1. تَمَنَّع في الطُّروادِ يَخفُرُ جُندُهُم

    وفرطُ الأَسى والبَثِّ هَدَّ الأَخائِيا

    The Trojans stood secure, their troops keeping watch;

    while overwhelming grief and anguish broke the Achaeans.

  2. يُسَاقُ لَهُم مِن مَوقِفِ الخُلدِ رِعدَةٌ

    يُلاَزِمُها داعي الفِرارِ مُبَارِيا

    A shudder was sent upon them from the abode of immortality,

    with the summons to flight keeping pace beside it.

  3. وتَحقُقُ أَحشاهُم كَما اللُّجُّ خافِقٌ

    إِذا لَقِيَ البَخرُ الرِّياحَ السَّوَفِيا

    Their entrails throbbed as the deep sea heaves

    when the sea encounters the sweeping winds.

  4. ومن بَطنِ إِثرَاقا دَبُورٌ وشَمأَلٌ

    مَعاً هَبَّتا فِيهِ هُبُوباً مُفَاجِيا

    And from Thrace's belly a west wind and a north wind

    both blew upon it with a sudden blast,

  5. فَتَركُمُ دُهمَ المَوجِ مِن فَوقِ يَمِّهِ

    وتَقذِفُها حَتَّى تَجُوزَ الشَّواطيا

    piling the dark waves high above its waters

    and hurling them beyond the shores.

  6. وأَترِيذُ والتَّبرِيحُ يَنتَابُ لُبَّهُ

    يَطُوفُ بِهِم يَدعُو الدُّعاةَ تَوالياي

    And Atreides, with torment assailing his mind,

    went among them, summoning the heralds in succession.

  7. ويَأمُرُ بالشُّورى بِأَن يَهمِسُوا بِها

    بأَسمائِهِم لِلصِّيدِ واجتَازَ عادِيا

    He ordered them to summon a council in whispers,

    calling the nobles by name; then he hurried onward.

  8. وبَلَّغَ صَدرَ الجُندِ حَتَّى إِذا بَدَوا

    جُلُوساً وصَمتُ الحُزنِ بَرَّحَ بادِيا

    He brought word to the army's foremost men; when they appeared

    seated, with grief's silence plainly tormenting them,

  9. عَلى قَدَمَيهِ قامَ والدَّمعُ هامِرٌ

    تَدَفَّقَ مِن عَينَيهِ كالسَّيلِ هاميا

    he rose upon his feet, his tears pouring,

    streaming from his eyes like a flowing torrent,

  10. كَشُؤبُوبِ ماءٍ شُقَّ من قَلبِ صخرَةٍ

    وفي زَفَراتِ الحُزنِ صاحَ مُنَادِيا

    like a gush of water forced from the heart of a rock.

    Amid sorrowful sighs he cried out:

  11. أَحِبَّايَ وَالاقيالَ والصِّيدَ خِلتُني

    رَمانَي زَفسٌ في حَبائِلِ آتِيا

    My beloved friends, princes and nobles, I thought

    Zeus had cast me into Ate's snares.

  12. وقد كانَ والاني بإِيماءِ رَأسِهِ

    بِأَنَّا بإِليُونٍ نَدُكُّ المَراميا

    He had assured me with a nod of his head

    that we would batter down the defenses of Ilium,

  13. ولا نَنثَني للأَهلِ إِلاَّ بِسَبيِها

    فمانَ وَما أَغرَاهُ فِيما رَمانِيا

    and not turn homeward except with its captives.

    He lied—what moved him to cast me down so?

  14. فَقَدت صَنادِيدَ الرِّجالِ وقد قَضى

    عَليَّ إِلى أَرغُوسَ أَرجِعُ خاسِيا

    I have lost the champions of men, and he has decreed

    that I return to Argos abased.

  15. نَعَم ذَاكَ أَمرٌ شَاءَهُ الآمِرُ الَّذي

    يُقَوِّضُ أَركانَ البِلادِ العَوَاتِيا

    Yes, this is the command willed by the ruler who

    overthrows the foundations of defiant lands.

