1. قَينَةُ الآنَ أَنشِدِيني وَقُولي

    مَن سَما في تِلكَ السُّرى والخُيُولِ

    Songstress, sing to me now, and tell me

    who excelled among those noble men and horses.

  2. أَجوَدُ الخَيلِ عِندَهُم تِلكَ احجا

    رٌ لَدى ابنِ ابنِ فِيرسٍ أَفِميلِ

    Their finest horses were those mares

    belonging to Eumelus, grandson of Pheres.

  3. قد تَساوَت قَدًّا وسِنًّا ولَوناً

    وجَرَت كالطُّيُورِ فوقَالطُّلُولِ

    They were equal in stature, age, and color,

    and ran like birds over the ruins.

  4. في رُبى فِيرِيا أُفُلُّونُ رَبَّا

    ها لِنَشرِ الهَولِ الرَّهيبِ الوَبيلِ

    On the hills of Pieria Apollo reared

    them to spread dreadful, grievous terror.

  5. وأَشدُّ الأَبطال بأساً أَياسُ ب

    نُ تِلامونَ بعدَ بأسِ أَخيلِ

    The mightiest of heroes was Ajax,

    Telamon's son, next after Achilles in valor.

  6. فَابنُ فِيلا قد فاقَهُ بكَثيرٍ

    ومِنَ الخَيلِ حازَ كُلَّ أَصيلِ

    For the son of Peleus surpassed him greatly,

    and possessed every noble-bred horse.

  7. ظَلَّ ما بَينَ فُلكِهِ فاكِراً في

    كَيدِ أَترِيذَ لارتِواءِ العَليلِ

    He remained among his ships, brooding

    on Atreides' guile, to slake the ailing man's thirst.

  8. وذَوُوهُ الكُراتِ يَرمُونَ والمِز

    راقَ والنَّبلَ فوقَ جُرفٍ طَوِيلِ

    His men threw balls and javelins,

    and shot arrows on a long embankment,

  9. بِعجالٍ قد ستِّرَت في خِيامٍ

    وخُيُولٍ في الحندَقُوقِ الجَزِيلِ

    with chariots already covered in tents,

    and horses amid abundant sweet clover.

  10. ورُؤُوسُ الأَجنادِ تاهُوا شَتَاتاً

    غَيرَ مُلفِينَ للوَغى من سَبِيلِ

    And the troop leaders wandered, scattered,

    finding no way to battle.

  11. كَفُّ مَولاهُمُ وزَحفَ سِواهُ

    أَثقَلاهُم بكُلِّ حُزنٍ ثَقيلِ

    Their lord's inaction and the advance of others

    weighed them down with heavy grief.

  12. وكأَنَّ السُّهُولَ طارَت شِراراً

    بمَسيرِ الإِغريقِ فَوقَ السُّهُولِ

    And it was as though the plains flew up in sparks

    as the Greeks marched across the plains.

  13. رَجَّتِ الأَرضُ تَحتَ وَقعِ خُطاهُم

    رَجَّ آرِيمَ يومَ هَول مَهُولِ

    The earth shook beneath the tread of their feet,

    as Arima shook on a day of dreadful terror,

  14. عِندَ ما زَفسُ بالصَّواعِقِ يَرمي

    غاضِباً قَبرَ تِيفُسَ المَقتُولِ

    when Zeus hurled thunderbolts

    in fury at the tomb of slain Typhoeus.

  15. قومُ طروادَةِ شُيُوخٌ وفِتيا

    نٌ بِشُوراهُمُ بِبَحثِ جَليلِ

    The people of Troy, elders and young men,

    in their council, engaged in weighty discussion,

  16. تَحتَ أَبوابِ قَصرِ فِريامَ قامُوا

    وإِذا بَغتةً بأدهى رَسُولِ

    stood beneath the gates of Priam's palace.

    And suddenly a most cunning messenger

  17. من لَدَى زَفسَ بالبَلاغِ أَتَتهُم

    نَفسُ إِيرِيسَ كالنَّسِيم العَجُولِ

    came to them from Zeus with a message:

    Iris herself, like a hurrying breeze.

  18. وابنُ فِريامَ فُولِتٌ حارِساً كا

    نَ على قَبرِ أَيسِتيسَ النَّبِيلِ

    Priam's son Polites was keeping watch

    upon the tomb of noble Aesyetes.

