كَأَنَّ الغُلامَ الحَنظَلِيَّ أَجارَهُ

كَأَنَّ الغُلامَ الحَنظَلِيَّ أَجارَهُ

عُمانِيَّةٌ قَد عَمَّ مَفرِقَها القَملُ

عُمانِيَّةٌ قَد عَمَّ مَفرِقَها القَملُ

As though the Ḥanẓalī youth had been given refuge

As if the youth of Hanzala sought refuge

by an Omani woman whose hair-parting was overrun with lice.

With a lice-infested Omani woman whose hair was unkempt

أَباتَ عَلى مِقراكَ ثُمَّ قَتَلتَهُ

أَباتَ عَلى مِقراكَ ثُمَّ قَتَلتَهُ

عَلى غَيرِ ذَنبٍ ذاكَ جَدَّبكَ الثُكلُ

عَلى غَيرِ ذَنبٍ ذاكَ جَدَّبكَ الثُكلُ

Did he spend the night as your guest, only for you then to kill him

You spent the night at your watch-post and then killed him

for no offense? May bereavement strike you hard for that!

Wrongfully, thus did sorrow afflict you

فَهَل هُوَ إِلّا ثَوبُهُ وَسِلاحُهُ

فَهَل هُوَ إِلّا ثَوبُهُ وَسِلاحُهُ

وَما بِكُم عُريٌ إِلَيهِ وَلا عُزلُ

وَما بِكُم عُريٌ إِلَيهِ وَلا عُزلُ

So what had he but his robe and his weapon?

Is he anything more than his clothes and weapons?

Yet you were neither naked in need of it nor unarmed.

You have no need to strip him naked or dismiss him

دَعا قَومَهُ لَمّا اِستُحِلَّ حَرامُهُ

دَعا قَومَهُ لَمّا اِستُحِلَّ حَرامُهُ

وَمِن دونِهِم عَرضُ الأَعِقَّةِ فَالرَملُ

وَمِن دونِهِم عَرضُ الأَعِقَّةِ فَالرَملُ

He called to his people when his inviolability was breached,

He called his people when his sanctity was violated

and between him and them lay broad ravines, then the sands.

While in their absence the honor of the weak was as worthless as sand

وَلَو سَمِعوا مِنهُم دُعاءً يَروعُهُم

وَلَو سَمِعوا مِنهُم دُعاءً يَروعُهُم

إِذا لَأَتَتهُ الخَيلُ أَعيُنُها قُبلُ

إِذا لَأَتَتهُ الخَيلُ أَعيُنُها قُبلُ

And had they heard from their own a cry that alarmed them,

Had they heard their cry that would have terrified them

then horses would surely have come to him, their eyes turned inward,

When the horses came, their eyes pools

شَواحِيَ يَمرِيهِنَّ بِالقَومِ وَالقَنا

شَواحِيَ يَمرِيهِنَّ بِالقَومِ وَالقَنا

فُروعُ السِياطِ وَالأَعِنَّةُ وَالرَكلُ

فُروعُ السِياطِ وَالأَعِنَّةُ وَالرَكلُ

mouths agape, driven onward with men and lances

Running steeds past the people and the spears

by whip-tips, reins, and kicks.

The lashes of the whips, the spearheads and the kicks

إِذاً لَأَتاهُ كُلُّ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ

إِذاً لَأَتاهُ كُلُّ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ

يُعانِشُ يَومَ البَأسِ ساعِدُهُ جَدلُ

يُعانِشُ يَومَ البَأسِ ساعِدُهُ جَدلُ

Then every fully armed man would surely have come to him,

Then every doubter would have come to him, his weapon unsheathed

grappling on the day of battle, his forearm tightly sinewed.

To help him on the day of tribulation, his sinewy forearm bared

فَلَو كانَ سَلمى جارَهُ أَو أَجارَهُ

فَلَو كانَ سَلمى جارَهُ أَو أَجارَهُ

رِياحُ بنُ سَعدٍ رَدَّهُ طائِرٌ كَهلُ

رِياحُ بنُ سَعدٍ رَدَّهُ طائِرٌ كَهلُ

So had Salmā been his protector, or had he been given refuge

Had he sought protection with his neighbor Salma or asked him for refuge

by Riyāḥ son of Saʿd, a full-grown bird would have turned him back.

The winds of Banu Sa'd would have driven back the unlucky bird

تَرى طالِبي الحاجاتِ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

تَرى طالِبي الحاجاتِ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

سِراعاً كَما تَهوى إِلى أُدَمى النَحلُ

سِراعاً كَما تَهوى إِلى أُدَمى النَحلُ

You see those seeking what they need flocking to his door,

You would have seen the seekers of favors crowding his door

swiftly, as bees swoop toward Udamā.

Rushing to it as bees fly eagerly to honey