أَسفاً خَلِيفَةَ تيذِيُوسَ أَراكَ مِن

أَسفاً خَلِيفَةَ تيذِيُوسَ أَراكَ مِن

دُونِ الفَوارِسِ جازعاً تَتَلَملَمُ

دُونِ الفَوارِسِ جازعاً تَتَلَملَمُ

Alas, heir of Tydeus, I see you

Alas Khalifa Tidius I see you without

behind the horsemen, fearful and shrinking back.

The knights frustrated you mumble

هلاَّ اقتَفَيتَ أَباكَ في عَزمٍ بهِ

هلاَّ اقتَفَيتَ أَباكَ في عَزمٍ بهِ

قد كانَ قَبلَ أُولي العَزَائِمِ يَعزِمُ

قد كانَ قَبلَ أُولي العَزَائِمِ يَعزِمُ

Why not follow your father in the resolve with which

Why didn't you follow your father’s determination

he would decide before other men of resolve?

He was before the determiners determine

لَم أَلقَهُ لَكِن رَوَيتُ لِمَن رأَى

لَم أَلقَهُ لَكِن رَوَيتُ لِمَن رأَى

عَنهُ فِعالاً بالفَخارِ تُعَظَّمُ

عَنهُ فِعالاً بالفَخارِ تُعَظَّمُ

I never met him, but I have recounted to one who saw him

I did not meet him but I told those who saw

deeds of his exalted in glory.

About his great deeds so highly spoken of

ولَقَد أَتى مِيكينِيا وفُلينِكٌ

ولَقَد أَتى مِيكينِيا وفُلينِكٌ

ذُو البَأسِ ضَيفاً للجَحافِلِ يَنظِمُ

ذُو البَأسِ ضَيفاً للجَحافِلِ يَنظِمُ

And indeed he came to Mycenae with Polynices,

Mikinis and Philinkus came

the mighty, as a guest, to marshal the hosts

The mighty guest organizing the regiments

لِحصارِ ثِيبَةَ يَجمَعُ الأَجنادَ في

لِحصارِ ثِيبَةَ يَجمَعُ الأَجنادَ في

حُلَفائهِ والجَيشُ ثَمَّ عَرَمرَمُ

حُلَفائهِ والجَيشُ ثَمَّ عَرَمرَمُ

for the siege of Thebes, gathering soldiers among

To besiege Thebes gathering armies

his allies; the army there was vast.

With his allies and the troops then roared

رَغِبا بنَجدَتِهِم فَما بَخِلُوا بها

رَغِبا بنَجدَتِهِم فَما بَخِلُوا بها

لَكِنَّ زَفسَ على الخِلافِ مُصَمِّمُ

لَكِنَّ زَفسَ على الخِلافِ مُصَمِّمُ

The two sought their aid, and they did not withhold it;

Eager for their support so they did not stint

but Zeus was determined to oppose them.

But Zafis insisting on the conflict remained steadfast

فأَراهُمُ لِلشُؤمِ منهُ إِشارَةً

فأَراهُمُ لِلشُؤمِ منهُ إِشارَةً

وَلوى العَزِيمةَ عَن مَرامٍ أَبرَموا

وَلوى العَزِيمةَ عَن مَرامٍ أَبرَموا

So he showed them a sign of ill omen from himself,

So I see in it omens of misfortune

and turned their resolve away from an aim they had firmly settled.

And the firm resolution turned from the goal they agreed

نَكَصا ولَمَّا بُلِغّا آسُوفِساً

نَكَصا ولَمَّا بُلِغّا آسُوفِساً

والخَيزُرانُ بِضَفَتَّيَهِ مُخَيِّمُ

والخَيزُرانُ بِضَفَتَّيَهِ مُخَيِّمُ

The two turned back; and when they reached Asopus,

Retreating and when they reached Asufis

and bamboo stood encamped along both its banks,

And the Khayzurans on both banks camped

فَبدا لَدى الإِغرِيقِ أَمرُ مُهِمّةٍ

فَبدا لَدى الإِغرِيقِ أَمرُ مُهِمّةٍ

فَبِتِيذِيُس خَيراً رَأوا وتَوَسَّمُوا

فَبِتِيذِيُس خَيراً رَأوا وتَوَسَّمُوا

the matter of a mission then arose among the Greeks,

So there appeared before the Greeks an important matter

so they saw and discerned good in Tydeus.

