1. أَيُّ جَهلٍ مُشِيرَ لِيقِيَةٍ أَغ

    رَاكَ حَتَّى استَهدَفتَ أَيُّ جُنُونِ

    What ignorance, counsellor of Lycia, lured

    You into making yourself a target—what madness!

  2. أَنتَ والكرُّ فيهِ مُذ كُنتَ غُرًّا

    قَد تَوَرَّطتَ وَرطَةَ المَغبُونِ

    You, charging into it since you were a novice,

    Have landed yourself in a dupe's predicament.

  3. مانَ مَن قالَ أَنتَ مِن نَسلِ زَفسٍ

    أَينَ أَبناءُ زَفَسَ مِن سَرفِدُونِ

    Whoever said you descend from Zeus lied.

    How far apart are Zeus's sons and Sarpedon!

  4. بِهِرَقلٍ أَبي كَفاكَ مِثالاً

    قلبُ لَيثٍ وَهَولُ كُلِّ القُرُونِ

    Heracles, my father, is example enough for you:

    A lion's heart, and the terror of every age.

  5. قَبلُ أُنبِئتَ كَيفَ جاءَ قَدِيماً

    طامِعاً في جيادِ لَومِيدُونِ

    You were told before how he came long ago,

    Eager for the steeds of Laomedon,

  6. بِسَفينٍ سِتٍ وَنَزرٍ قَلِيلٍ

    أَمطَرَ الوَيلَ في حِما إِليُونِ

    With six ships and a scant few,

    He rained woe upon Ilion's domain.

  7. أَينَ شَتَّانَ أَنتَ وَالحَتفُ أَفنى

    مِنكَ قَوماً وَأَنتَ بادِي الشُّجُونِ

    How far you stand from him! And death has destroyed

    Your people, while your grief is plain.

  8. لَيسَ في رِفدِكَ الطَّرَاوِدِ جَدوَى

    وَلَئِن صُلتَ فالرَّدى بِيَميني

    Your aid to the Trojans is of no avail,

    And even if you charge, death lies in my right hand.

  9. قالَ سَرفِيدُونٌ ومَيَّزَهُ الغَي

    ظُ نَعم بالحَديثِ قَد أَنبأُ وني

    Sarpedon said, marked by rage:

    Yes, they have told me the tale.

  10. فهرَقلٌ قَد دَكَّ إِليُونَ لا بَل

    دَكَّها حُمقٌ لَومِدُونَ الرَّعُونِ

    So Heracles razed Ilion—no, rather,

    The folly of reckless Laomedon razed it.

  11. لِهِرَقلٍ ما بَرَّ بالوَعدِ لكِن

    مَنَعَ الخَيلَ عَنهُ مَنعَ الضَّنِينِ

    He did not keep his promise to Heracles, but

    Withheld the horses from him as a miser would.

  12. وَرَماهُ وَكانَ قَبلُ دَعاهُ

    مِن بَعِيدٍ بِسَهمِ شَتمٍ مُهِينِ

    And shot at him—though he had earlier summoned him

    From afar—with an arrow of degrading abuse.

  13. إِنَّما أَنتَ وَالسِّنانُ بِكَفِّي

    سَوفَ تُصمَى بِرَأسِ نَصلِي السِّنينِ

    But you, with the spearhead in my hand,

    Shall be struck dead by the tip of my keen blade.

  14. وَلِرَبِّ الجَحيمِ نفسُكَ تُزجي

    وَلي الفخرُ بِالمَنارِ المَصُونِ

    And your soul shall be sent to the lord of the underworld,

    And mine the glory, with its beacon inviolate.