سَلامٌ أَخِيلٌ لا بِحاجَةِ مَطعَمٍ

نُرَى فَلَدَينا خَيرُ زَادٍ مُيَسَّرِ

Hail, Achilles! I have no need of a meal;

as you see, we have the finest provisions ready at hand.

فَفَي خَيمِ أَترِيذٍ يَفَيضُ شَهِيُّهُ

وعِندَكَ مِنهُ كُلُّ أَطيَبَ أَفخَرِ

In Atreides’ tent, its savory plenty overflows,

and you have here every finest, proudest dish.

وما الآنَ آنُ القَولِ في طِيبِ مَأَكَلِ

وقد راعَنا وَقعُ البَلاءِ المُدَثّرِ

But now is no time to speak of pleasant eating,

for the crushing blow of disaster has terrified us.

وإِنَّا لَفي رَيبٍ بِأَمرِ سَفِينِنا

أَتهلِكُ أَم تَنجُو إِذا لَم تُشَمِّرِ

We are in grave doubt over the fate of our ships:

will they perish or survive, unless you bestir yourself?

فَقد عَسكَرَ الطُّروادُ في حُلَفائِهم

لَدَيها وقد أَورَوا لَهِيبَ مُسَعِّرِ

The Trojans and their allies have encamped beside them,

and there have stoked the blaze of a raging fire.

يَلُوحُ لَهُم أَنَّا وَهَينا وأَنَّنا

سَنَلقى عَلَيها حَتفَنا بِتَقَهقُرِ

They plainly see our weakness and frailty,

and that, driven back, we shall meet our doom upon the ships.

وَذازَفسُ أَورى البَرقَ فَوقَ يَمِينِهِمِ

دَليلاً بهِ يَشتَدُّ ساعِدُ هَكطُرِ

Zeus has flashed lightning at their right hand,

a sign that strengthens Hector’s arm.

فأَصبَحَ لا يَرعى إِلاهاً خِلافَهُ

ويَرمُقًنا طُرًّا بِعَينِ مَحَقَّرِ

So Hector now heeds no god but Zeus,

and looks upon us all with scorn.

ويَدعُو فَتَاةَ الفَجرِ تَبرُزُ عاجلاً

ليَقطَع أطرَافَ السفينِ ويَبتَري

He calls upon the maiden Dawn to rise in haste,

so that he may lop the ships’ extremities and cut them through,

ويُذكِي بها النِّيرانَ ثُمَّ إِزاءَها

يُذَبِّحُ كًلَّ العَسكَرِ المُتَضَوِّرِ

kindle fire against them, and then, beside them,

slaughter the whole bewildered army.

تَحَدَّمَ غَيظاً واستَشاطَ وخَشيَتي

يُتاحُ لَهُ فَوزٌ فَيفَرِي ويفَتَرِي

He boils with rage and flares in fury; I fear

victory will fall to him, and he will rend and ravage,

ونَهلِكُ في مَنأَىً عَنِ الوَطَنِ الذي

غَذا الخَيلَ في مَرجٍ منَ الرَّوضِ أَخضَرِ

while we perish far from the homeland

where horses frolic, green with the breath of life.

فَهُبَّ ابنَ فِيلا إِن تَرُم نَصرَ قَومِنا

وإِن يَكُ جَلَّ الخَطبُ واشتَدَّوا نَبرِي

Rise, then, son of Peleus, if you seek our people’s victory,

though the crisis be immense and the din of war grow fierce.

سَتَندَمُ لَكن لاتَ حِينَ نَدامَةٍ

فَذا الحِينُ حِينُ الكَرِّ والذَّبِّ فَافكِرِ

You will regret it—but regret will then come too late;

this is the hour to charge and defend, so take thought.

أَما قالَ فِيلا يَومَ فارَقتَ إفثِيا

إِلى جَيشِ أَترِيذٍ بُنَيَّ تَبَصَّرِ

Did not Peleus say, the day you left him in Phthia

for Atreides’ army, “My son, take heed:

أَثِينا وهيرا تُوليانِكَ نُصرَةً

إِذا شاءَتا لَكِن على جاشِكَ اصبِر

Athena and Hera will grant you victory,

if they so will; but keep your courage firm.

فَبِالحِلمِ كُلُّ الخَير والفِتنَةَ اطَّرِح

رِعايَةَ كُلِّ الشِّيبِ والمُردِ تَذخَرِ

Be forbearing—all good lies in forbearance—and cast strife away;

treasure the care of greybeard and beardless youth alike”?

نَعَم ذاكَ قَولٌ قالَهُ الشَّيخُ إِنَّما

تَناسَيتَهُ فَاذعَن وقَومَكَ فَانصُرِ

Yes, that was what the old man said; only

you forgot it. Yield now, and champion your people.

