1. فوَعى ذِيُومِيذُ المَلامَةَ صَامِتاً

    رَعياً لِحُرمَةِ سَيِّدِ الرُّؤَساءِ

    So Diomedes took in the rebuke in silence,

    Out of regard for the dignity of the lord of chiefs.

  2. لَكِنَّما إِستِينِلٌ لم يَرعَها

    وأَجابَ مُبتَدِراً بِلا استِحياءِ

    But Sthenelus showed no such regard,

    And answered at once, without shame:

  3. هَلاَّ صَدَقتَ بِما نَطَقتَ وإِنَّنا

    قَومٌ أَشَدُّ قُوىً مِنَ الآباءِ

    Why did you not speak truthfully in what you said? For we

    Are a people greater in strength than our fathers.

  4. ولَقَد وَثقنا بالمَقاماتِ العُلى

    ومَنالُ زَفسٍ صادِقُ الأَنبَاءِ

    And indeed we trusted in the lofty stations,

    And in the bounty of Zeus, whose tidings are true.

  5. آباؤُنا هَلَكُوا بِسُوءِ سِرِيرَةٍ

    اَقصِر فَما الآباءُ كالأبناء

    Our fathers perished through wickedness of heart.

    Desist, for the fathers are not like the sons.

  6. حَنِقاً ذِيُومِيذٌ أَتاهُ مُعَنِّفًا

    إِجلس حَلِيفَ الصَّمتِ والإِصغاء

    Angrily Diomedes came to him, rebuking him:

    Sit, allied with silence and attentive listening.

  7. ما كُنتُ ذا جَهلٍ لأَحنَقَ إِن مَضى

    أَترِيذُ يُنهِضُ هِمَّةَ العُمَداءِ

    I am not so foolish as to rage if he goes on—

    Atreides—rousing the chieftains’ resolve.

  8. إن نَالَنا النَّصرُ العَظِيمُ فَمَجدُهُ

    هُوَ فائِقُ الأَوصافِ والأسماءِ

    If mighty victory comes to us, then his glory

    Surpasses all descriptions and names.

  9. وإِذا ذَلَلنا بانكِسارِ جُنُودِنا

    فَعَلَيهِ أَعظَمُ لَزبةٍ دَهماءِ

    And if we are humbled by our troops’ defeat,

    Then upon him falls the gravest of dark calamities.

  10. فَلنَعتَصمِ بالبَأسِ وَلنُقدِم إِذا

    مُجَنَّبينَ غَوَايَةَ الأَهواءِ

    So let us hold fast to valor and advance, then,

    Kept clear of the seduction of passions.

  11. ثُمَّ انبَرَى مِن فَوقِ مَركَبَةٍ لَهُ

    لِلأَرضِ بالإِقدامِ والغُلَواءِ

    Then he sprang from atop his chariot

    To the ground, with daring and impetuous ardor.

  12. فَعَلا لِصَلصَلَةِ السِّلاحِ بِصَدرِهِ

    صَوتٌ يُهَيِّجُ حَوبَةَ الحَوباءِ

    And from the clanging of the armor on his chest rose

    A sound that stirred the anguish of the soul.