  16. فَهَيُّوا أَطِيعُوني الهَزِيمَةُ مَغنَمٌ

    بِعَودَتِنا إِنِّي أَرى زَفسَ قاضِيا

    Come, obey me: retreat is a gain;

    I see Zeus decreeing our return.

  17. وَأَصدُقُكُم وَعداً يَقيناً فَلَن نَرَى

    مَعاقِلَ إِليُونٍ رُكاماً فَوَانِيا

    I give you my word, true and certain: we shall never see

    Ilium's strongholds reduced to crumbling heaps.

  18. أَصاخُوا وطالَ الصَّمتُ فَوقَ وُجُومِهِم

    فَصاحَ ذِيُومِيذٌ أَخُو البَاس عَاليا

    They listened, and silence lingered over their gloom.

    Then Diomedes, brother of valor, cried aloud:

  19. شَطَطتَ أََأَترِيذٌ وأَوَّلُ مُنكِرٍ

    لِقَولَكَ ذَا لا تَحنَقَنَّ أَرانِيا

    You have gone too far, Atreides; the first objector

    to these words of yours is, I find, myself—do not be enraged.

  20. فذا حَقُّ شُورانا وقَبلُ بِهِمَّتي

    عبِثتَ وقَد أَعَلَنتَ عَزمِيَ واهِيا

    Such is our council's right; before, with my resolve

    you trifled, declaring my determination weak.

  21. بِذا شَهِدَ المُردَانُ والشِّيبُ جُملَةً

    على أَنَّ زَفساً قَسَّخمَ الرِّزقَ وافِيا

    Both the beardless youths and the gray-haired men witnessed this;

    yet Zeus apportioned his gifts in full:

  22. فَلَم تُؤتَ بَأسَ الكَفِّ والبَأُسُ أَولٌ

    وأُوتِيتَ فخرَ المُلكِ والعِزِّ ثانِيا

    you were not given strength of hand—valor comes first—

    but you were given the glory of kingship and honor as the second gift.

  23. أََأَحمَقُ هَل خِلتَ الأَراغِسَ أُوهِنُوا

    فإِن رُمتَ عَوداَ دُونَكَ السُّبلَ هاهِيا

    O fool, did you think the Argives had been weakened?

    If you desire to return, take the roads: here they are.

  24. وذِي السُّفُنُ الّلاءِي عَزَمتَ بِهِنَّ مِن

    مِكِينا تَراها بالجُدُودِ رَواسِيا

    And here are the ships in which you set out from

    Mycenae: you see them lying fast along the shores.

  25. وسائِرُنا لَن نَبرَحَنَّ بِأَرضِنا

    إِلى أَن نَرى هذي الحُصُونَ بَوادِيا

    The rest of us shall never quit our ground

    until we see these fortresses laid waste.

  26. وإن آثرَ الكُلُّ انهِزَاماً وَعَودَةً

    فإِنِّي وَأَستِينِيلُ نَكفِي الأَعَادِيا

    Even if everyone prefers flight and a return,

    Sthenelus and I are enough to face the enemies.

  27. نُقَاتِلُهُم حَتَّى نَفُوزَ بِدَكِّها

    وَيَنصُرُني رَبٌّ لِحَربٍ دَعانِيا

    We shall fight them until we succeed in razing it,

    and a god who called me to war will give me victory.

  28. فَضَجَّت لَهُ الإِغرِيقُ ضِجَّةَ مُطرَبٍ

    وقامَ بِهم نَسطُورُ يَخطُبُ تالِيا

    The Greeks cheered him with a joyous shout,

    and Nestor rose among them to speak next:

  29. سَمَوتَ ذِيُومِيذٌ بِبأسِكَ مِثلَما

    بِرَأيِكَ بالأَترابِ قد كُنتَ سامِيا

    You stand high, Diomedes, in your courage, just as

    in judgment you have stood high among your peers.

  30. فَما لَكَ في الإِغرِيقِ لَومةُ لائِمٍ

    ولِكنَّ فَصلَ القَولِ ما زالَ خافِيا

    No one among the Greeks can fault you,

    yet the decisive word remains unclear.

  31. فَأَنتَ فَتًى لَو قِيسَ عُمرُكَ لَم يَكُن

    لأَحدَثِ أَبنائِي الصِّغارِ مُساوِيا

    You are a youth: measured, your age would not

    equal that of the youngest of my little sons.

