The Illiad is the story of some 50 odd days in the last year of the war, focussing around the conflict between the warrior Achilleus and his king & general Agamemnon.
The prooimion of the Illiad (quoted by cmacq) actually has a subtly different meanings on a few counts:
"Godess, sing/tell (me) of [aeide] the accursed [oulomenhn] resentment [mhnin] of Achilleus son of Peleus, which [h] posed [eqhken] many [muri] toils [alge'] for the Achaioi [Axaioij]."
As for good translations: you can give Perseus a try.
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