فَقالَ لَهُ نَسطُورُ يا سَيِّدَ الوَرَى

أَجَل جُدتَ فيما لا يُهانُ ويُستَقَل

So Nestor said to him, O lord of men

Indeed you have acted with honor and valor

فَهيِّ بِنا نَدعُ الدُّعاةَ لِيَذهَبُوا

لِخَيمَةِ آخِيلِ بنش فِيلا بِلاَ مَهَل

Come let us call the heralds to go

To the tent of Achilles at once without delay

أَنا أَتنَقَّاهُم فَفِينِكسُ قائِدٌ

لَهُم مَعَهُ يَمضي أياسُ الفَتى البَطَل

I shall lead them and Phoenix, a leader

Will go with them, and Ajax the noble warrior

كَذا المُجتَبَى أُوذِس وفَيجَانِ هُذيُسٌ

وأَورِيبَطٌ ولنَغسِلَنَّ على عَجَل

Chosen Odysseus and Phoinix, vexed Odysseus

And Eurybates, let us hasten with no obstacle

وبالصَّمتِ فاأمُر نَستَغِث زَفسَ عَلَّهُ

يَرقُّ فَضَجَّ الجَمعُ وَأستَصوَبَ العَمل

And silently, I command, let us call Zephyros so that

He may be kind, and the crowd was excited and approved the deed

فَصَبَّ على الأَيدِي الفُيُوجُ قَراحَهُم

وفِتيَانُهُم بالخَمرِ في أَكؤُسٍ تُقَل

They poured onto their hands the dark wine

And their youths in cups were inebriated

يَمُزُّونَ مِنها طافِحَاتٍ وبضعدَ ذا

يُدِيرُونَها دَوراً بِكُلِّهِمِ اتَّصَل

They sipped from brimming cups as Dudon

Poured them rounds continuously without separation

ولَمَّا أَراقُوها عَلى الأَرضِ قُربَةً

وفَوقَ مَرامِ النَّفسِ رَشفُهُمُ اكتَمَل

And when they spilled them on the ground as an offering

And their souls' contentment was fulfilled

عَدا رُسلُهُم مِن خَيمَةش المَلكِ عاجِلاً

فَقَلَّبَ نَسطُورٌ بِهِم مُحدِقَ المُقَل

His messengers left the tent of the king hastily

So Nestor turned them with attentive care

وحَثَّهُمُ فَرداً فَفَرداً وسِيمَّا

أُذِيسَ لِيَستَرضُوا أَخِيلَ الذي اعتَزَل

And urged them one by one and especially

Odysseus to mollify Achilles who had withdrawn

فَسارَ رَسُولا القَومِ فِيمَن تَلاهُما

عَلى جِدِّ بَحرٍ عَجُّ أَموَاجِهِ اقتَتَل

The messengers of the people went after them

On the turbulent sea whose waves collided

مُحِيطَ البَرايا يَستَغِيثانِ عَلَّهُ

يُبَدِّدُ حِقداً بِابنش آياكَ قد نَزَل

Surrounding the land they called upon Zephyros hoping

He would scatter the hatred for his son Achilles who had descended

ولَمَّا إِلى خَيمِ المَرامِدِ بُلِغا

إِذا بأَخِيلٍ يُطرَبُ النَّفسَ عَن مَلَل

And when they reached the tent of the desired

There was Achilles entertaining his weary soul

بِقيثارَةٍ غَنَّاءَ قد شَاقَ صُنعُها

يُنَغِّمُ في ذِكرِ الجَبابِرَةِ الأُوَل

With a melodious lyre whose artistry

He sang of the ancient heroes

بِقوسِ لُجَينٍ طُوِّقَت وأُنِيلَها

مِنَ الكَسبِ مُذ في دَكِّ إِيت

With the bow of Lugene adorned

From the loot since he wrecked Eëtion’s realm

يُقَابِلُهُ فَطرُقلُ بِالصَّمتِ رَيثَما

مَلِيًّا تَطِيبُ النَّفسُ مِن ذلِكَ الزَّجَل

Opposite him was Patroclus in silence for a while

Delighting his soul with that singing

إِذا بأُذِيسٍ يَرئِسُ الوَفدُ دَاخِلٌ

فَفَي دَهَشٍ مِن فَوقِ مَجلِسِهِ انتَقَل

Then Odysseus leading the delegation entered

