دارت رحى الحرب في الدنيا على عجل

تجرع الناس صاب اليتم والثكلِ

The millstone of war turned swiftly in the world.

People drank the bitter sap of orphanhood and the loss of children.

لم يخل في الارض منها موضع فُبلي

بشرها الغرب حتى الشرق غير خلي

No place on earth was free of it; afflicted

by its evil was the West; even the East was not free:

أضحى ومن هولها أهلوهُ في شُغلُ

وفي العراق لظاها شبَّ والتهبا

it became so, and its people were absorbed in its terror.

In Iraq its blaze caught fire and flared,

وسام من في العراق الويل والحربا

وكان أنور في إيقادها السببا

inflicting woe and devastation on those in Iraq.

Enver was the cause of its kindling,

لانهِ ظلّ عن نهج الهدى وأبى

الا ركوب الهوى والغيّ والخطل

for he remained away from the path of guidance and refused

anything but pursuing desire, error, and folly.

لم يجدِ نصحٌ ولا عدٌ أفاد ولم

يخف وعيداً ولم يحفل برعي ذمَم

No counsel availed, no promise helped, nor did he

fear a threat or care to honor covenants.

والحرب في جانب الالمان كان عزم

فزجّ دولته في نارها وفَصَم

War on the Germans' side was his resolve;

so he thrust his state into its fire and severed

عُرى مودتها مع أعظم الدول

على بريطانيا العظمى الكنود عدا

its bonds of friendship with the greatest of nations.

The ingrate attacked Great Britain,

وفضلها وهو بادٍ كالضُّحى جحدا

وظل ينزع حتى اغضب الاسدا

and denied her beneficence, though clear as morning light.

He kept striving until he angered the lion;

فهاج والجو من تزآره ارتعدا

ومادت الارض وارتجت من الوجل

it raged, and the air trembled at its roaring,

and the earth swayed and shook with dread.

وجيش سلطانة البحر العراقَ نحا

والبصرة احتلها والقرنة افتتحا

The army of the queen of the sea made for Iraq;

it occupied Basra and captured Qurna,

وملتقى الرافدين اجتاز مكتسحا

امامه ساقة الاتراك فانفسحا

and crossed the confluence of the two rivers, sweeping away

the Turks' rear guard before it; thus the way opened

لهُ التقدم فوق السهل والجبل

على الفرات توالى زحفه صُعُدا

for its advance across plain and mountain.

Along the Euphrates its advance continued upstream;

والناصرية منها نال ما قصدا

وفوق دجلة للتدويخ مد يدا

and from Nasiriyah it obtained what it sought.

Upon the Tigris it stretched a hand to subdue;

وفي عمارةَ تنزند ابتدا فغدا

من ذلك الحين يكنى عنه بالبطل

at Amara Townshend began, and became,

from that time onward, known as the hero.

عليه نكسن أملى كُرَّ مقتحما

وازحف شمالاً وغامر واغزُ مغتنما

Nixon commanded him: 'Charge, storming forward,

and march north, take risks, and attack, seizing your chance.'

أجاب ل فلقد قالوا لنا قِدما

ليس المخاطر محموداً ولو سلما

He answered, 'No—for they told us long ago:

a risk-taker earns no praise, even if he comes through safe.

فهل أخالف هذا القول بالعمل

فقال نكسن خالفهُ ودع حذرا

Should I then contradict this saying with my deeds?'

Nixon said, 'Contradict it, and set aside a fear

يثنيك إيجاسهُ عن نيلك الوطرا

واعمل بموجب قولٍ صدقه ظهرا

whose apprehension keeps you from attaining your desire.

Act upon a saying whose truth has proved plain:

لن يبلغ المجد من لم يركب الخطرا

فاعزم وأقدم تفز واهجم وصل تنلِ

none will reach glory who does not brave danger.

Resolve and advance—you will win; attack and charge—you will gain.'

أطاع تنزند أمراً فاه قائدهُ

بهِ وأقدم تحدوه مقاصدهُ

Townshend obeyed an order his commander gave

voice to, and advanced, his aims driving him on.

وراض دجلة حتى ذلَّ ماردهُ

واشتدّ في الفتح والتدويخ ساعدهُ

He tamed the Tigris until its demon was humbled;

and his arm grew strong in conquest and subjugation.

