قَومُ الأَغارِقِ قد لَهَوا بِجَرِيحهِم

وَعَلَيهِمِ زَحَفَت قُوى الأَعداءِ

The people of the drowned mocked their wounded

And enemy forces marched against them

فَتَقَنَّعُوا بِسِلاحِهِم وتَقَدَّموا

مُستَلئِمينَ لِساحةِ الهيجاءِ

So they armed themselves and advanced

Ready for the tumultuous battlefield

أَفلا رَأَيتَ مَلِيكَهُم قد هَبَّ لا

مُتَقَاعِداً بِتَقَاعُسِ الجُبَناءِ

Did you not see their king rush forth

Not shrinking back in cowardice

بَل سارَ يَبرَحُ مَتَنَ مَركَبَةٍ زَهَت

بِنَحاسِها لِموَاقِعِ الإِجراءِ

But riding atop a chariot adorned

With bronze to the place of action

أَلقى أَزمَّة ضابِحاتِ جِيَادِها

لاُرِيمِذُونٍ نُخبَةِ الأُمَناءِ

He threw the reins of his raging steeds

To Alcimus, an elite guard

وإِلَيهِ أَوعَزَ أَن يَظَلَّ بِقُربهِ

لِيلِيهِ حِينَ مَشَقَّةٍ وعَياءِ

And commanded him to stay near

To aid him in times of hardship and fatigue

ومَضى عَلى قدَمَيهِ يُنفِذُ أَمرَهُ

بِمواقِفِ النُّبَلاءِ والأُمرَاءِ

Then he went forth on foot to execute his order

With the bearing of nobles and commanders

بالحَزمِ يًثبِتُ عَزمَ كلِّ كَتِيبةٍ

نَهضت بِبأسٍ ثابتٍ وبَلاء

Firmly strengthening the resolve of each battalion

That rose with steadfast valor and tribulation

يا أَيُّها الإِغرِيقُ لا تَتَرَدَّدُوا

بُرجُ النِّفاقِ عِمادُهُ تَتَهَدَّمُ

O Greeks do not hesitate

The pillar of hypocrisy is supported by crumbling

أَعدَاؤُنا نَقَضُوا العِهَادَ خِيانَةً

وَعنِ الخِيانةِ إِنَّ زَفسَ لَيَنقِمُ

Our enemies broke the covenant treacherously

And for treachery, Zephyr will surely avenge

وَلَسَوفَ تَفَترِسُ الطُّيورُ لُحومَهُم

وجميعُ أَنقاضِ البلادِ تُقَصَّمُ

The birds will feed on their flesh

And all the rubble of the cities will be crushed

وَلسَوفَ تُحرِزُ فُلكُنا أَزوَاجَهُم

وَبَنِيهِمِ ودِيَارُهُم تَتَرَدَّمُ

Our ships will seize their wives

And children, as their homes collapse

ويَمِيلُ بالتَّعنِيفِ مُحتَدِماً على

مَن ذَلَّ تَحتض الأَزمَةِ الَّلاواءِ

And he turns, raging against

Those who cower under the dire crisis

يا أَيُّها الجُندُ الأُولى زَعَمُوا البَلا

وَتَذلَّلُوا بِقوىً غَدَت تَتَفَصَّمُ

O soldiers they alleged might

And surrendered to forces now crumbling

أَفَلا خَجِلتُم مُذ وَجِلتُم رِعدَةً

كالإٍيَّلِ الواهي يُراعُ ويُرغمُ

Have you no shame since you have quailed in fright

Like a feeble roe that startles and stumbles

وإِذا تَمَلَّكَهُ العَياءُ بِجَرِيهِ

البَرِّ يَلبَثُ جازِعاً يَتَهَضَّمُ

Until your delay makes you withdraw

Did you cast your ships forward to advance

حتَّى مَ يُقعِدُكُم تَبَاطؤُكُم فَهَل

رُمتُم لِفُلكِكُم العِدى تَتقَدَّمُ

The enemies swoop down on you in currents raging

To extend their arms and grab you

وَعَلَيكُمُ تَنقَضُّ في جُرُفٍ طَغَا

لِيُمَدَّ مِن زَفسٍ إِلَيكُم مِعصَمُ

He pierced the ranks, patrolling their defenses

