Sol 6.1

  1. ما زالت الطرواد تحت القسطل

    من وجه هكطور المدمر تنجلي

    Still the Trojans, beneath the battle dust,

    were retreating before devastating Hector.

  2. بلغت على صلقاتها أسطولها

    وقتيلها تحت النبال الهمل

    They reached their fleet amid their cries,

    and their slain man lay beneath the streaming arrows.

  3. كشرارةٍ هكطور هب يرومه

    بعجاله ولفيف ذاك الجحفل

    Like a spark Hector sprang up, seeking him,

    with his chariots and the throng of that great host.

  4. أحنى ثلاثاً قابضاً قدميه وه

    و يصيح يا جند الطراود أقبلي

    Three times he bent down, grasping his feet, while he

    shouted, 'Trojan troops, advance!'

  5. وكذا ثلاثاً صده عزم الأيا

    سين المذلل عزم كل مذلل

    And three times the resolve of the two Ajaxes repelled him—

    a resolve subduing the resolve of every subduer.

  6. لكنه ما انفك عن عزماته

    متدرعاً بزماع قرمٍ قيل

    Yet he never relinquished his resolve,

    armored in the determination of a princely champion.

  7. متربصاً طوراً يهد وتارةً

    يلجُ العباب بكرة المستبسل

    Lying in wait, at times he threatened, and at others

    plunged into the surge with a fearless warrior's charge.

  8. لم يبلغا أرباً به لكنه

    من حول ذاك الشلو لم يتحول

    Neither attained his aim over him; yet he

    would not move away from that corpse.

  9. كالليث ضوره الطوى بفريسةٍ

    يخلو ويزري بالرعاة البسل

    Like a lion whom hunger torments, with its prey

    he stands alone, scorning the valiant shepherds.

  10. ولربما بمناه عاد مظفراً

    لو لم تلح إيريس ترمح من عل

    And perhaps he would have returned victorious with his prize,

    had Iris not appeared, racing from on high.

  11. أمت أخيل من الألمب فأقبلت

    كالريح تنذر بالوبال المقبل

    She made for Achilles from Olympus and came

    like the wind, warning of approaching disaster.

  12. هيرا أسارتها فلم يعلم بها

    زفسٌ ولا أربابٌ ذاك المحفل

    Hera had sent her secretly, without the knowledge

    of Zeus or the lords of that assembly.

  13. قالت أخيل وأنت مغوار الوغى

    للود عن فطرقل كر وعجل

    She said, 'Achilles, you are a champion of battle;

    for friendship's sake, charge to defend Patroclus and hasten!

  14. دون السفائن تحت مشتجر القنا

    حوليه كم قرمٍ يخر مجندل

    Before the ships, beneath the tangled spears,

    around him, how many a champion falls struck down!

  15. ما بين حامٍ يستشيط وحائمٍ

    بالشلو إليوناً يروم ويصطلي

    Between a raging defender and a fighter circling

    the corpse, seeking Ilium and braving battle's heat.

  16. وأشدهم هكطور يدفعه المرا

    م لفصل هامته وبت المفصل

    Fiercest of them is Hector, driven by his desire

    to sever his head and cut through the joint,

  17. من ثم تعرض للهوان على القنا

    أفتلبثن عن الكفاح بمعزل

    so it may then be displayed in disgrace upon the spears.

    Will you linger apart from the fighting?

  18. كرن أو فطرقل بين نواهسٍ

    في ساحة الأعداء جثته تلي

    Charge, or Patroclus will be among gnawing beasts

    in the enemy's field, closing upon his corpse.

  19. فإذا بها عبثت فأيةُ حطةٍ

    أبداً تسومك ذلة المتذلل

    And if they ravage it, what degradation

    will forever subject you to an abject man's humiliation!'

  20. فأجاب إيريسٌ ومن أسراك لي قا

    لت حليلة زفس ذي الطول العلي

    He answered, 'Iris, who sent you to me?' She

    said, 'The wife of Zeus, whose power is lofty.

  21. لم يدر بي زفسٌ وسائر من ثوى

    بذرى ألمبٍ بالثلوج مكلل

    Zeus knew nothing of me, nor did all who dwell

    on the heights of snow-crowned Olympus.'

  22. فأجاب آه وكيف اقتحم الوغى

    وأخوض لجتها براحة أعذل

    He answered, 'Ah, how can I plunge into battle

    and wade its depths with an unarmed hand?

  23. ملك العدى عددي وأمي حتمها

    أبقى هنا بتربص المتحمل

    The enemy has my armor, and my mother's command

    is to stay here, waiting with endurance,

  24. حتى أراها أقبلت في شكةٍ

    قد دقها هيفست أعظم صيقل

    until I see her arrive with armor

    hammered out by Hephaestus, the greatest armorer.