And in astonishment from his seat Achilles departed

وفي يَدِهِ القِيثارَةُ انسابَ ناهِضاً

كَذلكَ فَطرُقلٌ عَلى القَدَمِ امتَثَل

With the lyre in his hand he stood up

So did Patroclus rising to his feet

فَصَافَحَهُم قال السَّلامُ ومَرحَباً

فَلا شَكَّ وافَيتُم لأَمرٍ لَكُم جَلَل

He greeted them saying peace and welcome

Surely you have come for a grave matter

ومَهما يَكُن مِن نَفرَثي فَلأَنتُمُ

لآخِيلَ أَدنى مَن يُوَدُّ ومَن يَجَل

Whatever it may be for the two of us

You are the closest of those I love and respect

وأَجلسَهُم مِن فَوقِ فُرشٍ تَدَبَّجَت

بِبُسطٍ من البِرفيرِ نَادِرَةِ المَثَل

He seated them on ornate carpets

With fabrics of rare purple

وقالَ لِفَطرُقلٍ عَلَيكَ إِذَا لنا

بِأَكبَردَنٍ وَلتَفِض قِسمَةُ الجُعَل

And said to Patroclus, it is up to you

To bring the largest cup and divide the reward

بِكَأسٍ لِكُلٍّ من قَرَاحٍ مَلِيَّةٍ

فمِن تَحتِ سَقفِي خَيرُ رَهطٍ وَدِدتُ حَل

A cup for each from the jug of dark wine

For under my roof is the best company I desire

فَبادَرَ فَطرُقلٌ وآخيلُ عامدٌ

إِلى وَضَمٍ قُربَ اللَّهِيبِ الَّذي اشتَعَل

So Patroclus and Achilles set out

To the glowing embers that blazed

ومَدَّ عَلَيهِ صُلبَ كَبشٍ وسَخلَةٍ

كَذا صُلبَ خِرنَوصٍ سَمِينٍ لَهُم قَتَل

And placed on it the chine of a ram and a fat goat

As well as the chine of a fattened pork and slaughtered it for them

وأَفطُومِذُونٌ مُمسِكٌ وَهوَ خازِلٌ

وَيَنظِمُ في تِلكً السَّفافِيدِ ما خَزَل

Automedon held it while piercing

And threading those spits with what was carved

وفَطرُقلُ ذُو الهِمَّاتِ يُضرِمُ وَقدَهُ

إِلى أَن لَهِيبُ النَّارِ بُدِّدَ واضمَحَل

And Patroclus, determined, kindled its firewood

Until the flame of fire dissipated and weakened

فَاَلقَى عَلى الجَمرِ السَّفافِيدَ تَحتَها

قَوائِمُ والمِلحَ الذَّكِيَّ بها جَبَل

He threw on the embers the spits underneath them

The legs and the savory salt on them he heaped

ولَمَّا استتُمَّ النُّضجُ مَدَّ سِماطَهُ

وَثمَّ قِفَاعَ الخُبزِ فَطرُقلُ قد حَمَل

And when the roasting was complete he extended

His bread boards and Patroclus carried them

لِكُلٍّ مِنَ الأَضيافِ قَدَّمَ قَفعَةً

وآخِيلُ تَوزِيعُ اللُّحُومِ بِهِ اشتَغَل

To each guest he presented a loaf

And Achilles busied himself distributing the meats

تُجَاهَ أُذِيسٍ جالِساً لِرَفِيقِهِ

أَشارَ فَباستِرضاءِ آلِ العُلَى استَهَل

Facing Odysseus seated by his companion

He gestured to appease the heavenly gods and commenced

فَلِلنَّارِ أَلقَى خَيرَ لَحمٍ ضَحِيَّةً

ومُدَّت أَيَادِيهم وكُلُّهمُ أَكَل

He threw the best meat into the fire as an offering

And they extended their hands and all ate

ولما انتَهوا آياسُ أَومَأَ دَاعِياً

فِنِكسَ فأُوذِيسٌ أَحاطَ بِما سأَل

And when they finished, Ajax nodded calling

Phoenix, so Odysseus embraced what he had asked

فَفي كَأسِهِ صَبَّ المُدَامَ مُرَدِّدَا

بِها نَخب آخِيلٍ ومِن ثَمَّة ارتَجَل

In his cup he poured the wine repeatedly

With it the finest of Achilles’ wine he presented