To defend the honorable youth of Crete

خاضَ الصُّفُوفَ يَجُوبُ في دُفَّاعِها

لِحِما بَني إِقرِيطشَ النُّجَباءِ

He found them armed as he drew near

Like hawks in the emptiness

أَلفاهُمُ بِدُرُوعِهِم وإِذُو مِنٌ

يَشتَدُّ كالخِرنَوصِ في البيداءِ

He drove the vanguard, mobilizing the rearguard

Miron at the heels of the laggards

ساقَ الطَّلِيعةَ يَستَجِيشُ مُخَلِّفاً

مِريُونَ عِندَ السَّاقَةِ الجَأواءِ

He trembled from euphoria at the intensity of their might

And he praised them, overflowing with the best eulogy

فَاهتَزَّ مِن طَرَبٍ لِشدَّةِ بَأسِهِ

وَعَلَيهِ قامَ يُفِيضُ خَيرَ ثَناءِ

You were greeted by a supreme hero, revered

On the day of revelation and all his undertakings

حُيِّيتَ مِن بَطَلٍ أُجِلُّ مُعَظِّماً

يَومَ الوَحى وبِكُلِّ ما يَتَجَشَّمُ

And when the feasts were held and the

Goblets of boasting passed among the

وإِذا الولائِمُ أُولِمَت وغَدَت على ال

زُّعَماءِ أَقداحُ التَّفَاخُرِ تُقسَمُ

Leaders, their share was limited while yours ran over

And so was mine, endless and uncontained

فَلِسَهمهِم حَدٌّ وَسَهمُكَ طَافِحٌ

وكذَاكَ سَهمِي لا يُحَدُّ ويُحسَمُ

You take the goblets as much as you desire

Until you are content and avert them

تَتَناوَلُ الأَقداحَ مَهما شِئتَها

حَتَّى تَطِيبَ وأَنتَ عَنها تُجحِم

Accustomed to seizing pottery wantonly

You are forever the dominant arbitrator

زَحفاً تَعَوَّدتَ الفَخارَ سَجِيَّةً

أَبَداً وأَنتَ الفَائِزُ المُتَحَكِّمُ

So Atridis replied: O Atreus I will fulfill

The ancient covenant and former gesture

فَأَجابَ يا أَترِيذُ سَوفَ أَبَرُّبا ل

عَهد القَدِيمِ وسابِقِ الإِيماءِ

And I am your supporter, so invite me to the fray

To set the rest of the allies aflame

وأَنا ظَهِيرُكَ فادعُوَنَّ إِلى الوَغى

لِتَشُبَّ حَالاً سائِرُ النُّصَراءِ

The enemies reneged, so let them drink

The bitterness of desertion and misery

آلى العُداةُ فأَخلَفُوا فَليَجرَعُوا

مَضَضاً جَزاءَ الخُلفِ بالإِيلاءِ

Spurred on, Atridis charged forth on

The gusts of wind towards all the commanders

جَذَلاً مَضى أَترِيذُ مُندَفِعاً على

هبِّ النِسيمِ لِسائِرِ الزُّعَماءِ

He found the two despairing ones who pretended

And here the infantry like a black cloud

أَلفى الايَاسَينِ الَّلذَينِ تَدَجَّجا

وَهُنا المُشاةُ كغَيمَةٍ سَوداءِ

They crept with a regiment of vicious young warriors

With axes and grim-faced laborers

دَلَفُوا بِجَحفَلِ فِتيَةٍ فَتَّاكَةٍ

بِمَنَاصلٍ وعَوَاملٍ صَمَّاءِ

Like an approaching black cloud that sailed

On the surface of the seas with angry gales

كغَمامَةٍ قَارِيَّةِ سَبَحَت عَلى

وَجهِ البِحارِ بِشدَّةِ الأَنوَاءِ

It appears to the shepherd who startles, driving

The flock of ewes to the caves of darkness

فَتَلوحُ للرَّاعي فَيَخفُقُ سائِقاً

سِربَ الشِّياهِ لأَكهُفِ الظَّلماءِ

Atridis eased up and said, addressing them

With awe and dignity:

