1. قالَ والنفسُ صَعَّدَت زَفَراتٍ

    لَيسَ تُجدِي لما عَلِمتِ الإِعادَه

    He said, as his soul sent up sighs:

    Repeating what you already know is of no use.

  2. قُدس إِتيُونض ثِيبَةً مُذ دَهَمنا

    وارتَفَدنَا منهُ أَجلَّ ارتِفادَه

    When we stormed Eetion's sacred Thebes,

    and gained from it the richest spoils,

  3. وُزِّعَ الكَسبُ هاهُنا وَخَرِيسا

    نالَ أَترِيذُ غادَةً أَيَّ غادَه

    the booty was divided here, and Chryseis

    fell to Atreides—a maiden, and what a maiden!

  4. فاتانا خَرِيسُ كَاهِنُ فِيبُو

    سَ مُثيرِ السِهّامِ يُلقي المقَادَه

    Then Chryses came to us, priest of Phoebus,

    the looser of arrows, offering submission,

  5. يَفتَدِي بِنتهُ بغُرِّ الهدَايا

    وَبِيُمنَاهُ صَولَجَانُ السِّيادَه

    ransoming his daughter with splendid gifts,

    and in his right hand was the scepter of sovereignty—

  6. صَولَجانٌ من عَسجَدٍ وعِصابا

    تُ أُفُلُّونَ فوقهُ مَيَّادَه

    a scepter of gold, with ribbons

    of Apollo swaying above it.

  7. فاتانا مُستَنجِداً مُستَجِيراً

    رَاجِياً من جَميعِنا إِنجادَه

    He came to us seeking help and refuge,

    hoping for assistance from us all,

  8. سيَّما العاهلَينِ من نَسلِ أَترا

    فَجَميعُ الإِغرِيقِ حَقُّوا مُرادَه

    especially the two sovereigns descended from Atreus.

    All the Greeks approved his wish:

  9. آثَرُوا حِفظَ حُرمَةِ الشَّيخِ فِيهِم

    وَقَبُولَ النَّفائِسِ الوَقَّاده

    they favored honoring the old man among them

    and accepting the radiant treasures.

  10. فابنُ أَترا استَشاطَ يَطرُدُهُ مِن

    بَينِنا مُورِياً عَلَيهِ احتِدادَه

    But Atreus' son raged, driving him from

    our midst, kindling his fury against him.

  11. ذُعرَ الشَّيخُ وانثنى بدُعاءٍ

    وفِبُوسُ استَجابهُ واستَجادَه

    The old man was terrified and turned away in prayer,

    and Phoebus answered it and deemed it worthy.

  12. فًرمانا سَهماً فبدَّدَنا وال

    أسهُمُ الدُّهمُ أُنفِذَت بَدَّادَه

    Then he shot an arrow at us and scattered us, and the

    dark arrows were loosed, scattering us.

  13. طَفِقَت جُندُنا تَخُرُّ رُكَاماً

    بَعضُها فَوقَ بَعضِها مُنقادَه

    Our troops began to fall in heaps,

    one upon another, succumbing.

  14. فَقِهَ الأَمرَ كاهِنٌ ذو سَدادٍ

    واحتِدَامُ الإِلاهِ أَذَّى مفَادَه

    A discerning seer understood the matter

    and explained the meaning of the god's fury.

  15. فَطَلبتُ استِرضاءَهُ فانبَرى أَت

    رِيذُ حالاً يُبدِي عَلَيَّ اشتدَادَه

    So I sought to appease him, but Atreides sprang up,

    immediately showing his harshness toward me.

  16. وأَعَدَّ الوَعِيدَ ثُمَّ قَضاهُ

    وأَرادَ الإغرِيقُ مَنعَ الزِيادَه

    He prepared his threat, then carried it out,

    and the Greeks sought to keep things from worsening.

  17. فأَعَدُّوا سَفينَةً سَيَّرُوها

    بِخرِيسا إِلى أَبِيها مُعَادَه

    So they prepared a ship and sent it

    with Chryseis, restored to her father.

  18. ثُمَّ سارُوا وأَوفَدُوا بنُذُورٍ

    شائقاتٍ لِلرَّبِّ خَيرَ وفاده

    Then they departed, sending a delegation with votive gifts,

    pleasing to the lord—a most excellent embassy.