  25. أولا فأي فتىً بشكتة أرى

    غرضي خلاف مجن آياس الملي

    Otherwise, what warrior's armor could I find

    to serve my need, apart from mighty Ajax's shield?

  26. وأياس من حول القتيل إخاله

    قد حام يطعن في الخميس الأول

    And Ajax, I think, around the slain man

    is ranging, thrusting his spear in the foremost host.'

  27. قالت علمنا كل ذلك إنما

    إن تبد للطرواد دون المعقل

    She said, 'We know all that; only,

    if you appear to the Trojans before the stronghold,

  28. ذعروا وصحبك يا نسون بجهدهم

    فعلى البروكز لدى سراهم عول

    they will panic, and your comrades take heart in their striving.

    So resolve to appear before their chiefs.

  29. ضاقت منافسهم وفي دار الوحى

    هيهات تؤمل راحةٌ لمؤمل

    Their breathing room is narrow; in the realm of clamor,

    far beyond hope is rest for one who hopes!'

  30. طارت فهب فألبسته مجنها

    فالاس في هدابه المسترسل

    She flew off; he rose, and her aegis was laid upon him

    by Pallas, with its trailing fringe.

  31. وعلى محياه غماة عسجٍ

    ألقت يفيض لها لهيب المشعل

    And upon his face a cloud of gold

    she cast, from which a torch's flame streamed.

  32. فكأنما بلدٌ بقلب جزيرةٍ

    حصرت علامنه الدخان المعتلي

    As though a town in the heart of an island

    was besieged, its signal the rising smoke:

  33. خرجت بنوه إلى مبارزة العدى

    وقضوا نهارهم بقرع الأنصل

    its sons went out to meet the enemy in combat

    and spent their day clashing sword blades,

  34. حتى إذا برحت براح تألقت

    نيرانهم من تحت ليل أليل

    until, when the sun departed, there blazed

    their fires beneath a pitch-dark night,

  35. أملاً بجيرتهم ترى فتمدهم

    بعمارة تجلي العدو المبتلي

    hoping their neighbors would see and reinforce them

    with a fleet driving off the harrying enemy.

  36. وكذا أخيل لهيب هامته سما

    حتى الرقيع لمقلة المتأمل

    So too the flame above Achilles' head rose

    as far as the sky, before the beholder's eye.

  37. فوق الحفير أقام لا يطأ الوغى

    إذ عن مقالة أمه لم يغفل

    He stood above the trench, not entering battle,

    for he did not forget his mother's words.

  38. بالقوم صاح وصت فالاسٍ علا

    فتقلقل الأعداء أي تقلقل

    He shouted to the host, and Pallas's voice rose high;

    the enemies trembled with a mighty trembling.

  39. كالصور خلف السور ينفخه العدى

    تحت الحصار تبينوا الصوت الجلي

    Like a trumpet blown by foes behind the wall

    amid a siege, they heard the clear sound.

  40. صدعوا وأعراف الجياد تطايرت

    جزعاً وفرت خيلهم بتجفل

    They were stricken, and the horses' manes flew up

    in terror, and their horses fled in panic.

  41. بعجالها انقلبت تفر بساقةٍ

    ذعرت لذياك اللهيب المتجلي

    They wheeled and fled with their chariots and drivers,

    terrified by that shining flame.

  42. من حولي هامته أثينا أججت

    ذاك السعير يروع عين المجتلي

    Around his head Athena had kindled

    that blaze, terrifying the beholder's eye.

  43. فوق الحفير علا ثلاثاً صوته

    وكذا ثلاثاً أجفلوا بتبلبل

    Three times his voice rose above the trench,

    and three times they scattered in confusion.

  44. فخلا بفطرقل الأغاريق وانثنوا

    نائين عن مرمى الرماح الذبل

    So the Greeks were alone with Patroclus and withdrew,

    far from the range of the slender spears.

  45. وضعوه فوق سريره وتقاطرت

    خلانه تبكي لهول المقتل

    They laid him on his bier, and there streamed in

    his companions, weeping at the horror of his death.

  46. وافاهم أخيل منتحباً على

    إلفٍ به لعبت حدود المنصل

    Achilles joined them, sobbing over

    a dear friend with whom the sword's edges had toyed.

  47. هو ساقه للحرب فوق جياده

    لكنه واويحه لم يقفل

    He himself had sent him to war upon his horses,

    but, alas for him, he did not return.

  48. فهناك هيرا أنفذت شمس العلى

    فتخللت بطن العباب لتختلي

    Then Hera sent away the sun of the heights,

    and it slipped into the belly of the surging sea to be alone.