وَكُلٌّ رَمى بِالزُّجِّ يُحكِمُ رَشقَهُ

فَبالعُنقِ مِزراقٌ وبالفَخذِ آخِرُ

And each one hurled with spears, aiming his throws,

Some striking the neck and some the thigh.

فَمُزِّقَ أَفطُوليمُ بالنَّصلِ عُنقُهُ

فَعَضَّ الثَّرى تَنغَضُّ النَّواطِرُ

And brave Aphrodilus had his neck pierced by the blade -

He bit the dust as the onlookers shuddered.

وَمُزِّقَ سَرفِيدُونُ لِلعَظمِ حُقُّهُ

وَلَولا أًبُوهُ بادَرَتهُ البَوادِرُ

And Cervidon also had his due, his bones ripped apart,

Were it not for his father, he would have met his end.

فأَصحَابُهُ اجتَرُّوهُ مِن ساحةِ الوغى

لِساعَتِهِم والنَّصلُ في الجِسمِ غائِرُ

So his comrades dragged him from the battlefield

In their hastiness, with the spear still lodged in his body.

وقد شُغِلُوا عَن نَزعِهِ لِذُهُولِهِم

فأُركِبَ بالآلامِ والعَزمُ خائِرُ

Preoccupied with pulling it out, they were in shock -

So he was carried off, weakened in his resolve.

كذَ ارتَمى الإغرِيقُ فَوقَ قَتِيلهِم

يَرُومُونَهُ فِيهِم وَأُوذِسُ ناظِرُ

Just so did the Greeks fling themselves over their corpse

To protect it, as Ulysses looked on.

فَهَبَّ بِهِ الغَيظُ العَنِيفُ فَهاجهُ

وَرَدَّد فِكراً رَدَّدَتهُ الخَوَاطِرُ

Rage filled him and troubled thoughts raced through his mind -

Should he pursue Cervidon or attack his people instead?

أيَطلُبُ سَرفِيدُونَ أَم جُندَ قَومِهِ

لِتَفتُكَ فِيهِم مِن يَدَيهِ البَوَاتِرُ

But Cervidon was now beyond his hands, claimed by fate,

So he turned to where the masses were grouped.

فَعن سَرفِدون أَشغَلَتهُ يَدُ القَضا

فَمالَ إِلى حَيث التَقَتهُ العَشَائِرُ

And recklessly charged the gathered foe -

Undaunted by their hurtling spears.

وَساقَتهُ فالاسٌ لِمُجَتَمَعِ العِدى

وَما راعَهُ مِنهُم نِصَالٌ شَواجِرُ

There he encountered the nobles - Iolcus, Ereuthalion,

Alexandrus, Ifritenis - mighty warriors all.

فَجَندَلَ كِيرَانُس أَلستُرَ هليُساً

وإخرُومِيُوساً وَهوَ كاللَّيثِ كاسِرُ

The slaughter would have increased had Hector not rushed

To the vanguard, raising alarms of impending doom.

وأَلكَندَراً إِفرِيتَنِيسَ نَوِيمُناً

صَنادِيدُ لِبقِيُّونَ صِيدٌ جَبابِرُ

Seeing him approach, bristling for battle,

The passages were too narrow for their encounter.

وكادَ يَزِيدُ الفَتكَ لَو لَم يَثِب إِلى

طَلاَئِعِهِم هَكطُورُ وَالنَّقعُ فائِرُ

And Cervidon's anguish was relieved -

His tears were the heralds of salvation.

رَأَى فَجرى يَلقى الصُّدُورَ مُدَجَّجاً

فَضاقت بِهِم عَن مُلتَقاهُ المَعَابِرُ

He called out gently, "O Priam's son, do not let them

Vanquish me, for I feel the touch of death upon me.

وَعَن سَرفِدُونَ غُصَّةُ الكُرَبِ انجَلَت

فَنادَى بِرِفقٍ والدُّمُوعُ بَوَادِرُ

I'll not see again my homeland's spacious plains,

My wife and child, and elders of high renown.

أَغِثنِي ابنض فِريَامٍ وَلا تُوقِعِ العِدَى

عَليَّ فإنِّي بالمَنيَّةِ شاعِرُ

Let me die in Ilion, and keep my grave hidden there -

Death's callers move quickly when swords are drawn."