  19. وبِذا الحِينِ قام من خَيمَي الرُّس

    لُ بِسَهمٍ أُوتِيتُ حَقَّ الجَلادَه

    Meanwhile, the messengers left my tents

    with a prize I had been granted as valor's rightful due,

  20. لابنِ أَترا يَستَصحِبُونَ بَرِيسا

    أَنجدي ابناً عَلَيكِ ألقى اعتمِادَه

    taking Briseis to Atreus' son.

    Help a son who has placed his trust in you.

  21. أَنصِفيهِ إِذا استَطعتِ وَسِيري

    لِلعُلى في أُلمِبِ رَبِّ العِبادَه

    Do him justice, if you can, and go

    to Olympus's heights, to the lord of worship.

  22. واستضغِيثي إِن كُنتش حَقًّا بِقَولٍ

    أَو بِفِعلٍ خَلَبتش يَوماً فُؤَادَه

    And seek his aid, if you have truly, by word

    or deed, once charmed his heart.

  23. باعتِزازٍ سَما بقَصرِ أَبي كم

    مرَّةٍ قد رَوَيتش خَيرَ إِفَادَه

    With pride soaring in my father's palace, how many

    times have you told this most instructive tale:

  24. عندَ ما فُوسِذٌ وَهيرا وَآثِي

    نا استطالُوا على وليِّ الإِبادَه

    when Poseidon, Hera, and Athena

    rose against the lord of destruction,

  25. وتجارَوا لغلٍّ زَفسَ الذِي يَر

    كُمُ غَيمَ العُلى وَيُجِي اسوِدادَه

    and vied to shackle Zeus, who heaps

    up the clouds on high and brings their darkness,

  26. لم يَكُن بينَ عُصبَةِ الخُلدِ إِلاَّ

    كِ يقيهِ من وَرطَةٍ مُرتادَه

    none among the company of immortals but

    you protected him from the peril they intended.

  27. فابتَدَرتِ الأغلالَ بالحَلِّ وَالجَ

    بَّارَ حالاً دَعوَتِ يُبدِي جِهادَه

    You hastened to undo his chains, and the giant

    you summoned at once to display his fighting prowess.

  28. مِئَةٌ أَذرُعاً لَهُ وهوَ يُدعى

    بَرَيارا في عُرفِ أَهل السَّعادَه

    He has a hundred arms, and he is called

    Briareus among the blessed ones,

  29. ولدى الناسِ إِيجِيُوَن يُسَمَّى

    من فَسِيحِ الأُولِمبِ رَامَ افتِقادَه

    while among mortals he is named Aegaeon.

    From spacious Olympus he sought him out,

  30. من أَبِيهِ أَشَدُّ بأساً وعندَ اب

    نِ قُرُونٍ أَقامَ يُوري زِنادَه

    stronger in might than his father; beside the son

    of Cronus he stood, striking sparks from his firesteel.

  31. فاقشَعضرَّ الأَربابُ منهُ هُلُوعاً

    وَارعَوَوا عن مَكِيدَةٍ نَقَّادَه

    The gods shuddered at him in terror

    and desisted from their ruinous plot.

  32. أُقصُدِي زَفسَ ذَكّرِيهِ بهذَا

    قَبِّلي رُكبَتيهِ وارجِي مِدَادَه

    Go to Zeus and remind him of this;

    kiss his knees and hope for his aid,

  33. لِيُبِيدَ الإِغرِيقَ بالجُرفِ قُر

    بَ الفُلكِ قَهراً وَيُنجِدَ الطُّروادَه

    so he may destroy the Greeks on the steep shore, near

    the ships, by force, and aid the Trojans,

  34. لِيَرَوا طَيشَ مَلكِهِم وَهوَ يَدرِي

    أَنَّهُ قد أَصَادَ شَرَّ إِصادَه

    so they may see their king's folly, while he realizes

    that he has made the worst of catches.

  35. وابنُ أَترا يرى بمَجدِ عُلاهُ

    حضطُّ مَجدش المِحرَابِ أَيَّانَ قادَه

    And Atreus' son will see, amid his lofty glory,

    the abasement of a warrior's glory whenever he commands him.