وعِ الآنَ قَولي إِذ أَعُدُّ نَفائِساً

سَيَحبُوكَ أَترِيذٌ بِأعظَمِ مَظهَرِ

Now hear my words, as I number priceless gifts

with which Atreides will win back your love in splendid fashion:

مَنَاضِدَ سَبعاً لَم تَر النارَ جُدَّداً

وعِشرِينَ طَسًّا ساطِعاتٍ لِمَنظَرِ

seven tripods, never touched by a brazier’s fire;

twenty cauldrons, brilliant to behold;

وَمن ذَهَبٍ يَغلُو شَواقِلَ عَشرَةً

وجُردَ جِيَادٍ تَألَفُ السَّبقَ ضُمَّرِ

and gold amounting to ten full measures;

sleek, lean horses accustomed to the race;

فَتُحرِزُها اثني عَشرَ أَجرَدَ سَلهَباً

حَبَتهُ كُنوزاً في السِّباقِ المُكَرَّرِ

twelve swift steeds you shall possess, whose prizes

have brought him treasures in race after race—

كُنُوزاً إِذا ما نالَها أَيُّما امرِىءٍ

تَرَفَّعَ عَن شَكوَى شَجِيةِ مُعسِرِ

treasures which, if any man possessed them,

would lift him beyond the bitter lament of poverty;

وَسبعَ غَوَانٍ فُقنَ حُسناً وصَنعَةً

مِنَ اللاَّءِ مِن لَسبُس سَبَيتَ بِأَبتَرِ

seven young women surpassing in beauty and skill,

among those you took captive from Lesbos with the cutting sword;

وكُنَّ لَهُ سَهماً وذلكَ عندَ ما

تَوَلَّيتَها تَحتَ الطِّعانِ المُدَمِّرِ

they fell to Atreides as his share when

you handed them over amid destructive spear-play;

كَذاكَ بَرِيساً مُقسِماً ومُثَقِّلاً

يَقُولُ إِلَيها القُربَ لَم يَتَصَوَّرِ

likewise Briseis, with a solemn oath

that no intimacy with her ever occurred.

فَهَذي صِلاتُ اليَومِ تُحرِزُها وإِن

نَنَل دَكًّ إِليُونٍ بِحُكمٍ مُقَدَّرِ

These are the gifts you shall receive today; and if

we sack Ilium, as destiny decrees,

نُضاراً وصُفراً تُؤتَ مِلءَ سَفِينَةٍ

وعِندَ اقتِسامِ السَّبي بِالغيدِ تَظفَرِ

you shall be given gold and bronze enough to fill a ship;

and when the captive women are divided, you shall win

بِعِشرينَ حُسناً فُقنَ بَعدَ هِلانَةٍ

تَحُز بِانتِقاها خِيرَةَ المُتَخَيِّرِ

twenty beauties surpassed by Helen alone,

choosing for yourself the choicest of them all.

وَإِمَّا رَجَعَنَا لِلخَصيبَةِ أَرغُسِ

يَرُومُكَ صِهراً بالمَقامِ المُوَقَّرِ

And if we return to fertile Argos,

he will take you as an honored son-in-law,

تُجَلُّ كَأُورِستَ الحَبيبِ الذي نَشا

بِأَرغَدِ عَيشٍ في يَسارِ مُوقَّرِ

cherishing you like beloved Orestes, who was raised

in richest ease amid abundant wealth.

ثلاثٌ بَناتُ المَلكِ أَخرِيسَثِيمَةٌ

ولَوذِيقُ أَفيَاناسُ مَن تَرضَ تَختَرِ

The king has three daughters: Chrysothemis,

Laodice, and Iphianassa—choose whichever pleases you.

ولَيسَ بِبَاغٍ مَهرَها ويَزِيدُها

نَدىً لَم يَجُد فيهِ أَبٌ مُنذ أَدهُرِ

He will ask no bride-price, but will add

a bounty such as no father has ever bestowed.

فَتًنزِلُها في دارِ فِيلا وفَوقَ ذا

مَدائِنُ سَبعٌ فَوقَ بَرٍّ مُعَمَّرٍ

You shall settle her in Peleus’ house; beyond that,

seven cities on rich, well-peopled land,

فَرِقَّ لِقَومٍ سَوفَ تُحرِزُ رِفعَةً

كَرَبٍّ لَدَيهم أُحرِجُوا في المُعَسكَرِ

with people whose revenues you shall possess,

and who will honor you and fill your camp with tribute.

وَنَل ذُروَةَ المَجدِ الرَّفيعِ مُخَلَّداً

بِمَقتَلِ هَكطُورَ الفَتى الباسِلِ الجَرِي

Thus, from the summit of exalted glory, you shall be immortalized

by slaying Hector, that bold and valiant warrior,

إِلَيكَ تَدَنَّى خانِقاً مُتَوَهِّطاً

ويَزعَمُ ما في القَومِ نِدٌّ بهِ حَرِي

who has drawn near you, arrogant and swaggering,

and claims that no one in the host is worthy to rival him.