قالت وأَهمَت دُمُوعَ الحُزنِ والهَفَأ

وهَل وَلَدتُكَ كي تَشقى وتُشقِيني

She said, and her tears of sorrow and agony welled up,

Did I give birth to you that you may suffer and cause me suffering?

ماضرَّ لو كُنتَ عندَ الفُلكِ مُغتَبِطاً

لم تَلقَ ضُراًّ وتَذرِف دَمعَ مَشجُونِ

It would not have harmed you had you been happy with your fate,

You would not have suffered nor shed tears of grief.

فَقد وَلَدتُكَ أَشقَى الخَلقِ واأَسَفي

في طالعِ السُّوءِ للأحزَانِ والهُونش

But I gave birth to you the most wretched of creatures, and the most unfortunate,

Born under the worst of stars, for sorrows and humiliation,

تكادُ تبلُغُ آجالاَ مُعَجلًّةً

ولم تزل بينَ مَرغُومِ ومَحزُونِ

Your days are almost over before their time,

And you have always been despondent and grieved.

نَعَم إلى قُمَّهٍ بالثَّلج ضافيَةٍ

فوقَ الأُلِمبِ سأَمضي ساعَةَ الحِينِ

Yes, to the snow-covered summit I shall go for an hour,

Above Olympus, to spend the moment.

أشكُو إِلى زَفسَ قَذَّافِ الصَّواعِقش ما

تشكو عسى يَرعَوِي رِفقاً ويُدنِيني

I shall complain to Zeus, launcher of thunderbolts, of what

You complain, perhaps he will show me mercy and bring me close.

وَأنتَ ظَلَّ عَنِ الإِغرِيقِ مثعتَزِلاً

بِقُربِ فُلكِكَ لا تَلوي على لِينِ

While you remain aloof from the storm, staying

Near your boat, do not twist about weakly.

بالأَمس لِلأُوقِيَانُس سارَ زَفسُ مَع ال

أربابِ في دَعوَةٍ جُلَّى التَّزَايِين

Yesterday, for the oceans, Zeus went out with

Gentlemen in a feast fully adorned.

يَقضِي بِرِحلتِهِ اثنَي عَشرَ يومَ صفا

بِالأَثيُبِيّينَ في رَهطِ العَرَانينِ

He will be away for twelve clear days

With the Ethiopians in the company of the bedouins.

فَرُكبَتَيهِ متَى يأتي أُقَبِّلُ في

قَصرِ النُّحَاسِ عسى يُصغي وَيَكفِيني

When he returns I shall kiss his feet in the

Bronze palace, perhaps he will listen and suffice me.

وغادَرَتهُ بِقَلبٍ لاهِبٍ حَنقاً

لِغَصبِ غادَتِه المَيساءِ مَفتُونِ

And she left him, her heart aflame with rage,

For the rape of her fair Mesene, possessed.