سائِل هِلالاً إِذ تَفاقَمَ أَمرُها
وَخانَتهُمُ أَحلامُهُم أَيَّ مَوئِلِ
A crescent moon sought when their plight grew grave
And their dreams betrayed them, what refuge to crave
وَأَيَّ فَتىً إِذ أَحجَمَ الناسُ عَنهُمُ
وَقالوا هَلَكنا فَاِركَبِ الحُكمَ وَاِعدِلِ
And what man when people shunned giving them aid
Said, "We are destroyed, so mount and judge fair and aid"
غَداةَ هِلالٌ واقِفونَ كَأَنَّهُم
مِنَ الشَرِّ وَالقَتلى عَلى وِردِ مَنهَلِ
When dawn rose crescents paused as though they
Amid injuries and dead stood by a spring to waylay
قُبَيِّلَةٌ داءَت وَأَثعَلَ شَرُّها
وَأَعيَت عَلى الآسينَ في كُلِّ مَزحَلِ
An tribe diseased, its evil ran rife
And wearied the emaciated in every stage and strife
تَتَبَّعتُها حَتّى أَسَوتُ جُروحَها
وَجادَت بِمَعروفٍ مِنَ الحُكمِ فَيصَلِ
I tracked them until I dressed their wounds
And they yielded with bounty from the rule I maintain
وَسِعنا وَسِعنا في أُمورٍ تَمَهَّلَت
عَلى الطالِبِ المَوتورِ أَيَّ تَمَهُّلِ
We had scope, we had scope in matters we postponed
For the despondent seeker, what scope postpone!
نَمُدُّ بِأَسبابٍ إِلى كُلِّ غايَةٍ
طِوالٍ ذُراها صَعبَةِ المُتَنَزَّلِ
We stretch means to every goal, however remote
Deeming its far rungs beyond all hope
يُصَعصِعُ أَقوامٌ إِلَيها رُؤوسَهُم
وَمَن يَتَجَشَّمها مِنَ القَومِ يُعمَلِ
While some tribes shatter heads against it
And whoso of the folk suffers it is given work
فَلَيسَ الفَعالُ أَن تَنَحَّلَ باطِلاً
وَلَكِن لَدى غُرمِ المِئينَ المُعَقَّلِ
But the doer is not to vainly dissolve
Rather where warring hundreds stall and solve
سَعَينا لِبِشرٍ يَومَ ذاكَ وَرَهطِهِ
وَعُروَةَ خَيرَ السَعيِ لَو لَم يُبَدَّلِ
We strove for good tidings that day and its ilk
The bond of best effort though it ne'er lasts
وَذي إِبِلٍ أَضحى يَعُدُّ فُضولَها
بَطيناً وَلَولا سَعيُنا لَم يُؤَبَّلِ
He of camels made superfluous, now counts
Mud yet but for our striving, no camels he mounts
لَقَد عَلِموا مَسعاتَنا في اِبنِ مالِكٍ
وَفي الجَونِ إِن عَدّوا وَفي حَربِ مَعقِلِ
They knew our fine deeds for Ibn Malik
And in battle and war in Maqil's confine
