أَجابَت لَهذَا أُوذِسٌ بِدَهَائهِ

أَجابَت لَهذَا أُوذِسٌ بِدَهَائهِ

وإِيتَاكَةُ الصَّيداءُ تِلكَ لَهُ دارُ

وإِيتَاكَةُ الصَّيداءُ تِلكَ لَهُ دارُ

She answered him: “That is Odysseus, famed for cunning;

She answered him: 'This is Odysseus, with his cunning;

and rugged Ithaca is his home.

And that rugged Ithaca is his home.

خَبيرٌ على كُلِّ الأُمُورِ مُقَلَّبٌ

خَبيرٌ على كُلِّ الأُمُورِ مُقَلَّبٌ

لهُ سَطَعَت مِن مُحكَمِ الرَّأي أَنوَارُ

لهُ سَطَعَت مِن مُحكَمِ الرَّأي أَنوَارُ

Versed in every affair, tested and tried,

He is experienced, seasoned in every kind of affair;

the lights of sound judgment shone from him.”

Lights shone for him from sound judgment.'

نَعَم قالَ أَنطِينُورُ حَقًّا صَدَقِتنا

نَعَم قالَ أَنطِينُورُ حَقًّا صَدَقِتنا

لأُوذِسَ لم يَبرَح بِبالَيَ تَذكارُ

لأُوذِسَ لم يَبرَح بِبالَيَ تَذكارُ

“Yes,” Antenor said, “you have told us truly;

'Yes,' said Antenor, 'you have truly told us the truth.

the memory of Odysseus has never left my mind.

The memory of Odysseus has never left my mind.

أَتى ومنَيلا قَومَنا قَبلُ مُرسَلاً

أَتى ومنَيلا قَومَنا قَبلُ مُرسَلاً

يَرَى ما لًَنا فيمبا سَبيَناكِ أَعذارُ

يَرَى ما لًَنا فيمبا سَبيَناكِ أَعذارُ

He and Menelaus once came to our people as envoys,

He once came with Menelaus as an envoy to our people,

to see what grounds we had for carrying you away captive.

To see what excuses we had for taking you captive.

وفي مَنزِلي بالرُّحبِ والأُنسِ أُنزِلا

وفي مَنزِلي بالرُّحبِ والأُنسِ أُنزِلا

لِحَزمِهمَا عندِي مَدَى الدَّهرِ آثارُ

لِحَزمِهمَا عندِي مَدَى الدَّهرِ آثارُ

In my house they were lodged with welcome and warm fellowship,

And in my home both were lodged with welcome and fellowship;

and their prudence left its mark on me for all time.

The marks of their prudence stay with me for all time.

لَكَم قد أَفاضا بَينَنا في فَصَاحَةٍ

لَكَم قد أَفاضا بَينَنا في فَصَاحَةٍ

إِذا دَارَ للأَبحاثِ والنُّطقِ أَدوارُ

إِذا دَارَ للأَبحاثِ والنُّطقِ أَدوارُ

How often they discoursed among us with eloquence,

How often they spoke at length among us with eloquence,

whenever debate and oratory took their turns.

Whenever discussion and speech took their turns.

مَنِيلا إِذا ما قامَ أَوسَعُ مَنكِباً

مَنِيلا إِذا ما قامَ أَوسَعُ مَنكِباً

وأُوذِسُ إِن يَجلِس وَقارٌ وإِبرارُ

وأُوذِسُ إِن يَجلِس وَقارٌ وإِبرارُ

When Menelaus stood, he was broader in the shoulders;

When Menelaus stood, he was broader of shoulder;

when Odysseus sat, his was the graver, nobler presence.

And Odysseus, when seated, had dignity and preeminence.

وَإِن خَطَبَا يَجرِي مَنِيلا مُبَيِّناً

وَإِن خَطَبَا يَجرِي مَنِيلا مُبَيِّناً

أَدِلَّتَهُ جَرياً وما ثَمَّ إِضمَارُ

أَدِلَّتَهُ جَرياً وما ثَمَّ إِضمَارُ

And when they spoke, Menelaus set forth his case clearly,

And when both spoke, Menelaus would proceed, explaining

his proofs flowing freely, with nothing held back.

His arguments fluently, with nothing concealed.