وَلَن يَتَلَقَّاني على الرُّحبٍ مَوطِني

وَزَوجي وَطِفلي وَالكِرَامُ الأَكاَبِرُ

And at once Cervidon's comrades sped

To draw the spear embedded deep in his side.

فَدَعنِي بإِليُونٍ أَمُت ذَاكَرامَةٍ

وثَمَّةَ لي في لُجَّةِ القَبرِ ساتِرُ

Brave Phelagon came to his friend's aid

And pulled out the blade that all had overlooked.

تَسِيرُ دُعَاةُ المَوتِ طَوعَ حُسَامِهِ

وَمِن كَفِّهِ جَمرُ الرَّدَى مُتناثِرُ

Then darkness clouded his sight -

He felt his senses begin to leave him.

وأَصحابُ سَرفِيدُونَ في الحالِ أَسرَعُوا

لِزَانَةِ زَفسٍ فيه والزَّانُ ناضِرُ

But a breeze blew, reviving Burius -

The danger passed as the shadows dispersed.

فَبَادَرَ فِيلاغُونُ إِلفُ وَدادِهِ

وأخرَجَ نَصلاً أَغفلَتُهُ البَصائِرُ

And Ares and Hector whirled among the Greeks,

Their spears dealing carnage and death.

فَغَشَّت على أَبصارِهِ ظُلمُ الرَّدى

وخُيِّلَ أن قَد فارَقتهُ المَشاعِرُ

Yet the Greeks held fast, shielding themselves,

Each focused on fending off the foe.

فَهَبَّت لِبُرياسٍ مِن الرِّيحِ نَسمَةٌ

فأُنعِشَ وَارفَضَّت تَزُولُ المَخَاطِر

None retreated to their ships, nor advanced

To meet the enemy - they stood firm in defense.

وَدَارَت عَلى الإِغرِيقِ في دارَةِ الوَغى

بآرِس وَهَكطُورَ الدَّوَاهي الدَّوَاثِرُ

Gradually they withdrew under their guarded wall,

Fearing the coming destruction.

وَلَكِنَّهُم بالصَّبرِ طُرًّا تَدَرَّعُوا

وَكُلٌّ على دَفعِ العَدُوِّ مُثَابِرُ

And Ares and Hector grievously wounded many -

Who died first and who died last?

فَلَم يَكُ فيهِم ناكِصٌ نَحو فُلكهِ

ولا لِلِقا الأَعدَاءِ بالصَّدِّ جاسِرُ

First was Sthenelaus, a chief of great stock,

Then Euteiches, Iamenus, and all were laid low.

وَتَحتَ الدِّفاعِ الثَّبتِ مَهلاً تَقهَقرُوا

يَروعُهُم أَنَّ المَهدِّمَ حاِضِرُ

But Eubius had not amassed great wealth -

A petty king on the shores of Cephis was he.

فَاَثخنَ آريسٌ وَهَكطُورُ فِيهمِ

فَمن أوَّلُ القتلى وَمن هُوَ آخَرُ

He had lived in comfort where riches abounded

And the sea of Baeotia flourished with wealth.

فَأَوَّلُهُم تُثرَاسُ نِدُّ ذَوي البَقا

فأُورستُ رَوَّاضُ الجِيادِ المُكابِرُ

There circling cups of wine freely flowed -

And spears circled in battle around him.

فإِترِيخُ أُونُومٌ هِلينُ أُرسبُسٌ

وَكُلُّهُمُ ذاقَ الرَّدى وَهوَ صاغِرُ

فأُورسبُساً لَم يُجدِ وافرُ مالهِ

وَمِلكٌ على أَكنافِ كِيفِسَ وافِرُ

فَفي هِيلَةٍ قَد كانَ حيثُ ثَوَى الغِنا

وَبَحرُ البِيُوتيِّينَ بالمالِ زاخرُ

فَدَارَت عَلَيهِ عِندَهُم أَكؤُسُ الصَّفا

ودارَت عَلَيهِ بالنِّزالِ الدَّوائِرُ