فاضَ هَكطُورُ قَلبُهُ بحُبُورٍ

وتَدَنَّى لساحَةِ المَيدانِ

His heart overflowed with love's seas,

And he approached the field of battle.

وبِمِزراقهِ أَمالَ ذَوِيهِ

وَقَفُوا بالوَقارِ والإِذعانِ

With his boat he aimed to please his own,

As they stood with dignity and obedience.

وعَلَيهِ الإِغريقُ أَمطَرَتِ النَّب

لَ وَوَبلَ الحِجارِ مِثلَ الدُّخانِ

Upon him the Greeks showered arrows

Not even missing a single stone like smoke.

صاحَ يَستَوقِفُ الجُمُوعَ أَغامَم

نُونُ مَهلاً يا عُصبَة اليُونانِ

He called out stopping the crowds, "Wait!

O Greek hordes, wait a little!"

فَكَأَنّي بَدا لِهَكطُورَ أَمرٌ

يَرتأَِيهِ لَنَا عَلى الإِعلانِ

It was as if Hector intended something

That he wanted announced openly for us.

سَكَنَ الجَأشُ قالَ هَكطُورُ سَمعاً

لِمَقالي يا أَيُّها الجَيشانِ

The clamor fell silent. Hector said, listening,

"Hear me, O you two armies."

هاكُمُ ما فاريسُ يُلقي عَليكُم

وَهوُ تَدرُونَ أُسُّ هذا الهَوانِ

"Here is what Paris casts upon you,

And you know he is the source of this disgrace."

كُلُّكم للحَضِيضِ أَلقُوا سِلاحاً

وإِلى الحَربِ يَبرُزُ القِرنانِ

"All of you, cast down your weapons to the ground,

And let the two heroes come forth to battle."

هُوَ والباسِلُ العَزُومُ مَنيلا

عن جَمِيعِ الجُنُودِ يَقتِتلانِ

"He and the valiant, resolute Menelaus,

Will fight apart from all the soldiers."

كُلُّ مَن فاز منهما يُحرِزُ ال

مالَ وهِيلانَةً بِغَيرِ طِعانِ

"Whoever prevails of the two will earn

Possessions and supremacy without stabbing."

ويُآلي الجَيشانِ بالأَمنِ والوَف

قِ لِطُولِ الزَّمانِ يَتَّحدانِ

"And the two armies will live in security and loyalty

For a long time unified."

صَمَتُوا جُملَةً فَقالَ منَيلا

بِصُراخٍ عالٍ وثَبتِ جَنانِ

They were all silent. Then Menelaus called out

With a loud, steady voice and a resolute soul,

فلِيَ الآنَ سَمعُكُم لَيسَ منكُم

مَن يُعاني بِلوعَةٍ ما أُعاني

"Now hear me - there is none among you

Who suffers the agony I suffer."

بَينَ فارِيسَ ذا الخِصامُ وبيني

قد دَهَاكم بفاجِعاتِ الزَّمانِ

"Between Paris, who wants conflict, and me

Your calamities in time have exhausted you."

هُوَ بادٍ ولِلوَغى أَنا صادٍ

إِنَّما رُمتُ كَفَّ حَربٍ عَوَان

"He is hostile and I am set against chaos.

I have only taken up the palm of unjust war."

مَن يَسقُهُ القَبضاءُ لِلحتفِ مِنَّا

فَليذُقهُ وأنتُمُ بِأمانِ

"Whichever of us the fates decree for death,

Let him taste it while you are safe."

ولِطُروادَةٍ بِكَبشَينِ يُؤتى

واحِدٌ أَبيَضٌ وأسوَدُ ثاني

"And two rams will be brought to Troy

One white and the other black."

قُربَةً تُستَبَاحُ لِلشَّمسِ والأََر

ض ومِنَّا كَبشٌ لرَبِّ المَثاني

"An offering permitted to the sun and the earth.

And one of us is a ram for the Lord of Destiny."

ويُوَافي المَلِيكُ فِريامُ بالنَّف

سِ لعَقدِ الوِفاقِ في ذا المكَانِ

"King Priam will come in person

To seal the pact of harmony in this place."

فَبَنُوهُ لا يَتَّقُونَ زِماماً

والتَّرَاخي طَبيعَةُ الفِتيانِ

"For his sons do not restrain the reins,

And laxity is the nature of youths."

