فبعد أن أصغي إلى نسطورا

فبعد أن أصغي إلى نسطورا

أخيل راح يخرق الجمهورا

أخيل راح يخرق الجمهورا

So, after he had listened to Nestor,

After listening to Nastura

Achilles went cleaving through the crowd,

I imagined him tearing through the crowd

مستحضراً جائزة اللكام

مستحضراً جائزة اللكام

بغلا عتا في سادس الأعوام

بغلا عتا في سادس الأعوام

bringing forth the prize for boxing:

Bearing the Lakam Prize

a stubborn mule in its sixth year,

On a mule in his sixth year

ماريض بل يوشك أن لا يقربا

ماريض بل يوشك أن لا يقربا

وقدحاً لمن عياناً غلبا

وقدحاً لمن عياناً غلبا

unbroken—indeed, almost unapproachable—

Not content, rather about to grab

and a cup for whoever was plainly defeated.

A cup for the one whose eyes have overcome

وصاح أي اثنين قافا الجندا

وصاح أي اثنين قافا الجندا

وفي أساليب اللكام اشتدا

وفي أساليب اللكام اشتدا

He cried: “Whichever two surpass the host

And shouted which two rhymed

and are strong in the arts of boxing,

And in eloquence were intense

فليبرزا فذا الجزا أعدا

فليبرزا فذا الجزا أعدا

فمن بنصر فيبسٍ أمدا

فمن بنصر فيبسٍ أمدا

let them come forward: this prize stands ready.

So come out, this is the reward I have prepared

Whoever is aided to victory by Phoebus,

Whoever wins I will support

وشهد الجمع له فيهدى

وشهد الجمع له فيهدى

إليه ذا البغل القوى جدا

إليه ذا البغل القوى جدا

and for whom the crowd bears witness, shall be given

And the crowd witnessed for him so he was guided

this exceedingly strong mule;

To this very strong mule

والكأس للمغلوب حقا يسدي

والكأس للمغلوب حقا يسدي

فقام قرمٌ باسلٌ كبير

فقام قرمٌ باسلٌ كبير

and the cup shall duly be bestowed on the defeated.”

And the cup to the true loser he hands

Then rose a mighty, fearless champion,

So a brave, great man stood up

إفيوس فانوف الفتى الخبير

إفيوس فانوف الفتى الخبير

ألقى على البغل يداً وقالا

ألقى على البغل يداً وقالا

Epeius, Panopeus’s skilled young son.

Epios son of the expert lad

He laid a hand upon the mule and said:

He laid his hand on the mule and said

يا من يروم القدح ابرز حالا

يا من يروم القدح ابرز حالا

فلا سواي البغل منكم نالا

فلا سواي البغل منكم نالا

“You who seek the cup, step forward at once!

O you who seek the cup, come out now

For none but me among you shall win the mule—

None but me from you obtained the mule

فتىً ومثلي خاض ذا المجال

فتىً ومثلي خاض ذا المجال

حسبي أن لا أحسن القتالا

حسبي أن لا أحسن القتالا

no youth, while one like me contests this arena.

A lad like me traversed this field

Enough that I am no master of battle!

It’s enough I don’t know fighting

من ذا الذي كل مجالٍ جالا

من ذا الذي كل مجالٍ جالا

قلت وإني صادقٌ مقالا

قلت وإني صادقٌ مقالا

Who is there who has ranged through every field?

Who is this that every field crossed

I have spoken, and my speech is true:

I said and I speak truth

من قام لي قطعته أوصالا

من قام لي قطعته أوصالا

وليعدد الصحب له الرجالا

وليعدد الصحب له الرجالا

whoever stands against me, I shall cut him limb from limb.

Whoever faces me I will cut him to pieces

Let his companions make men ready for him,

And let the friends count for him the men

تحمله مثقلاً نكالا

تحمله مثقلاً نكالا

فصمتوا طرّاً سوى فريال

فصمتوا طرّاً سوى فريال

to carry him away, burdened with punishment.”