  32. عَلى أَنَّكَ اختَرتَ الحَصافَةَ مَنهجاً

    وصِيدَ السُّرَى خَاطَبتَ بالحَقِّ عانِيا

    Yet you have chosen sound judgment as your path,

    and addressed the noble chiefs with earnest truth.

  33. وإِنِّي وحَسبي الشَّيبُ دُونَكَ مَفخَراً

    سَيَجمَعُ أَطرافَ الحَدِيثِ كَلامِيا

    And I—gray hair suffices as my distinction above you—

    shall gather the threads of this discussion in my words.

  34. ولَن أَلتَقي بالقَومِ حَتَّى زَعِيمِهِم

    أَخِي المَجدِ أَترِيذٍ لِقَولِيَ لاحِيا

    I shall find none among the people, not even their chief,

    Atreides, brother of glory, who reproaches my words.

  35. فَلا شَرعَ لا مَأوى ولا أُسرَةٌ لِمَن

    بِفِتنَتِهِ في القَومِ يُفسِدُ عاثِيا

    He has no law, no shelter, and no family,

    who wreaks corruption among the people with his strife.

  36. فَقَد خَيَّمَ اللَيلُ البَهِيمُ فَهَيّئُوا

    طَعَامَكُمُ وَلنُحكِمَنَّ التَّصافِيا

    Pitch-dark night has settled; prepare

    your food, and let us firmly establish harmony.

  37. وَيَخفُرُ مِن فِتيَانِنَا حَرَسٌ عَلى

    حَفِيرٍ خَطَطناهُ لَدى السُّورِ صاحِيا

    Let a guard of our young men keep watch over

    the trench we traced beside the wall, remaining alert.

  38. لَكَ الأَمرُ أَترِيذٌ أَقِمهُم وأَولِمَن

    لِشِيبَكَ مِنهُم تَأخُذِ الرأَيَ شافِيا

    The command is yours, Atreides: station them, and hold a feast

    for your elders among them, to gain sound counsel.

  39. فَخَيمُكَ فاضَت بالرَّحيقِ تَسُوقُهُ

    سَفائِنُ إِثراقا بها جاءَ ضافِيا

    Your tents overflow with wine, brought here

    by ships of Thrace, in which it came in plenty.

  40. وعِندَكَ ما تَبغي لِخَيرِ وَلِيمَةٍ

    وعِدَّةُ غُلمانٍ تَناهَت تَناهِيا

    You have what you need for the finest feast,

    and a host of serving lads, plentiful indeed.

  41. وعِندَ التِئامِ القَومِ تَجمَعُ رَأَيَهُم

    وتَتبَعُ ما قد كانَ بالقَصدِ وافِيا

    When the people assemble, gather their opinions

    and follow whichever best fulfills our purpose.

  42. فَما أَحوَجَ الإِغرِيقَ لِلرَّأي والعِدى

    أُوارُهُمُ أَضحَى لَدى الفُلكِ وارِيا

    How sorely the Greeks need counsel, while the foes'

    blaze now burns beside the ships!

  43. فَلَيلَتُنا هَذي وَواحَظَّ مَن رَأَى

    سَنَهلِكُ فيها أَو نَنالُ الأَمانِيا

    For this is our night—ah, the lot of whoever sees it!—

    in it we shall perish or attain our wishes.

  44. اصاخُوا ولَبَّوا ثُمَّ هَبَّت خِفارَةٌ

    بِشِكَّتِها مِنهُم تَجِدُّ المَساعِيا

    They listened and responded; then a guard rose

    from their ranks, fully armed, exerting itself with zeal.

  45. يَقُودُهُمُ مِن نُخبَةِ الجُندِ سَبعَةٌ

    ثَرِيسِيمُ نَسطُورَ المُلقَّبِ راعِيا

    Seven from the army's elite led them:

    Thrasymedes, son of Nestor, who is called the shepherd,

  46. ويَلمِينُ عَسقَالافُ من وِلدِ آرِسٍ

    ومِريُونُ ذِيفِيرٌ كذاك أَفارِيا

    and Ialmenus and Ascalaphus, among the offspring of Ares,

    and Meriones, Deipyrus, and likewise Aphareus,

  47. ولِيقُومُ فُريُونٍ وكلٌّ مُؤَمَّرٌ

    عَلى مِئِةٍ مِنهُم تَقِلُّ العَوَالِيا

    and Lycomedes, son of Phryon; each was appointed commander

    over a hundred of them, bearing tall spears.

