لِمwhy ياO ابنَson of فِيتِيُسٍPeteus ونَيتَyou have faltered وأَنتَand you ياO
لِم يا ابنَ فِيتِيُسٍ ونَيتَ وأَنتَ يا
قَلبَheart of الدَّهاءِcunning أَراكَI see you لاnot تَتَقَدَّمُyou advance
قَلبَ الدَّهاءِ أَراكَ لا تَتَقَدَّمُ
Why, son of Peteus, have you faltered? And you, O
Why, son of Laertes, did you hesitate
heart of cunning, I see you do not advance.
Though you are brave and bold at heart?
فَلِمَso why التَّخَلُّفُhanging back رِعدَةًtrembling لِسِواكُماfor others besides you two
فَلِمَ التَّخَلُّفُ رِعدَةً لِسِواكُما
والقَومُand the men خِرصانَthe spearheads of العَوامِلِthe spears قَوَّمُواthey leveled
والقَومُ خِرصانَ العَوامِلِ قَوَّمُوا
Why hang back? Trembling is for others, not you two,
Why lag behind out of fear for your life
while the men have leveled the points of their spears.
While men of mettle have stepped forward?
قدindeed كُنتُI was آمُلُhoping فيin الصُّدُورِthe front ranks أَراكُماI see you both
قد كُنتُ آمُلُ في الصُّدُورِ أَراكُما
بِسُراكُماon your march, both of you وأَراكُمُand I see you all أَعجَزتُمُyou have failed
بِسُراكُما وأَراكُمُ أَعجَزتُمُ
I had hoped to see you both in the front ranks
In spirit I hoped to find you both
on your march, yet I see you have fallen short.
Marching onward with your ranks
أَفَلَمthen did ... not? تَكُوناyou two be والوَلائِمُand the feasts أولِمَتwere laid
أَفَلَم تَكُونا والوَلائِمُ أولِمَت
لِلصِّيدfor the noble lords أَوَّلَthe first مَنthose who يُعَزُّare esteemed ويُكرَمُand are honored
لِلصِّيد أَوَّلَ مَن يُعَزُّ ويُكرَمُ
Were you two not, when feasts were laid
But instead I see you have failed
for the noble lords, the first to be esteemed and honored?
To be first when honor is bestowed
فَهُنَاكso there تَرتَمِيَانِyou both fling yourselves باللَّحمِupon the meat الشَّوِroasted (word continues)
فَهُنَاك تَرتَمِيَانِ باللَّحمِ الشَّوِ
يّcompletion of 'roasted' وَضافِياتِand brimming portions of الكَأَسِthe cup حينَwhen تُقَدَّمُthey are served
يّ وَضافِياتِ الكَأَسِ حينَ تُقَدَّمُ
There you both fall upon the roasted meat
For there you’d feast on tender meat
and brimming cups, whenever they are served;
And wine poured freely in your cups
وهُناand here يَسُرُّكُماit pleases you both بأَنَّthat كَتائباًbattalions
وهُنا يَسُرُّكُما بأَنَّ كَتائباً
عَشراًten أَمامَكُماbefore you both تَكُرُّcharge وتَهجُمُand attack
عَشراً أَمامَكُما تَكُرُّ وتَهجُمُ
yet here it pleases you both that battalions,
While here it pleases you that legions
ten of them, charge and attack ahead of you.
Ten strong cower and withdraw before you
فَعلامَso why عنfrom قَرعِthe clash of القَناthe spears أُقعِدُماyou two were held back (irregular spelling)
فَعلامَ عن قَرعِ القَنا أُقعِدُما
ومَواقفُand the positions of الأَعداءِthe enemies ضَرَّجَهاit drenched them الدَّمُthe blood
ومَواقفُ الأَعداءِ ضَرَّجَها الدَّمُ
Why, then, are you two held back from the clash of spears,
Why do I hold back both of you
while blood has drenched the enemy's positions?
While the blood of foes stains the plains?
فأَجابَso he answered أُوذِسُOdysseus مُغضَباًangrily أَفلاdo ... not? تَرىyou see
فأَجابَ أُوذِسُ مُغضَباً أَفلا تَرى
رَجماًmere conjecture عليَّagainst me حَكَمتضyou judged (apparent typo) بالإٍِبطاءِof slowness
رَجماً عليَّ حَكَمتض بالإٍِبطاءِ
Then Odysseus answered angrily: Do you not see
Angrily Odysseus replied: Do you not see
that you have judged me slow on mere conjecture?
They judge me dilatory and timid?
فلَسوفَso you will تنظُرُyou see إِنif وَدَتَyou wish (apparent typo) قِتالَناour fighting
فلَسوفَ تنظُرُ إِن وَدَتَ قِتالَنا
بِطلاَئعِin the vanguards of العُظَماءِthe great والنُبَلاءِand the noble
بِطلاَئعِ العُظَماءِ والنُبَلاءِ
You will see, if you wish, us fighting
But if our battle is fate’s decree
in the vanguard of the great and noble.