Carrying him burdened with wounds

They all fell silent, except Euryalus,

But they were silent except for Friyal

عد بني الخلد أبي الأهوال

عد بني الخلد أبي الأهوال

فرع مكست بن طلاووس ومن

فرع مكست بن طلاووس ومن

peer of immortality’s sons, undaunted by terrors,

Son of Abi Al-Ahwal of the people of Khuld

scion of Mecisteus, Talaus’s son, the man who

A branch grafted from Talawus and he who

قد كان من أعظم لكام الزمن

قد كان من أعظم لكام الزمن

قد كان في مأتم أو ذيب ظهر

قد كان في مأتم أو ذيب ظهر

had been among the greatest boxers of the age:

Had been among the greatest poets of the time

he had appeared at the funeral of Oedipus

Had been in a funeral or a slain risen

في ثيبةٍ وآل قدمسٍ قهر

في ثيبةٍ وآل قدمسٍ قهر

ونحوه ذيومٌ مستنهضا

ونحوه ذيومٌ مستنهضا

in Thebes, and vanquished the descendants of Cadmus.

In a slip and Al Qudmis he defeated

And toward him Diomedes, rousing him,

And like him Thiyum rousing

بادر يبغي فوزه محرضا

بادر يبغي فوزه محرضا

شد له النطاق حول الخصر

شد له النطاق حول الخصر

hastened, seeking his victory and urging him on.

Rushing to win encouraged

He fastened the belt for him around his waist,

Tied around his waist a belt

والجمع غشى جلد ثورٍ بري

والجمع غشى جلد ثورٍ بري

فنزلا الساحة يرفعان

فنزلا الساحة يرفعان

and wrapped his fist in a wild bull’s hide.

And the crowd covered the skin of a wild ox

Then both stepped into the arena, raising

So they descended the field raising

كفيهما معاً ويلكمان

كفيهما معاً ويلكمان

حتى هناك الجمع بالجمع اشتبك

حتى هناك الجمع بالجمع اشتبك

their hands together and trading blows,

Their palms together and boxing

until there fist clashed against fist,

Until there the crowds intertwined

ورشح الأعضاء واصطك الحنك

ورشح الأعضاء واصطك الحنك

فانقض إفيوس وفريال لطم

فانقض إفيوس وفريال لطم

and their limbs sweated, and their jaws clattered.

And the limbs bled and the jaws collided

Then Epeius lunged and struck Euryalus

So Epios pounced and Friyal hit

بوجهه لطمة صنديدٍ غشم

بوجهه لطمة صنديدٍ غشم

فلم يطق لهولها احتمالا

فلم يطق لهولها احتمالا

in the face with a savage champion’s blow.

His face with a mighty, angry slap

He could not endure its dreadful force,

That he could not endure its horror

وارتجفت أعضاؤه ومالا

وارتجفت أعضاؤه ومالا

كالحوت والنوء بشمألٍ عصف

كالحوت والنوء بشمألٍ عصف

and his limbs trembled, and he swayed,

And his limbs shook and he swayed

like a fish when a storm rages with a north wind,

Like a whale and the crocodile in a storm's surge

في الجرف بين زيد البحر ارتجف

في الجرف بين زيد البحر ارتجف

لكن إفيوس انحنى عليه

لكن إفيوس انحنى عليه

quivering on the bank amid the sea’s swell.

In the reef between the sea's hands shook

But Epeius bent over him,

But Epios bent over him

يرفعه ما بين ساعديه

يرفعه ما بين ساعديه

وصحبه خفوا به والتوت

وصحبه خفوا به والتوت

lifting him between his forearms.

Lifting him between his arms

His comrades hastened away with him, and twisted

And his friends carried him and the plumage

ساقها والهامة أيضاً أهوت

ساقها والهامة أيضاً أهوت

يسيل وهو لا يعي شعورا

يسيل وهو لا يعي شعورا

was his leg; his head, too, drooped.

Lowered it and the turban also fell

There flowed, while he was wholly unaware,

Dripping and he unaware of feeling

نجيعه من فمه غزيرا

نجيعه من فمه غزيرا

كذا به ساروا بملءٍ اليأس

كذا به ساروا بملءٍ اليأس

his blood in torrents from his mouth.

His groan from his mouth copious

Thus they carried him away in utter despair,

Thus with him they went in utter despair

ولم يفتهم أخذ تلك الكاس

ولم يفتهم أخذ تلك الكاس

yet did not fail to take that cup.

And they did not miss taking that cup