رُبَّما يَنقُبضُونَ مِيثاقَ زَفسٍ

إِنَّما الشَّيخُ لا يُخِيبُ الأَماني

"Perhaps they recoil from the covenant of Zefs.

But the elder does not disappoint hopes."

فَيُرَاعي الماضي ومُستَقبَلَ الأَم

رِ لِيَلقَى السَّلامَةَ الطَّرَفانِ

"So he will heed the past and the future,

So that both sides encounter well-being."

سَرَّ هذا الحَدِيثُ كُلَّ فَرِيقٍ

رَغبَةً في ادِّراءِ ذا الحَدثانِ

This talk pleased every faction,

Eager to ward off these events.

فَتَدانَوا بالمَركَباتِ وصَفُّوا

عُدَدَ الحَربِ الحَضِيضِ دَوَاني

They approached in ships and described

The number of vessels sunk into the abyss.

ولِفِريامَ أَرسَلَ النَّدبُ هَكطُو

رُ بِفَيجَينِ ثَمَّ يَستَقدِمانِ

And Hector sent a messenger to Priam

With Vega, then they would come together.

ويَقُودانِ ذِبحَهُم وأَغامَم

نُونُ يَبغِي تَتِمَّةَ القُربانِ

And they would lead their slaughter, as Agamemnon

Wanted the completion of the sacrifice.

فلِتلثِيِبيُوسَ أَوعَزَ فاجتا

زَ إِلى فُلكِهِم بِغَيرِ تَواني

To Talthybius he ordered to hasten

To their ships without delay.

ولِهلاَنَةٍ تَرَاءَت إِرِيسٌ

تَبتَغيِها مِن قاصِيَات الجِنانِ

And for Helen, Eris was seen

Seeking her in the furthest gardens.

وتَزَيَّت بِزِيِّب أَجمَلِ بِنت

لِحَميها بِحُسنها الفَتَّانِ

She adorned herself in the finest attire

To compliment her dazzling beauty.

لاوُذِيقا وزَوجِ هيليقَوُوُنٍ

فَرعِ أَنطِينُورَ الرَّفِيعِ الشَّانِ

With Laodicea, wife of Helicaon,

Scion of glorious Antenor.

وَجَدَتها بالصَّرحِ تَنسِجُ ثَوباً

بِحَوَاشِي البِرفِيرِ والأُرجُوَانِ

She found her in the palace weaving a gown

With hems of purple and red dye.

وبِرَأسِ الخِيَاطِ تَرسُمُ فيهِ

واقِعاتٍ أَبلَت بِهَا الفِئتانِ

And at the head of the seamstresses sketching on it

Events that distinguished the two parties:

قَومُ إِغرِيقيا أُولوا لادرُعِ الحُص

دِ وطُروَادَ أَصلبِ الفُرسانِ

The Greek troops armored with shields

And Troy's sturdiest horsemen.

فَتَفَانَوا بها عَلَيها وَرَبُّ ال

حَربِ أَورَى زِنادَها للتَّفَاني

They were engrossed with her upon her, and the Lord of

War lit the fuse of their mutual annihilation.

قالَتِ الآن ياسنَا الحُورِ قُومي

فَتَرَينَ العُجَابَ مَرأَى العِيَانِ

She said, "Now, daughters of nymphs, arise

And behold the wonders before your eyes."

عِيلَتِ الأُمتَّانِ لِلحربِ صَبراً

كادَتا بالقِتال تَشتَبِكانِ

"The two nations have endured war patiently

And nearly intertwined in battle."

وهُمَا الآنَ لا نَكالَ وَلا حَر

بَ بِأَمنٍ بالصَّمتِ جَالِسَتانِ

"And now without strife or war, they are secure,

Silently seated in peace."

بِقَنَاةٍ بالأَرضِ أَركَزَتاها

وَمِجَنِّ عَلَيهِ تَتَّكئَانِ

"With a channel in the ground in which they anchored

Poles and pillars on which they lean."

بَيدَ أَنَّ الإِسكَندَرَ الآن حَتماً

وَمنيلا إِلى اللِّقَا يَبرُزانِ

"But now, inevitably, Alexander

And Menelaus will come forth to meet."

من يَفُز أَنتِ زَوجُهُ وَمنُاهُ

وَعَلَيكِ الرِّهانُ كُلُّ الرِّهانِ

"Whoever wins, you will be his wife and protector,

And upon you lies the entire wager."

ثُمَّ أَذكَت بِها حَنِيناً وَوَجدَا

لِمَنيلا والأَهلِ وَالأَوطانِ

Then she sparked in her a yearning and longing

For Menelaus, her family, and homeland.