You will see me with the nobles and braves
وَترَىand you see أَباthe father of تَلِماخَTelemachus فيin صَدرِthe front ranks of العِدىthe enemies
وَترَى أَبا تَلِماخَ في صَدرِ العِدى
وهُناand here أَراكَI see you خَبَطتَyou have blundered بالخُيَلاءِthrough arrogance
وهُنا أَراكَ خَبَطتَ بالخُيَلاءِ
And you will see Telemachus's father in the enemy's front ranks;
And there you will find me in the enemy's midst
yet here I see you have blundered through arrogance.
While here I see you posing proudly
فَأَجابَهُso he answered him مُتَبَسِماًّsmiling مُذsince خالَهُhe thought him
فَأَجابَهُ مُتَبَسِماًّ مُذ خالَهُ
قدalready غِيظَwas angered بالحُسنىwith kindness والإستِرضاءٍِand appeasement
قد غِيظَ بالحُسنى والإستِرضاءٍِ
Then he answered him smiling—for he thought him
With a smile, rebuking his rage, he said:
angered—with kindness and words of appeasement:
Gently, my son, I do not condemn you
مَهلاًeasy now أَياO ابنَson of لَيِرتَLaertes لَستُI am not مُنَدِّداًreproaching
مَهلاً أَيا ابنَ لَيِرتَ لَستُ مُنَدِّداً
فَلَقَدfor indeed بَلَوتُكَI have tested you حِكمَةًwisdom تَستَعصِمُyou hold fast to
فَلَقَد بَلَوتُكَ حِكمَةً تَستَعصِمُ
Easy now, son of Laertes! I am not reproaching you;
For I have tested your wisdom and found you wise
for I know by trial the wisdom you hold fast to.
And our ambitions and duties are equal
وقَدِand indeed استَوَيناwe are alike بُغيَةًin purpose وَشَعَائِراًand in principles
وقَدِ استَوَينا بُغيَةً وَشَعَائِراً
جُلَّىmost lofty فَدُونَكَso here is for you ذُروَةًa summit تَتَسَنَّمُyou ascend
جُلَّى فَدُونَكَ ذُروَةً تَتَسَنَّمُ
We are alike in purpose and in principles
Let whatever harsh words I uttered
most lofty; here is a summit for you to scale.
Blow away, fading into nothingness
وتَعَدَّand pass over عَمَّاfrom what اشتَدَّgrew severe مِنof عَتَبيmy reproach عَسىmay it
وتَعَدَّ عَمَّا اشتَدَّ مِن عَتَبي عَسى
بالرِّيحِwith the wind يَذهَبُit goes away بائِداًperishing يَتَخَرَّمُit is destroyed
بالرِّيحِ يَذهَبُ بائِداً يَتَخَرَّمُ
And overlook the harshness of my rebuke; may it
And if my speech was too severe
vanish upon the wind, perishing and fading away.
I will make amends and apologize
ولَئِنand if indeed تَسُؤكَit displeases you مِنَin المَقالِspeech صَلابةٌharshness
ولَئِن تَسُؤكَ مِنَ المَقالِ صَلابةٌ
فَلَسَوفَthen I will أَرتُقُI stitch up ماwhat فَتَقتُI tore open وأَلَئِمُand I mend
فَلَسَوفَ أَرتُقُ ما فَتَقتُ وأَلَئِمُ
And if harshness in my speech displeases you,
Then he briskly strode away
I shall stitch up what I have torn, and mend it.
To Zeus, majestic and sublime
واستَأنَفَand he resumed السَّيرَthe journey السَّرِيعَswift مُطَوِّفاًmaking his rounds
واستَأنَفَ السَّيرَ السَّرِيعَ مُطَوِّفاً
لذِيُومذٍto Diomedes ذيpossessor of العِزَّةِdignity الأَبَّاءِunbowed
لذِيُومذٍ ذي العِزَّةِ الأَبَّاءِ
Then he resumed his swift progress, making his rounds
And found him erect, alone
to Diomedes, proud and unbowed.
Aloof from the field of strife
أَلفاهُhe found him مُنتَصِباًstanding upright بِظَهرِat the rear of عِجَالِهِhis chariot wheels
أَلفاهُ مُنتَصِباً بِظَهرِ عِجَالِهِ
فيin عُزلَةٍseclusion عنfrom مَوقفِthe place of الإِبلاءِproving valor
في عُزلَةٍ عن مَوقفِ الإِبلاءِ
He found him standing at the rear of his chariot,
Near him was a glowering Ares
apart from the place where valor was put to the test.
Scowling at his retreat and withdrawal
وبِقُربهِand near him إِستِينِلٌSthenelus فَلَحَاهُماso he reproached them both
وبِقُربهِ إِستِينِلٌ فَلَحَاهُما
لَوماًin blame لِذاfor this الإِجحامِshrinking back والإِغضاءِand averting the eyes
لَوماً لِذا الإِجحامِ والإِغضاءِ
And Sthenelus was nearby; he reproached them both
for this shrinking back and averting of their eyes.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.