Sol 6.1

  1. فَأُحزِنَ آخِيلُ وقَد ضَاقَ صَدرُهُ

    وَنازَعَهُ في صَدرِهِ عَامِلا فِكرِ

    So Achilles was grieved, his breast already constricted.

    And two impulses of thought contended within his breast:

  2. أَعَن جَنبِهِ يَستَلُّ ماضِيَ عَضبِهِ

    ويأخُذُ في تَشتِيتِهم عائِلَ الصَّبرِ

    Should he draw his keen sword from his side

    And, bereft of patience, set about scattering them,

  3. ويَصرَعُ أَترِيذاً على الفَورِ أَم يَرى

    سَبيلاً لِكَظمِ الغَيظِ في أَهوَنِ الأَمرِ

    And strike Atreides down at once—or find

    A way to curb his anger by the milder course?

  4. وإِذ كانَ في ما يَنتَوي مُتَرَدِّداً

    نَضا سَيفَهُ من غِمدِهِ وَهوَ لا يَدري

    And as he wavered over what he meant to do,

    He drew his sword from its sheath, unaware.

  5. رَاى وإِذا مِن جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ أُهبِطَت

    أَثِينا وجَرَّتهُ بأَشعَارِهِ الشُّقرِ

    He saw—and behold, from the garden of immortality had descended

    Athena, who tugged him by his blond hair,

  6. رَسُولَةُ هِيرا تِلكَ مَن لِكِلَيهما

    تَبِرُّ ولا تَختَارُ بَرّاً على بَرِّ

    The messenger of Hera, who toward them both

    Showed kindness, not favoring one good man over another.

  7. ولم يَرهامن زُمرَةِ الجَمعِ غَيرُهُ

    بَدَت خَلفَهُ والعَينُ حَمراءُ كالجَمرِ

    No one in the assembled company but he saw her.

    She appeared behind him, her eye red as embers.

  8. تَحقَّقَ مُرتاعاً ثُبُوتَ هُبُوطِها

    فبادَرَ يَشكُو شِدَّةَ الأَمرِ والوِزرِ

    Startled, he knew for certain she had descended,

    And hastened to complain of the grievous ordeal and wrongdoing:

  9. أَيا ابنَةَ التُّرس زَفسَ أَجِئتني

    هُنا لَتَرَي كَيدَ ابنِ أَترا وتَستَقري

    “O daughter of shield-bearing Zeus, have you come to me

    Here to see and probe the guile of Atreus’ son?

  10. فَأُنبِىءُ والإِنبَاءُ ظَنّيَ صادِقٌ

    سَيَلقي بما قد غَرَّهُ حَتفَ مُغتَرِّ

    Then I foretell—and my foretelling, I believe, is true—

    Through what has deluded him, he will meet a dupe’s death.”

  11. أَجابَبتهُ زَرقَاءُ اللَّواحِظِ إِنَّما

    أَتَيتُ لأُسرِي الغَيظَ عنكَ عَسى يَسري

    The blue-eyed one answered him: “Only

    To ease your anger have I come, hoping it may subside.

  12. بإِيعازِ هِيرا مُرتَضاةِ كلَيكُمَا

    بُعثِتُ فَخَلِّ الشَّرَّ وادفَع لَظَى الشَّرِّ

    At the bidding of Hera, whom you both esteem,

    I was sent; so shun evil and ward off evil’s blaze.

  13. وفي كَفِّكَ الفَتَّاكَةِ اغمُد حُسامَها

    وقابِل اَغامَمنُونَ ما شِئتَ بالزَّجرِ

    And sheathe the sword your deadly hand holds,

    And confront Agamemnon with rebukes as you please.

  14. وأَصدُقُكض الوَعدَ اليَقينَ فَخُذ بهِ

    فَسَوفَ تَنالُ الجَبرَ مِن بَعدِ ذا الكَسرِ

    And I truthfully give you this sure promise; hold to it:

    For after this breaking, you shall be made whole.

  15. ثَلاثَةَ أضعافِ الّذي سَيَنالُهُ

    سَتُحرزُ يَوماً فانتَصِح وَاستَمِع أَمري

    Three times what he will receive

    You shall one day gain; so heed my counsel and hear my command.”

  16. فقال أراني يا إِلاهَةُ مُحبَراً

    عَلى الطَّوعِ مَهما كان في النَّفسِ مِن قَهرِ

    He said: “I find myself, O goddess, compelled

    To obey, however much my soul is oppressed.

  17. فَذَلشكَ خَيرٌ مَن يُطِع سادَةَ العُلَى

    يُثَب ولَهُ من بعدُ أَجرٌ على أجرِ

    For that is better: whoever obeys the lords on high

    Is rewarded, and thereafter has reward upon reward.”

  18. وأَغمَدض تَعلُو كَفُّهُ فَوقَ قَبضَةٍ

    لُجَينِيَّةٍ نَصلَ الحُسامِ الذي يَفري

    And he sheathed—his hand above a hilt

    Of silver—the blade of the sword that cleaves.

  19. فسارت أثِينا لِلأُلمِبِ لِقَومِها

    بدارَةش رَبِّ التُّرسِ في قُمَّةِ القَصر

    Then Athena went to Olympus, to her people,

    In the abode of the lord of the shield, at the palace’s summit.

  20. وَغَيظُ أَخِيلٍ ظَلَّ غيرَ مُسَكَّنٍ

    ومالَ على أتريذَ بالشَّتمِ والنَّهرِ

    But Achilles’ rage remained unappeased,

    And he turned on Atreides with abuse and rebukes.