باضطَرَابٍ تَبَرقعَت بِنقابٍ

ناصِعٍ تَصطَلي لَظى الأَشجانِ

In turmoil, she donned a bright veil

To light the fires of sorrow.

من خِبَاها في الصَّرح سارَت وأَهمَت

عَبَرَاتِ الشَّجَى ودَمعَ الحَنانِ

From her chamber in the palace she walked distraught

By the expressions of grief and tears of affection.

وَلَيتها أَثرا ابنَةُ النَّدبِ فِتثا

وكلِيمِينِيَا العُبُونِ الحِسانِ

If only the daughter of Nereus, Thetis,

And lovely Clymene felt likewise,

جئِنَ أَبوَابَ إِسكِيَا حَيثُ وَافى

رَهطُ أَدهى الشُّيُوخِ والسُّلطانِ

She came to the gates of Scea where there gathered

A company of the gravest elders and rulers.

مَعَ فِريامَ بفَنشُسٌ وَثَمِيتٌ

مع قَلِيطُوسَ لَمفُسٍ هِيكِتَانِ

With Priam were Pancetus and Thymoetes

With Caletor, Lampus the Hicetae.

وإِليهم أُوكالغُونُ وأَنطِي

نُورُ كَنز الحِجى وذُخرا البَيانِ

And to them came Ucalegon and Antenor

Treasure of wisdom and eloquence.

فكُرُورُ الأَيَّامِ أَولَتهُمُ عج

زاً ولَكِن حَزماً وعَذبَ لِسانِ

The days had burdened them with frailty

But they had wisdom and gentle speech.

في أَعالي مَشَارِفِ البُرجِ قامُوا

يَرتأُونَ الآراءَ بالتبيَانِ

At the parapets of the tower they stood

Exchanging perspectives openly.

مثلَمَا في الغابِ الصَّراصرُ تُبدي

بِخفاها صَرّاً رَقيقَ المَغاني

As the cicadas in the forest subtly

Voice tender melodies.

أَبصَرُوها فَقالَ بَعضٌ لِبَعضٍ

يا لطِيب الثَّنَا ولُطفِ المَعاني

They saw her and one said to another,

"Oh what a gentle reproach and refined meaning!"

لَيسَ بَدعاً إِن كانَ هذا سَناها

وَعليها تَلاحَمت أُمَّتَانِ

"It is no wonder if this was her wont

And over her two nations collided."

بَرَزَت رَبَّةً بِوَجهٍ صَبَيحٍ

غَيرَ أَنَّ البلاَءِ بالوَيلِ داني

"A goddess emerged with a radiant face

Though devastation draws near, woeful."

فَلتَعُد للسَّفِينِ مِن ثَمَّ نُكفى

وبَنِينا دَوَاهِيَ الخِذلانِ

"Return to the ship, and we will suffice

While our sons wander astray."

فَدَعَاها فِريَامُ قالَ بِقُربي

إِجلِسي الآنَ يا ابنَتي بائتِماني

Priam called her. He said, "Come near,

Daughter, sit with me in confidence."

وانظُرِي في السَّرَاةِ أَوَّلَ بَعلٍ

لَكِ قِدماً وَسائِرَ الإِخوَانِ

"And look in the hall for a husband first

For you, eminent above all others."

لَم تَكُوني بِالحَقِّ جانِيَةً بل

قَدَرُ الأَربابِ العِظامِ الجاني

"You were not truly at fault, rather

The decree of the mighty Lords was at fault."

ذاكَ فَوقَ الإِغرِيقِ قد هالَ سُخطاً

وبِوَبلِ الوَبالِ قد أَبلاني

"That, above the Greeks, provoked wrath

And brought down a flood of calamities upon me."

أَخبرِيني مَن ذا الذي يَتَرَاءَى

لي أخَا عِزَّةِ وذا عُنفُوَانِ

"Tell me, who is this who appears to me

A brother of honor and pride?"

بَينَهُم من أَراهُ أَضخَمَ جِسماً

مِنهُ لَكِن أَنَّى لِذا الحُسنِ ثاني

"Among them, whom I see largest in body,

But where is there one with such beauty?"

لاحَ مِن فَرطِ هَيبَةٍ وَوَقارٍ

لِيَ قَيلاً مُوَطَّدَ الأَركانِ

"He shone with magnificent awe

With dense, solid limbs."