فارتاحَ أَترِيذٌ وَقالَ مُخَاطِباً

لَهُما بِحَرِّ الهَولِ والأَرزاءِ

Behold, O two captains of the impenetrable armor

The likes of you attack and advance

إِيهٍ زَعِيمَي رَهطِ دُرَّاعِ الحَديِ

دِ فإنَّ مِثلَكُما يَكُرُّ ويُقدِمُ

My soul is satisfied that you rouse

The soldiers’ resolve with intent that persists

حسبي بِنَفِسكُما تُثِيرُ الوَغى

هِمَمَ الجُنُودِ بِهمةٍ تَتَجَهَّمُ

If only Zephyr and his tribe conceded and if

You two led all the battalions to perfect conquest

لَو آهِ زَفسُ وآلُهُ مَنُّوا وما

احكَمتُما كُلُّ الكتَائِبِ أَحكَمُوا

Then Ilium would crumble under our arms

Quickly as the pillar of its foundation splits

لَتَهدَّمَت إِليُونُ تَحتَ ذِراعِنا

عَجَلاً وشُمُّ عِمادِها تَتَحَطَّمُ

Then he turned to address the others

And his eloquent speech was revealed to him

ثُمَّ انثَنى لِسِوَاهُمُ فَبَدا لَهُ

بِذَوِيهِ نَسطُرُ أَفصَحُ الخُطَباءِ

Nestor stood delivering an invigorating speech

And King Hemon, Khromios, did you not see

قَد قامَ يَنظِمُ جَيشَهُ مُستَنهِضاً

وهُنا بِيَاسٌ نُخبَةُ الصُّلحاءِ

Philogonos and the rest of the renowned?

The vanguard was his cavalry and chariots

والملكُ هِيمُونٌ خُرُومِيسُ أَلَس

تَرُ فِيلَغُونُ وسائِرُ النجداءِ

And his infantry in a lead battalion

While the cowardly deserters of battle

جَعَلَ الطَّلِيعَةَ خَيلَهُ وعِجالَهُ

ومُشَاتُهُ في سَاقَةٍ شَهباءِ

He assigned to the rear to evade engagement

And he urged them for every adversity

والقَلبَ أَودَعَ كُلَّ نِكسٍ واهِنٍ

عافَ الِّلقاءِ لِيَلتَجي لِلقاءِ

And to show patience in ease and affliction

Do not plunge ahead impetuously and scatter

وبدا يَحَثُّهُمُ لِكلِّ كرِيهةٍ

والصبرِ في السرَّاءِ والضرَّاءِ

Seeking easy raiding

Beware that you become conceited by your might

لا تَقحَمُوا بِعِجالِكُم وتَبَدَّدُوا

مُستَهدِفِينَ لغَارَةٍ شَعوَاءِ

And proficiency in provocation and hostility

Alone with the enemy’s battalions or

وَحذَارِ تَغتَرُّونَ في بَأسٍ لَكُم

ومَهارَةٍ في الحَثِّ والإعداءِ

That you recoil in cowardice backwards

Thus it becomes easy for the enemy to assail you

بِكَتائِبِ الأَعداءِ تَنفَرِدُونَ أو

أَن تنكُصُوا بِجَبانَةٍ لِوَراءِ

And that is the greatest severity and suffering

And which of you reined in the steeds once they charged

فَبِذا يَهُونُ على العَدُوِّ نَكَالُكُم

وبِذاك أَعظَمُ شِدَّةٍ وعَناءِ

To the others of you, stumbling into salvation?

With the spear, so let him meet the enemies, for this

وَبِأَيكُم كَبَتِ الجِيادُ وقد لَجَا

لِسواهُ مِنكُم مُبِلاً لِنَجاءِ

Is assuredly the soundest perspective

Our ancestors thus destroyed with their cunning

بالرُّمحِ فَليَلقَ العُدَاةَ فَإِنَّما

هَذا يَقيناً أَصوَبُ الآراءِ

The walls of a staunch city

The king was invigorated by Nestor’s composure

أَسلافُنا هَدَمُوا كَذا بِدَهَائِهِمِ

أَسوارَ مَدِينَةٍ شَمَّاءِ

Whose wisdom was renowned for its longevity

طَرِبَ المَلِيكُ لِحَزمِ نَسطُورَ الذي

خُبِرَت مَخَابِرُهُ بِطُولِ بَقاءِ