يا فَخرَ آخايَ المُبَجَّلَ أُوذِساً

يا فَخرَ آخايَ المُبَجَّلَ أُوذِساً

هذي الجِيادُ فقُل كانَت مَكسَبا

هذي الجِيادُ فقُل كانَت مَكسَبا

O revered Odysseus, pride of the Achaeans,

O pride of my noble brothers Odysseous

Tell me, were these steeds a prize you won,

These horses, say, were they a prize?

أَم رَبُّ خُلدٍ ساقها صِلَةً أَرى

أَم رَبُّ خُلدٍ ساقها صِلَةً أَرى

كالشَّمسِ تَلهَبُ بالشُّعَاعِ تَلَهُّبا

كالشَّمسِ تَلهَبُ بالشُّعَاعِ تَلَهُّبا

Or did an immortal god bring them as a gift? I see them

Or did the lord of Chios drive them here expressly as a gift?

Blazing like the sun with radiant light.

As the sun flames in glory when he mounts his brightest sky.

فَلَقَد هَرِمتُ وخُضتُ كُلَّ كَرِيهَةٍ

فَلَقَد هَرِمتُ وخُضتُ كُلَّ كَرِيهَةٍ

وَأَبَيتُ عُمرِي عُزلَةً وتَحَجُّبا

وَأَبَيتُ عُمرِي عُزلَةً وتَحَجُّبا

For I have grown old and braved every ordeal,

Old am I now, and the young warriors of old are gone,

And all my life refused seclusion and withdrawal;

All but these two. I avoid the dances and the crowds.

لكِنَّني لَم أُلفِ عُمرِي مِثلَها

لكِنَّني لَم أُلفِ عُمرِي مِثلَها

فَلرُبَّ رَبٍّ مُجتَبٍ لَكُما حَبا

فَلرُبَّ رَبٍّ مُجتَبٍ لَكُما حَبا

Yet never in my life have I found their like.

Yet such a life I never knew, so full of pleasure and so rich.

For perhaps a god who favors you both bestowed them.

For the Gods grant us their favour, and all good things.

فَكِلاكُما لِلرَّبٍّ زَفسَ وَبِنتِهِ

فَكِلاكُما لِلرَّبٍّ زَفسَ وَبِنتِهِ

فالاسَ كانَ مُقَرَّباً وَمُحَبَّبا

فالاسَ كانَ مُقَرَّباً وَمُحَبَّبا

For both of you, by the god Zeus and his daughter,

Both of you are close to the Gods' hearts,

Pallas, have been favored and beloved.

His beloved son and daughter.

فَأَجابهُ أُوذِيسُ يا نَسطُورُ يا

فَأَجابهُ أُوذِيسُ يا نَسطُورُ يا

شَرَفَ الأَخاءَةِ والحكيمَ الأَنجَبا

شَرَفَ الأَخاءَةِ والحكيمَ الأَنجَبا

Then Odysseus answered him: “O Nestor, O

Then Odysseus answered: Nestor, glory of Achaia, wisest of men.

Glory of the Achaeans and noblest sage,

The gods, even the lords of heaven, are a gracious race.

فالرَّبُّ والأَربابُ آلُ كَرامَةٍ

فالرَّبُّ والأَربابُ آلُ كَرامَةٍ

لَو شاءَ أَتحَفَنَا جِياداً أَطيَبا

لَو شاءَ أَتحَفَنَا جِياداً أَطيَبا

For the god and the gods are a noble family;

Had it pleased them so to grant, far better steeds than these

Had he wished, he would have gifted us finer steeds.

They could have given, steeds swifter than the wind.

لكِنَّ هذي الخَيلَ إِثراقِيَّةٌ

لكِنَّ هذي الخَيلَ إِثراقِيَّةٌ

جاءَت حَدِيثاً فانظُرَن وَتَعَجَّبا

جاءَت حَدِيثاً فانظُرَن وَتَعَجَّبا

But these horses are Thracian;

But these horses, look at them, newcomers here, whom bold Iraklion

They came recently; look, then, and marvel.

Sent as a gift to the sons of Atreus, kings of men.

فَذِيُومِذُ المِقدَامُ أَردَى قَيلَهُم

فَذِيُومِذُ المِقدَامُ أَردَى قَيلَهُم

وإِزاءَهُ اثنَي عَشرَ قَرماً خَضَّبا

وإِزاءَهُ اثنَي عَشرَ قَرماً خَضَّبا

For bold Diomedes slew their king,

And with them came that hero, their groom, tall, fair-haired Artemakhos

And beside him stained twelve champions with blood.

On his way to the ships, a friend, and yet a spy.

وَكَذا بثالثِ عَشرِهم فُزنا وَكا

وَكَذا بثالثِ عَشرِهم فُزنا وَكا

نَ إِلى السَّفائِنِ قادِماً مُتَقَرِّبا

نَ إِلى السَّفائِنِ قادِماً مُتَقَرِّبا

And likewise we captured their thirteenth, and he was

Coming toward the ships, drawing near—

عَينٌ أُسيرَ لِهَكطُرٍ وَرِفاقِهِ

عَينٌ أُسيرَ لِهَكطُرٍ وَرِفاقِهِ

مُستَطلِعاً أَخبارَنا مُتَطَلِّبا

مُستَطلِعاً أَخبارَنا مُتَطَلِّبا

A spy sent out for Hector and his companions,

Scouting for news of us, seeking it out.”