  48. فَحَلُّوا انتِظاماً بَينَ سُورٍ وَخَندَقٍ

    وأَكَوا لإِعدادِ الطَّعَامِ المَذاكِيا

    They took their stations in order between a wall and a trench,

    and kindled fires to prepare the food.

  49. وأَترِيذُ وَافى بالشُّيُوخِ لِخَيمِهِ

    لِمَأَدَبَةٍ فاضَت طَعاماً مُوافِيا

    Atreides came with the elders to his tents

    for a feast overflowing with ample food.

  50. فَلَمَّا بِأَيدِيهِم قَضَوا مِن أَمامِهِم

    وكُلُّ الظَّما والجُوعِ أُجليَ نائِيا

    When, with their hands, they had finished what lay before them,

    and all thirst and hunger had been driven far away,

  51. بَدا مَن بِهِم فَاقَ اختِباراً وحِكمَةً

    نَبِيلُهُمُ نَسطُورُ يَخطُبُ بادِيا

    there appeared the one who surpassed them in experience and wisdom:

    their noble Nestor, beginning to speak.

  52. أََأَترِيذُ مَولى الصِّيدِ أَوَّلَ مَن جَرى

    وآخِرَ مَن يَجرِي إِلَيهِ مَقالِيا

    Atreides, lord of the nobles, the first I address

    and the last to whom my words are directed:

  53. تَوَلَّيتَ مِن زَفسٍ عَصا المُلكِ والِياً

    شُعُوباً سَمَت عَدَّا ونِلتَ المَعالِيا

    you received from Zeus the scepter of kingship, ruling

    peoples vast in number, and attained the heights.

  54. لَكَ الرَّأيُ والإصغاءُ والأَمرُ تَنتَقي

    بآرائنا ما شِئتَ تَأتِيهِ راضِيا

    Yours are judgment, attentive listening, and command; you choose

    from our opinions whatever you wish to do willingly.

  55. وتُنفِذُ قَولاً قَالَهُ أَيُّنا إِذا

    مَضى عَن فُؤَادٍ ظَلَّ بالخَيرِ ساعِيا

    You carry out a word spoken by any of us, if

    it proceeds from a heart ever striving for good.

  56. فَرَأيي أَراني لَستَ تُؤتَى نَظِيرَهُ

    وما هُوَ في ذا الحِينِ جالَ بِبالِيا

    As for my counsel, I believe you will receive none to match it,

    nor did it first occur to me at this moment.

  57. أُرَدِّدُهُ مُنذُ استَلَبتَ أَخِيلَنا

    بَريسا عَلى رَغمِ الأَراغِسِ باغِيا

    I have repeated it since you robbed our Achilles

    of Briseis, unjustly and against the Argives' will.

  58. تَوَلاَّكَ كَيدُ النَّفسِ كِبراً فَلَم تُصِخ

    لِحُكمِي وقَولٍ فيهِ جِئتُكَ ناهِيا

    Your soul's deceit possessed you through pride, and you did not listen

    to my judgment and the words with which I came to restrain you.

  59. وَقُمتَ وأَغلَظتَ المَقالَ لِسَيِّدٍ

    سَما شَرفاً حَتَّى بَني الخُلدِ راقِيا

    You rose and spoke harsh words to a lord

    whose honor rose as high as the children of immortality.

  60. ومَهما يَكُن مِن بُعدِ مَنآهُ فَلنَجِد

    سَبِيلاً لنَستصفيهِ يَاتِ مُصَافِيا

    However far away he has withdrawn, let us find

    a way to win his friendship, so that he comes reconciled.

  61. نُلِينُ لَهُ قَولاً بِهِ نَستَلِينُهُ

    ونُتحِفُهُ مِنَّا الصِلاتِ السَّوانِيا

    Let us soften our words to him, and with them soften him,

    and offer him splendid gifts from us.