يَجُولُ على لُبّ الحَدِيثِ مُجانِباً

يَجُولُ على لُبّ الحَدِيثِ مُجانِباً

شُذُوذاً ومِصدَاقَ الشَّوَاهِدِ يَختَارُ

شُذُوذاً ومِصدَاقَ الشَّوَاهِدِ يَختَارُ

He ranged over the heart of the matter, avoiding

He ranged over the heart of the matter, avoiding

digression, and choosing proofs of surest truth.

Digression, and chose sound supporting evidence.

وَيجتنِبُ الإِكثَارَ إِمَّا كَرَاهةً

وَيجتنِبُ الإِكثَارَ إِمَّا كَرَاهةً

وإِمَّا لِرَعي السِنِّ يُلجِيهِ إِجبارُ

وإِمَّا لِرَعي السِنِّ يُلجِيهِ إِجبارُ

He shunned prolixity—whether from distaste,

He avoided verbosity, whether out of dislike,

or because regard for seniority constrained him.

Or because regard for age constrained him.

ولَكِنَّ أُوذِس وَهوَ أَرشَدُ فيهما

ولَكِنَّ أُوذِس وَهوَ أَرشَدُ فيهما

إِذا قامَ هَبَّت مِن مَعَاطِفِهِ النَّارُ

إِذا قامَ هَبَّت مِن مَعَاطِفِهِ النَّارُ

But Odysseus, the wiser of the two,

But as for Odysseus, the wiser of the two,

when he rose, seemed to loose fire from the folds of his cloak.

When he rose, fire flared from his sides;

فَمِحجَنُهُ لا يَلتَوِي أَيَّ لَيَّةٍ

فَمِحجَنُهُ لا يَلتَوِي أَيَّ لَيَّةٍ

وتُطرِقُ مِنهُ بالتَّوَقُّدِ أَبصارُ

وتُطرِقُ مِنهُ بالتَّوَقُّدِ أَبصارُ

His hooked staff never swayed by the slightest turn,

And his hooked staff did not waver in the least,

and eyes lowered before the blaze of his presence.

And his blazing eyes were cast down.

تَخالُ فَتًى بالخَطبِ غَيرَ مُحَنَّكٍ

تَخالُ فَتًى بالخَطبِ غَيرَ مُحَنَّكٍ

وشَطَّ بِهِ عن مَنهَجِ العَقلِ تَيَّارُ

وشَطَّ بِهِ عن مَنهَجِ العَقلِ تَيَّارُ

You would take him for a youth unseasoned in oratory,

You would think him a youth unseasoned by adversity,

swept far from reason’s path by some current.

And that a torrent had swept him far from the path of reason.

ولكِن إِذا فاضَت مَنَافَِثُ نُطقِهِ

ولكِن إِذا فاضَت مَنَافَِثُ نُطقِهِ

وصَوتٌ جَهيرٌ بالنَّفَائِسِ زَخَّارُ

وصَوتٌ جَهيرٌ بالنَّفَائِسِ زَخَّارُ

But when the wellsprings of his speech overflowed,

But when the channels of his speech overflowed,

and his resonant voice brimmed with treasures,

And his resonant voice brimmed with treasures,

تَنَاثَرَ مِن فيهِ النُّهَى بَرَداً هَمى

تَنَاثَرَ مِن فيهِ النُّهَى بَرَداً هَمى

وسَيفُ حِجَاه بالبَلاغَةِ بَتَّارُ

وسَيفُ حِجَاه بالبَلاغَةِ بَتَّارُ

wisdom fell from his mouth like a shower of hail,

Wisdom showered from his mouth like hail raining down,

and eloquence made the sword of his mind keen-edged.

And the sword of his reason cut keenly with eloquence.

يُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ كُلُّ نَدبٍ فَلا تَرَى

يُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ كُلُّ نَدبٍ فَلا تَرَى

إِذَا عَجَباً فالنُّطقُ لِلقَدِّ سَتَّارُ

إِذَا عَجَباً فالنُّطقُ لِلقَدِّ سَتَّارُ

Every man of distinction fell short of him, so you would see

Every capable man falls short of him; so do not be

no wonder then: speech casts a veil over stature.

Surprised, then, for speech is a veil for stature.'