سائِلask هِلالاًHilal إِذwhen تَفاقَمَgrew grave أَمرُهاits affair
سائِل هِلالاً إِذ تَفاقَمَ أَمرُها
وَخانَتهُمُand betrayed them أَحلامُهُمtheir judgment أَيَّwhat مَوئِلِrefuge
وَخانَتهُمُ أَحلامُهُم أَيَّ مَوئِلِ
Ask Hilal, when their plight grew grave
A crescent moon sought when their plight grew grave
and their judgment betrayed them, what a refuge I was,
And their dreams betrayed them, what refuge to crave
وَأَيَّand what فَتىًyoung man إِذwhen أَحجَمَheld back الناسُthe people عَنهُمُfrom them
وَأَيَّ فَتىً إِذ أَحجَمَ الناسُ عَنهُمُ
وَقالواand they said هَلَكناwe are ruined فَاِركَبِso undertake الحُكمَarbitration وَاِعدِلِand be just
وَقالوا هَلَكنا فَاِركَبِ الحُكمَ وَاِعدِلِ
and what a young man I was, when people shrank from them
And what man when people shunned giving them aid
and they said, "We are ruined! Take up arbitration and be just."
Said, "We are destroyed, so mount and judge fair and aid"
غَداةَthat morning هِلالٌHilal واقِفونَstanding كَأَنَّهُمas though they
غَداةَ هِلالٌ واقِفونَ كَأَنَّهُم
مِنَfrom الشَرِّcalamity وَالقَتلىand the slain عَلىat وِردِcoming to drink مَنهَلِa watering place
مِنَ الشَرِّ وَالقَتلى عَلى وِردِ مَنهَلِ
That morning Hilal stood as though they were
When dawn rose crescents paused as though they
amid calamity and the slain, coming to drink at a watering place.
Amid injuries and dead stood by a spring to waylay
قُبَيِّلَةٌa little tribe داءَتfell sick وَأَثعَلَand intensified شَرُّهاits evil
قُبَيِّلَةٌ داءَت وَأَثعَلَ شَرُّها
وَأَعيَتand baffled عَلىfor الآسينَthe healers فيin كُلِّevery مَزحَلِplace of retreat
وَأَعيَت عَلى الآسينَ في كُلِّ مَزحَلِ
A little tribe fell sick, and its evil grew fierce,
An tribe diseased, its evil ran rife
and baffled the healers at every turn.
And wearied the emaciated in every stage and strife
تَتَبَّعتُهاI followed it closely حَتّىuntil أَسَوتُI healed جُروحَهاits wounds
تَتَبَّعتُها حَتّى أَسَوتُ جُروحَها
وَجادَتand gave generously بِمَعروفٍwith what is right مِنَof الحُكمِjudgment فَيصَلِdecisive
وَجادَت بِمَعروفٍ مِنَ الحُكمِ فَيصَلِ
I followed it closely until I healed its wounds,
I tracked them until I dressed their wounds
and it freely offered a fair, decisive judgment.
And they yielded with bounty from the rule I maintain
وَسِعناwe had capacity وَسِعناwe had capacity فيin أُمورٍaffairs تَمَهَّلَتdragged on
وَسِعنا وَسِعنا في أُمورٍ تَمَهَّلَت
عَلىfor الطالِبِthe claimant المَوتورِthe bereaved أَيَّwhat a تَمَهُّلِdelay
عَلى الطالِبِ المَوتورِ أَيَّ تَمَهُّلِ
We had the capacity, we had the capacity, in affairs that dragged on
We had scope, we had scope in matters we postponed
for the bereaved claimant—what a delay!
For the despondent seeker, what scope postpone!
نَمُدُّwe extend بِأَسبابٍwith ropes إِلىtoward كُلِّevery غايَةٍgoal
نَمُدُّ بِأَسبابٍ إِلى كُلِّ غايَةٍ
طِوالٍlofty ذُراهاits summits صَعبَةِdifficult المُتَنَزَّلِthe descent
طِوالٍ ذُراها صَعبَةِ المُتَنَزَّلِ
We stretch out ropes toward every goal,
We stretch means to every goal, however remote
whose summits are lofty and whose descent is hard.
Deeming its far rungs beyond all hope
يُصَعصِعُtoss أَقوامٌgroups of people إِلَيهاtoward it رُؤوسَهُمtheir heads
يُصَعصِعُ أَقوامٌ إِلَيها رُؤوسَهُم
وَمَنand whoever يَتَجَشَّمهاundertakes it مِنَamong القَومِthe people يُعمَلِis made to toil
وَمَن يَتَجَشَّمها مِنَ القَومِ يُعمَلِ
Some people toss their heads toward it,
While some tribes shatter heads against it
and whoever among the people undertakes it is made to toil.
And whoso of the folk suffers it is given work
فَلَيسَfor it is not الفَعالُnoble deeds أَنto تَنَحَّلَclaim for yourself باطِلاًfalsely
فَلَيسَ الفَعالُ أَن تَنَحَّلَ باطِلاً
وَلَكِنbut rather لَدىat غُرمِpaying indemnity المِئينَthe hundreds المُعَقَّلِtethered
وَلَكِن لَدى غُرمِ المِئينَ المُعَقَّلِ
For noble deeds are not a matter of baseless claims,
But the doer is not to vainly dissolve
but of paying indemnity in hundreds of tethered camels.
Rather where warring hundreds stall and solve
سَعَيناwe strove لِبِشرٍfor Bishr يَومَday ذاكَthat وَرَهطِهِand his clan
سَعَينا لِبِشرٍ يَومَ ذاكَ وَرَهطِهِ
وَعُروَةَand Urwah خَيرَthe best السَعيِeffort لَوif لَمnot يُبَدَّلِbe altered
وَعُروَةَ خَيرَ السَعيِ لَو لَم يُبَدَّلِ
We strove for Bishr that day, and for his clan,
We strove for good tidings that day and its ilk
and for Urwah, with the finest effort—had it not been altered;
The bond of best effort though it ne'er lasts
وَذيand an owner of إِبِلٍcamels أَضحىbecame يَعُدُّcounts فُضولَهاtheir surplus
وَذي إِبِلٍ أَضحى يَعُدُّ فُضولَها
بَطيناًbig-bellied وَلَولاand were it not for سَعيُناour striving لَمnot يُؤَبَّلِbe provided with camels
بَطيناً وَلَولا سَعيُنا لَم يُؤَبَّلِ
and for a camel-owner who came to count his herd's surplus,
He of camels made superfluous, now counts
big-bellied; but for our striving, he would not have been given camels.
Mud yet but for our striving, no camels he mounts
لَقَدindeed عَلِمواthey knew مَسعاتَناour endeavor فيin اِبنِson of مالِكٍMalik
لَقَد عَلِموا مَسعاتَنا في اِبنِ مالِكٍ
وَفيand in الجَونِal-Jawn إِنif عَدّواthey counted وَفيand in حَربِthe war of مَعقِلِMa'qil
وَفي الجَونِ إِن عَدّوا وَفي حَربِ مَعقِلِ
They surely know our service in Ibn Malik's case,
They knew our fine deeds for Ibn Malik
and in al-Jawn's case, if they keep count, and in Ma'qil's war.
And in battle and war in Maqil's confine
Sol 6.1