عَرفَت هِيلانَةٌ جازِعَةً
رَبَّةَ الحُبِّ بِحَرِّ الحَرَبِ
A slender Hilana, despondent,
Mistress of love in the heat of war,
دِقَّةُ الجِيدِ ولحظٌ لاهِبٌ
ومَشُوقُ الصَّدرِ لَم تَحتَجِبِ
Her neck so elegant and her glance aflame,
Her breast heaving, she did not veil.
فَلها قالت وما أَغراكِ أَن
تَخدَعِيني بَعدُ حَسبي نُوَبي
So she said “What made you
Deceive me, after all I’ve endured?
أَبإِفرِيجِيَةٍ بَعدُ فَتًى
تَطرَحِيني عِندَهُ بالوَصَبِ
In Ephraim will you discard me
Among the rabble?
أَم رُبى إِميُونَةٍ فيها بدا
لَكِ مَحبوبٌ رَفيعُ الحَسَبِ
Or in Thebes where a lover
Of noble lineage appeared to you?
أَخِداعاً يا ظَلُوماً جِئتنِي
ومَنيِلا نالَ فَخرَ الغَلَبِ
Did you come to me deceitfully
While he who won glory of conquest
يَبتَغي رَدِّي لأَوطاني فما
آهِ أَشقاني وأَدهى نَصَبي
Seeks to restore me to my land, though
Alas, how wretched and grievous my fate!
أَنا لا أَبغِي فَرِيساً أَبَداً
أَنتِ أُشرِبتِ هواهُ فاذهَبي
I do not ever seek prey;
You have drunk his passion—begone!
غادِري الأُولمِبَ والقَومَ العُلى
واتبَعِيهِ واحرُسِيهِ واصحَبي
Leave Olympus and its lofty people
And follow him, guard him, accompany him
واحمِلي مِنهُ الأَسى يَرضَكِ عِر
ساً لَهُ أو أَمَةً لَم تَطِبِ
And bear from him sorrow: be pleased if
He makes you a slave, his possession.
لكِ لا لَستُ إِذَا تَابِعَةً
غِيدُ إِليُونَ إِذاً يَشمتَنَ بي
I am no follower;
If so, Ilion would gloat over me.
لَن أَحِلَّنَّ فِراشاً حَلَّهُ
وأَنالَ الخَزيَ طُولَ الحِقَبِ
I will not share a bed others have shared
And gain lifelong shame.”
حَسبِيَ العارُ وما حُمِّلتُهُ
من لَظَى النَّارِ وحَرِّ اللَّهَبِ
My disgrace suffices, and what
I have borne of hellfire’s heat and flames.
حَنِقَت قِبرِيسُ مِمَّا قابَلَت
قالَتِ اخشَي أن تَهيجِي غَبضَبى
Cypris was angered by her response.
She said “I fear you will stir my wrath,
واحذَرِي مِنِّي الجَفا راغِبَةً
عَن وِدَادٍ لِقِلىً مُنقَلِبِ
And beware my coldness, desirous
Of the love of an inconstant heart.”
لَيسَ هَدُّ الوِفقِ أَمراً عَسِراً
ولَكِ البَلوَى وضِيقُ المَذهَبِ
Finding agreement is not hard;
But you have tribulation and a narrow path.”
وَجِلَت هِيلانةٌ واضطَرَبَت
وتَرَدَّت بِبهيِّ النُّقُبِ
Hilana was troubled and perturbed,
Retreating in her beautiful attire.
إِثرَها صامِتَةً سارَت وقَد
حَجَبَتها بِكَثِيفِ السُّحُبِ
Silently she walked away, veiled
By heavy clouds.
جاءَتا فارِيس في مَنزِلِهِ
والجَوَارِي بانتِظارِ الطَّلَبِ
The two came to Paris’ abode,
With handmaids awaiting his command.
سِرنَ عَنها وأُسِيرَت نَحوَهُ
وَهوَ في الغُرفةِ ماضي اللَّغَبِ
They brought her to him
As he sat in his chamber, drunk with desire.
أجلَسَتها رَبَّةُ العِشقِ على
مَجلِسٍ دَانٍ لَهُ مُقتَرِبِ
The mistress of passion seated her
On a low dais near him.
حَوَّلَت عن وَجههِ أَنظارَها
ثُمَّ قالَت باللِّسانِ الذَّرِبِ
She turned her eyes away from him
And said in a quivering voice:
أَينَ ما تَزعَمُ من بَطشٍ بِهِ
فُقتَ إِقدَامَ مَنِيلا الأَشهَبِ
“Where is your vaunted might
That felled steadfast Menelaus?