وبات في ما أتاهُ مضرب المثل

بعد الثنيات لم تبطئ وقد وهنت

Through what he had done, he became a proverbial example.

After al-Thaniyyat, weakened, it was not long

كوتُ الأمارة أن دانت له وعنت

كلتاهما أكسبتهُ شهرة علنت

before Kut al-Amara submitted to him and bowed.

Both won him fame that spread abroad,

وأصبحت وبذكرى فتحه اقترنت

ملءَ المسامعِ والافواه والمقل

and, joined to the memory of his conquest, it became

what filled ears, mouths, and eyes.

وجيشهُ كان قد أكرى ولم يزدِ

وسعيهُ في تلافي النقص لم يفدِ

His army had dwindled and had not grown;

and his efforts to make good the shortfall were fruitless.

رآهُ اذ ذاكَ محتاجاً الى المددِ

وغير مستكملٍ ما شاءَ من عددِ

He saw it then in need of reinforcements,

and lacking the numbers he desired,

وليس في وسُعِه اصلاح ذا الخلل

لكنهُ مع هذا كلِه نشطا

and it was beyond his power to repair this flaw.

Yet, despite all this, he rallied

الى مواصلةِ التدويخ ما قنطا

على مدائن كسرى كالقضا هبطا

to continue the conquest, never despairing.

Upon the cities of Kisra he descended like fate,

وأحتلها مالكاً أرباضها وسطا

وأستاق أجنادها كالأينق الذلل

and occupied them, mastering their outskirts, and struck hard;

and drove their troops like docile she-camels.

وفي مدائن كسرى وهو قد عزما

على التقدم للزوراءِ مقتحما

In the cities of Kisra, when he had resolved

to advance upon al-Zawra, storming forward,

اذا على الفوز نور الدين قد هجما

عليهِ فاضطر أن يرتد ملتزما

suddenly Nur al-Din, seeking victory, attacked

him, forcing him to retreat and adopt

نهج الدفاع وأخذ الخصم بالحيل

لكن عسكر نور الدين ما رفقا

a defensive course and catch his foe by stratagems.

But Nur al-Din's army showed no gentleness

في زحفهِ بل جرى في سيره عنقا

وواصل الكرّ والاقدام واستبقا

in its advance; rather, it moved at a brisk gait,

and kept charging and advancing, racing ahead

الى الهجوم على تنزند مندفقا

على جوانبهِ كالعارض الهطل

to attack Townshend, surging

against his flanks like a cloud pouring rain.

وكان تنزند يدري حال عسكرهِ

وغير خافٍ عليهِ سرُّ مخبرهِ

Townshend knew his army's condition,

and the secret of its inward state was not hidden from him.

فلم يجد ثمَّ بداً من تقهقرهِ

فارتد وهو يحامي عن مؤخرهِ

So he found no alternative there but to retreat,

and fell back, protecting his rear,

مدافعاً غير هيابٍ ولا وكِلِ

كوتُ الامارةِ فيها أضطرَّ أن يقفا

defending, neither timid nor weak.

In Kut al-Amara he was forced to halt,

اذ خلفهُ كان نور الدين قد زحفا

من الجنوب عليهِ التف منعطفا

for behind him Nur al-Din had advanced;

from the south, wheeling round, he closed upon him.

وكوتُ شدَّ عليها الحصر مكتنفا

من كلّ ناحية بالبيض والأَسل

He tightened the siege around Kut, surrounding it

on every side with bright swords and spears.

وجيش تنزند فيها بات منعزلا

وَشقُّهُ لنطاق الحصر ما سهلا

Townshend's army remained isolated there,

and breaking through the siege's ring was not easy.

وكان منتظراً غوثاً فما وصلا

وسعيُ أعوانهِ في نجدهِ حصلا

It awaited relief, but none arrived;

his supporters did strive to rescue him,

لكنهُ خاب لم ينتج سوى الفشل

واذ رأى السعي في امدادهِ ذهبا

but their effort failed, yielding nothing but failure.

When he saw the effort to reinforce him go

سدىً وأن معين الزاد قد نضبا

عنا وسلَّم مضطراً كما طلبا

in vain, and the spring of provisions had run dry,

he yielded and surrendered under compulsion, as requested

خليل باشا وأخلى كوتَ وانقلبا

مع جيشهِ يحتويهم سور معتقل

by Khalil Pasha; he evacuated Kut and departed

with his army, a prison wall enclosing them.