Sol 6.1

  1. فَإِلَيهِ مالَ مُخَاطِباً بِرِعَايَةٍ

    يا شَيخُ صَدرُكَ بِالبَسَالَةِ مُفعَمُ

    Then he leaned toward him, addressing him with care:

    O old man, your breast is filled with valor.

  2. لا كانَ دَهرٌ مِنكَ جِسمَكَ مُوهِنٌ

    وقِوَامَ عَزمِكَ مُخمِصٌ ومُهَضِّمُ

    Would that Time had not weakened your body,

    Nor starved and sapped the vigor of your resolve.

  3. يا لَيتَ سَاقَكَ مِثلُ قَلبِكَ شِدَّةً

    ولَئِن هَرِمتَ وذَلَّ قَرمٌ يَهرَمُ

    If only your leg were as strong as your heart!

    And though you have aged—and a champion grows feeble with age—

  4. مَنَحَتكَ أَربَابُ العُلى بَأسَ الصِّبا

    وأُولي الصِّباطُولَ البَقا مَنَحتهُمُ

    May the lords on high grant you the might of youth,

    And grant the young a long span of life.

  5. فأجابَ نَسطُرُ قدهَرِمتُ وحَبَّذَا

    لَو كُنتُ بَعدُ بِشِدَّةِ الأَعضاءِ

    Then Nestor answered: “I have indeed grown old; would that

    I still had the strength of limb I had

  6. زَمَناً أَرُوثَليُونَ فِيهِ مُجندَلاً

    أَلقَيتُ مُختَضِباً بِبحَرِ دِماءِ

    In the days when Ereuthalion lay felled,

    Cast down by me, stained in a sea of blood.

  7. لَكِنَّما لَم تَحبُ آلِهَةُ الوَرى

    كُلَّ الأَنامِ بِجُملَةِ الآلاءِ

    But the gods of humankind have not endowed

    All people with the full measure of blessings.

  8. فَلئِن مَرَحتُ شَبِيبَتي بِتَشَدُّدِي

    فَلَقَدهَرِمتُ وخُفِّضَت نُعَمائي

    So, though in my youth I exulted in my strength,

    I have indeed grown old, and my blessings have dwindled.

  9. أَدَعُ الطِّعَانَ وشأنَهُ الأُولي القُوَى

    وأُولو القُوَى واعُونَ صَوتَ نِدائي

    I leave spear-fighting and its business to those with strength,

    And those with strength heed the sound of my call.”

  10. وأَتى الإثيِنيِّين قَومَ مَنَستِسٍ

    ذِي السَّبقِ بالإِعداءِ والإِجراءِ

    And he came to the Athenians, the people of Menestheus,

    Foremost in urging on and driving forward.

  11. وَيَليهِمِ بُهمُ الكِفالِّيينَ مَن

    دَانُوا الأُوذِسَ أَحكَمِ الحُكَماءِ

    And next to them were the Cephallenian warriors, who

    Obeyed Odysseus, wisest of the wise.

  12. فَذا هُمَا لَم يُسمَعا لَجَبَ الوَحى

    والجاشُ زَعزَعَ سائِرَ الأَنحاءِ

    For these two had not heard the battle's clamor,

    While the tumult shook every quarter.

  13. وتَرَبَّصا حتَّى عَلى الأَعدا يَكُرُّ

    سِوَاهُما بِسَرِيَّةٍ خَرساءِ

    And they waited until the foes were attacked

    By others, with a silent detachment.

  14. فَسَعى يُؤَنِّبُ عاتِباً بِمَلامَةٍ

    واستَنكَرَ المَسعى بالإستبطاء

    So he hastened to rebuke them, reproaching them with blame,

    And condemned their conduct as too slow.