وادَّعيتَ السَّبقَ في طَعنٍ وفي
شدَّةِ البَأسِ وضَربِ القُضُبِ
You claimed to lead the charge, to pierce
With fierce valor and stroke of spear.
آهِ لو جُندِلتَ في سَيفِ فتىً
كانَ بَعلاً لي وَكُلَّ الأَرَبِ
Oh, if only a sword had pierced you, wielded
By a warrior who was my husband and lord!
آهِ لو تَرجِعُ لا فاحرَص وَإِن
تَتَعَرَّض لِلقاهُ تَخِبِ
Oh, if only you would refrain! Take care
Lest you face him and melt in shame!
خَشيَتي يُوقِعُكَ الطَّيشُ بهِ
فَتُوَافي طَعنَةَ المُعتَطِبِ
I fear frivolity would make you
Meet the blade of the intrepid one.”
قالً يَكفي مُنيَةَ النَّفسِ فَقَد
هِضتِ نَفسي بِعَنيفِ العَتَبِ
He said: “To die is enough; reproach
Has shaken my soul violently.”
فأَثِينا شَدَّدَت ساعِدَهُ
وسِتُؤتَى النَّصرَ يَوماً عُضُبي
But Athena strengthened his arm:
“Victory will come one day, take heart!
لي بآل الخُلدِ أَقوَى عِزوَةٍ
إِنَّما الآنَ أَوانُ الطَّرَبِ
The immortals are my surest allies;
Now is the time for joy.”
لَم أَكُن قَطُّ كما الآنَ انا
بِفُؤَادٍ خافِقٍ مُضطَرِبِ
“Never have I been as I am now,
With a pounding, troubled heart.
لا ولا يَومَ رَمانا الحُبُّ من
لَقدَمُونا فَوقَ بَحرٍ لَجِبِ
When love drew us from our course,
Toward a stormy sea,
وَخَلَونا في رُبى إِكرَانِيا
عَن عَذُولٍ مُزعِجٍ مرتَقِبِ
And left us in Theban lands
Safe from trouble and spies—
لم تَشُقني قَطُّ هَبَّاتُ الهَوى
لَهَباً أَشغَفَ مِن ذا الَّلَهبِ
The gusts of passion never ignited
A more blazing flame within me.
هاجَ نارَ الوَجدٍِ فيها رَاقياً
لِسَرِيرٍ لَهُما مُنتَصِبِ
The fires of ecstasy raged in her,
Lifting me to a raised bed.
تَبعَتهُ والكَرَى شَاقَهُما
بِأمانٍ فَوقَ فُرشٍ قشُبِ
Fate followed them closely
As they lay safely on a feather mattress.”
ظَلَّ أَترِيذُ كَوَحشٍ كاسِرٍ
يَتَحَرَّى بِشَدِيدِ العَجبِ
Achilles prowled like a ravenous beast
Marveling greatly at what he saw.
لم يَكن بَينَ بَني الطُّروادِ وال
جَيشِ مَن شاهَدَ إِثرَ العَقِبِ
None among the Trojans or
Greek forces had tracked their trail.
لو رأَوهُ أَنبَاؤا مَقَتُو
هُ كمَقتِ المَوتِ كلُّ الرُّتَبِ
If the leaders had seen, their hatred
Would have matched that of death itself.
فأَغَا مَمنُونُ نادى صارِخاً
بِهِم يَدعُو لِسمعِ الخُطَبِ
So Agamemnon cried out,
Calling the nobles to hear:
آلَ طُروادٍ ومَن والأَهُمُ
دَردَنيِّينَ وما مِنكُم غَبي
“Descendants of Troy! You Haemonians!
You Dardanians! Which of you is a fool?
لَمنِيلا النَّصرَ أَبصَرتُم فهي
لانَةً بِذُخرِ الذَّهَبِ
You saw Menelaus win victory; will you make her
A gift of gold for the victor?
واحبُوُنَّا جِزيَةً تُنمِي لِمَن
بَعدَنا الفَوزَ ونُجحَ الطَّلَبِ
And pay us tribute to enrich those
Who come after us and succeed?”
ضَجَّتِ الإِغرِيقُ مُستَحسِنَةً
بِجِماها ضَجَّةَ المَطَّلِبِ
The Greeks roared approval,
Acclaiming him with zeal.