  19. رامَهُ الشَّعبُ راصِداً ثمَّ يَرعَى

    قَومَ أَرغُوسَ خارِجَ الأُسطولِ

    The people wanted him as a lookout; he then watched

    the men of Argos outside the fleet,

  20. لِيُوَافي مُخَبِّراً إِن رأَى أَم

    راً خَطِيراً بِعَدوِهِ المَكفُولِ

    to return with news if he saw anything

    serious involving the enemy he was charged to watch.

  21. شابَهَتَهُ صوتاً وَشكلاً وقالت

    لأَبيهِ بأَصدَقِ التَّمثِيلِ

    She matched his voice and form, and spoke

    to his father, imitating him most faithfully:

  22. أَيُّها الشَّيخُ والحُرُوبُ شِدَادٌ

    كَمُصافٍ تَلهُو بِقالٍ وقِيل

    "Old man, while wars rage fiercely,

    you amuse yourself with idle talk, as though at peace!

  23. كم وَلَجتُ الهَيجاءَ لكنَّما أَع

    داؤُنا اليومَ ما لَهُم من مَثيلِ

    Many a time I have entered battle, but

    our enemies today have no equal.

  24. هَجَمَوُا كالرِّمال أو وَرَقِ الأَش

    جارِ هَكطُورُ هاكَ فاسمَع مَقُولي

    They charged like sand, or the leaves

    of trees. Hector, take heed and hear my words:

  25. فَسَرايا الأَحلافِ عِندَكُمُ مُخ

    تِلَفَاتٌ بأَلسُنٍ وعُقُولِ

    For the allied companies among you

    differ in tongues and minds.

  26. فَليُكَتِّب ذَوِيه كلُّ نَزِيلٍ

    ولك الأَمرُ فَوقَ كُلِّ نزِيلِ

    So let each guest muster his own men,

    and yours is command over every guest."

  27. فعلى الفَورِ فَضَّ هَكطُورُ جَمعاً

    ولِذا الصَّوتِ لم يَكُن بجهولِ

    At once Hector dismissed the assembly,

    and he was no stranger to that voice.

  28. هَرَعَ الجُندُ للسِلاحِ جَميعاً

    وجَميعُ الأَبوابِ تَحتَ القُفُولِ

    All the troops rushed to arms;

    and all the gates were under lock.

  29. فَتَحُوها ساعِينَ بينَ عِجالٍ

    ورِجالٍ بينَ القَنا والنُّصُولِ

    They opened them, hurrying among chariots

    and men, amid spears and blades.

  30. زَعَقَاتٌ من دُونِهُنَّ صَدِيدٌ

    بِعَجِيجٍ وهَيعَةٍ وصَهِيلِ

    Shouts rose, with a din beneath them,

    with roaring, cries of alarm, and neighing.

  31. وترَامَوا بِذلِكَ السَّهلِ حتى

    قُنَّةٍ شُرِّفَت بِمَجَدٍ أَثِيلِ

    And they streamed across that plain as far as

    a hilltop honored with ancient glory.

  32. قد دَعاها الأَربابُ قَبرَ مِرِينٍ

    والمَلا باتِيا لِجَهلِ الأُصُولِ

    The gods had called it Myrine's tomb,

    and people Batieia, not knowing its origins.

  33. ثَمَّ هَكطُورُ قامَ يَنظِمُهُم بَي

    نَ أَصيلٍ بِقَومهِ ودَخِيلِ

    There Hector stood and marshaled them,

    both natives of his people and men from abroad.

  34. وعلى رأسهِ تَؤُجُّ سَناءً

    خُوذَةٌ وَهوَ صاحبُ التَّبجِيل

    And upon his head there blazed in splendor

    a helmet; he was held in reverence.

  35. آلُ طُروَادَةٍ لَدَيهِ أَقامُوا

    لِضَرامِ الوَغى بصَبرٍ مَعُولِ

    Troy's people took their stand beside him,

    to face war's blaze with steadfast endurance.

  36. وَهُمُ أَوفَرُ القَبَائِلِ عَدّاً

    واقتِداراً أَشَدُّ كُلِّ قَبيلِ

    And they were the most numerous of the tribes,

    and, in might, the strongest of them all.