grief has departed from it and sadness

وعادَ وجهُ الكرخ حين أرّخوا

وعادَ وجهُ الكرخ حين أرّخوا

ختانَ أزهاها محمدٍ حسن

ختانَ أزهاها محمدٍ حسن

And al-Karkh's face grew once more—when they dated

And the face of Al-Karkh smiled when they dated

Its most radiant Muhammad's circumcision—fair.

The finest of its adornments, Muhammad Hasan