تبجح الاتحاديون وافتخروا

تبجح الاتحاديون وافتخروا

بأنهم غلبوا في كوتَ وانتصروا

بأنهم غلبوا في كوتَ وانتصروا

The Unionists boasted and took pride

The Unionists boasted and took pride

In having prevailed at Kut and triumphed.

That they had won in Kut and were victorious

بثوا البشائر ما بين العشائر وال

بثوا البشائر ما بين العشائر وال

أنباءَ بالبرق في المانيا نشروا

أنباءَ بالبرق في المانيا نشروا

They spread glad tidings among the tribes, and the

They spread the good news among the tribes and clans

News they broadcast by telegraph in Germany:

And telegraphed the news to Germany

وانهم جندلوا عشرين الف فتى

وانهم جندلوا عشرين الف فتى

قتلى وعشرين الفاً غيرها أسروا

قتلى وعشرين الفاً غيرها أسروا

That they had felled twenty thousand young men

That they had captured twenty thousand young men

Slain, and captured another twenty thousand;

Killed, and twenty thousand others taken prisoner

وانهم قذفوا الباقين منهُ الى

وانهم قذفوا الباقين منهُ الى

لج البحار ولم يبقوا ولم يذروا

لج البحار ولم يبقوا ولم يذروا

And that they had hurled the rest of them into

And that they had thrown the rest of them into

The depths of the seas, neither sparing nor leaving anyone;

The depths of the seas, leaving no trace

وانهم طهروا أرض العراق فما

وانهم طهروا أرض العراق فما

باقٍ لعين الألى عاثوا بها أثرُ

باقٍ لعين الألى عاثوا بها أثرُ

And that they had cleansed the land of Iraq, so that no

And that they had cleansed the land of Iraq, so that

Trace remained of the very men who had ravaged it.

No sign remained of the mischief they had wreaked

يمثل هذي الاكاذيب افتروا ولكم

يمثل هذي الاكاذيب افتروا ولكم

من قبلُ حيك على منوالها خبرُ

من قبلُ حيك على منوالها خبرُ

They fabricated such lies—and how many

These lies they fabricated and boasted, yet how many times before

Reports had been woven on that pattern before!

Had similar tales been spun for you

فأسرُ تنزند في كوت الامارة لم

فأسرُ تنزند في كوت الامارة لم

يكن ليجديهم نفعاً لو افتكروا

يكن ليجديهم نفعاً لو افتكروا

For the capture of Townshend at Kut al-Amara would not

That the prisoners in Kut the Emirate did not

Have brought them any benefit, had they reflected.

Benefit, even had they remembered them

نسوا بهِ أو تناسوا ما أصابهمُ

نسوا بهِ أو تناسوا ما أصابهمُ

من نحو تسعين يوماً ليتهم ذكروا

من نحو تسعين يوماً ليتهم ذكروا

Through it they forgot—or feigned forgetting—what had befallen them

They forgot or ignored what had befallen them

Some ninety days earlier; if only they had remembered!

For nearly ninety days, would that they recalled!

والربح في كوت لن يلقوا به عوضاً

والربح في كوت لن يلقوا به عوضاً

لبعض ما في ربى أرمينيا خسروا

لبعض ما في ربى أرمينيا خسروا

The gain at Kut will not bring them compensation

And the gain in Kut brought them no compensation

For even part of what they lost in Armenia's hills.

For some of what in Rebea Armenia they had lost

هناك كرت جيوش الروس توسعهم

هناك كرت جيوش الروس توسعهم

ضرباً تطاير منهث فوقهم شررُ

ضرباً تطاير منهث فوقهم شررُ

There the Russian armies charged, dealing them

There the armies of Russia routed them, striking

Blows from which sparks flew above them.

Blows from which sparks flew over their heads

في معمعان الشتا في اول السنة ال

في معمعان الشتا في اول السنة ال

جديدةِ افتجئوا وانتابهم ذعرُ

جديدةِ افتجئوا وانتابهم ذعرُ

In the thick of winter, at the beginning of the

In Mamaikan in the winter at the start

New year, they were taken unawares, and dread seized them.

Of the new year, they were taken by surprise and terror gripped them

كان الهجوم عليهم بالحقيقة من

كان الهجوم عليهم بالحقيقة من

أشدّ ما عرفوا من قبل واختبروا

أشدّ ما عرفوا من قبل واختبروا

The assault upon them was indeed among

The attack upon them was truly one of

The fiercest they had known or experienced before.

The fiercest they had ever known or experienced

ان الطبيعة كانت في مظاهرها

ان الطبيعة كانت في مظاهرها

نصيرة الروس حتى أنهم ظهروا

نصيرة الروس حتى أنهم ظهروا

Indeed, nature in her manifestations was

Nature itself was supporting the Russians so that they

An ally of the Russians, so that they prevailed.

Prevailed;

تبعقت هي بالسيل الغزير وهم

تبعقت هي بالسيل الغزير وهم

تدفقوا بالكماة الصيد وانهمروا

تدفقوا بالكماة الصيد وانهمروا

She gushed forth with abundant floodwater, while they

She unleashed a torrential flood while they

Surged with proud champions and poured forth in torrents.

Surged like the tide and overwhelmed like a deluge

وبرقها بهر الابصار وامضهُ

وبرقها بهر الابصار وامضهُ

والروس اذ ألهبوا بارودهم بهروا

والروس اذ ألهبوا بارودهم بهروا

And her lightning's flashing gleam dazzled the eyes,

Her lightning dazzled eyes and her thunder

And the Russians dazzled as they ignited their gunpowder.