And they saw Tidius as the best option and hoped

بَعَثُوهُ سارَ فَجاءَ أَبنا قَدمُسٍ

بَعَثُوهُ سارَ فَجاءَ أَبنا قَدمُسٍ

في صَرحِ إِتيُكلٍ ومُدَّ المَطعَمُ

في صَرحِ إِتيُكلٍ ومُدَّ المَطعَمُ

They sent him; he went and came to the sons of Cadmus

They sent him, he went and came to the sons of Kadmus

in Eteocles' palace, where the feast was laid out.

In the citadel of Attica and the food was extended

ماراعَهُ أَن كانَ مُنفَرِداً لَدى

ماراعَهُ أَن كانَ مُنفَرِداً لَدى

قَومِ العِدى وبَدا بِبأسٍ يُفحِمُ

قَومِ العِدى وبَدا بِبأسٍ يُفحِمُ

It did not daunt him that he was alone among

It scared him that he was alone with

the enemy's people, and he showed a might that silenced them.

The enemy people yet he showed formidable prowess

باراهُمُ واحتازُ أَعظَمَ نُصرَةٍ

باراهُمُ واحتازُ أَعظَمَ نُصرَةٍ

ولَهُ بآثِينا النَّصِيرُ الأَعظَمُ

ولَهُ بآثِينا النَّصِيرُ الأَعظَمُ

He competed with them and won the greatest victory,

They saw him gain the greatest victory

and in Athena he had his greatest champion.

And Athens was his greatest ally

فَتَحَدَّمُوا غَيظاً عَلَيهِ وأَكمَنُوا

فَتَحَدَّمُوا غَيظاً عَلَيهِ وأَكمَنُوا

خَمسينَ أَخمَسَ بالحَدِيدِ استَلأموا

خَمسينَ أَخمَسَ بالحَدِيدِ استَلأموا

Then they burned with rage against him and set in ambush

So they snarled angrily at him and ambushed

fifty lionlike warriors, clad in iron armor.

Fifty armed to the teeth

وبِرَأسِهِم ذُو العَزمِ لِيفوفُنطسٌ

وبِرَأسِهِم ذُو العَزمِ لِيفوفُنطسٌ

ومِيُونُ ذُو الطَّولِ الشَّدِيدِ الأَيهَمُ

ومِيُونُ ذُو الطَّولِ الشَّدِيدِ الأَيهَمُ

And at their head was resolute Lycophontes,

Led by Lufuntis the determined

and Maeon, a man of might, strong and dauntless.

And Mion very tall and grim

أَفناهُمُ عَن بَكرَةِ الأَبآءِ لا

أَفناهُمُ عَن بَكرَةِ الأَبآءِ لا

ناجٍ نَجا الأَمِيُونٌ مِنهُم

ناجٍ نَجا الأَمِيُونٌ مِنهُم

He wiped them out to the last man; no

He finished them off early in the morning no

survivor escaped among them except Maeon.

Survivor survived except the helpless among them

أَبقاهُ إِذعاناً لأَربابِ العُلى

أَبقاهُ إِذعاناً لأَربابِ العُلى

فلذَاكَ تِيذِيُسٌ وهَذا الإِبنُمُ

فلذَاكَ تِيذِيُسٌ وهَذا الإِبنُمُ

He spared him in obedience to the lords on high.

He spared him in obedience to the lords on high

That, then, was Tydeus, and this is his son:

That’s why Tidius and this son

ما كانَ مِثلَ أَبِيهِ إِبَّانَ الوَغى

ما كانَ مِثلَ أَبِيهِ إِبَّانَ الوَغى

وأَبُوهُ لَم يَكُ مَثلَهُ يَتَعَظَّمُ

وأَبُوهُ لَم يَكُ مَثلَهُ يَتَعَظَّمُ

He was not like his father in the hour of battle,

He was not like his father during turmoil

and his father did not, like him, vaunt himself.

And his father was never like him ever grand