Pealed as the Russians lit up their gunpowder

ورعدها طبق الآفاق قاصفهُ

ورعدها طبق الآفاق قاصفهُ

والروس كالأسد رجوا الارض اذ زأروا

والروس كالأسد رجوا الارض اذ زأروا

And her thunder's crashing filled the horizons,

Her thunderclaps rocked the horizons while the Russians

And the Russians, like lions, shook the earth as they roared.

Roared over the earth like lions

وقرها هرأ الترك الألى سلموا

وقرها هرأ الترك الألى سلموا

من قاذفات سعيراً بردها سقرُ

من قاذفات سعيراً بردها سقرُ

And her cold laid low the Turks who had escaped

And the hail of her meteors rained hellfire

The flame-hurling guns; her cold was Saqar.

Down on them like Russian shrapnel

وانصبّ مع ثلجها لما همي بردٌ

وانصبّ مع ثلجها لما همي بردٌ

عليهم كرصاص الروس منحدرُ

عليهم كرصاص الروس منحدرُ

And with her snow, as it fell, hail poured down

And along with her snow descended a numbing cold

Upon them, descending like Russian bullets.

Upon them like Russian bullets cascading down

كلاهما عارضٌ طامٍ فكان اذا

كلاهما عارضٌ طامٍ فكان اذا

لم يردهم مطرٌ أودى بهم مطرُ

لم يردهم مطرٌ أودى بهم مطرُ

Both were overflowing storm clouds, so that if

Each was an incessant, overwhelming scourge so that

One rain did not kill them, another destroyed them.

When the rain did not destroy them, the hail finished them off

لم يجدِ من شائك الاسلاك ما غرزوا

لم يجدِ من شائك الاسلاك ما غرزوا

حول الحصون فلم يدفع به خطرُ

حول الحصون فلم يدفع به خطرُ

The barbed wire they had planted proved useless

They found no refuge in the barbed wire fences they had planted

Around the forts; no danger was averted by it.

Around the fortresses, which proved useless

لانها بركام الثلج قد غمرت

لانها بركام الثلج قد غمرت

وشوكها بات لا يخشى له ضررُ

وشوكها بات لا يخشى له ضررُ

For it had been buried beneath heaps of snow,

For the snowdrifts had engulfed them

And no harm from its barbs was any longer feared.

And their thorns no longer posed any threat

والروس ساروا الى تلك الحصون على

والروس ساروا الى تلك الحصون على

كسف الثلوج وبالاسلاك ما شعروا

كسف الثلوج وبالاسلاك ما شعروا

And the Russians advanced toward those forts over

And the Russians advanced on those fortresses over

Banks of snow, unaware of the wire.

The snowdrifts, oblivious to the wire

وكالبزاة تنزوا حولها وسعى

وكالبزاة تنزوا حولها وسعى

حمُاتها أن يصدُّوهم فما قدروا

حمُاتها أن يصدُّوهم فما قدروا

Like falcons they sprang around them, while

And they descended on them like raiders while the garrisons

Their defenders sought to repel them, but could not.

Struggled in vain to repel them

يا طالما حذروا هذا الهجوم واذ

يا طالما حذروا هذا الهجوم واذ

جرى على غرةٍ لم ينفع الحذرُ

جرى على غرةٍ لم ينفع الحذرُ

Oh, how often they had guarded against this assault! Yet when

How often they had been warned of this attack! Yet when

It came by surprise, caution was of no avail.

It came unexpectedly, caution was of no use

ضاعت ارضروم منهم وهي واسطة ال

ضاعت ارضروم منهم وهي واسطة ال

عقد الذي الروس في ارمينيا نثروا

عقد الذي الروس في ارمينيا نثروا

They lost Erzurum, the central jewel of the

They lost Ardahan, which was the knot

Necklace the Russians scattered across Armenia.

That in Armenia the Russians sought to sever

وعند ما حفظها أعياهمُ اعتزموا

وعند ما حفظها أعياهمُ اعتزموا

على الفرارِ بما كانوا بها ادَّخروا

على الفرارِ بما كانوا بها ادَّخروا

And when holding it proved beyond them, they resolved

And when its defense exhausted them, they resolved

To flee with what they had stored there.

To flee with whatever they had hoarded there

ولم يكن ذاك في امكانهم وعلى

ولم يكن ذاك في امكانهم وعلى

إِنقاذ أنفسهم ان امكن اقتصروا

إِنقاذ أنفسهم ان امكن اقتصروا

But that was beyond their power, and to

But that was not within their power, and on

Saving themselves, if possible, they confined their efforts.

Saving themselves, if possible, they could only focus

ففرَّ مَن فرَّ منهم والأُلى عجزوا

ففرَّ مَن فرَّ منهم والأُلى عجزوا

عنه ولم يُصمهم سهمُ الردى أُسروا

عنه ولم يُصمهم سهمُ الردى أُسروا

So those who could fled; and those who were unable

So some of them fled, while those who failed

To flee and had not been slain by death's arrow were captured.

And were not struck down by the arrows of fate were captured

وربما استسهل الاتراك نكبتهم

وربما استسهل الاتراك نكبتهم

لو كان في ارضروم الخطب ينحصرُ

لو كان في ارضروم الخطب ينحصرُ

And the Turks might have found their disaster bearable

Perhaps the Turks would have minimized their setback

Had the calamity been confined to Erzurum.

Had it been confined to just Ardahan

لكنهُ قد تعدى ارضروم الى

لكنهُ قد تعدى ارضروم الى

طرابزون التي عن صونها قصروا

طرابزون التي عن صونها قصروا

But it had spread beyond Erzurum to

But it spread beyond Ardahan to

Trabzon, which they failed to defend.

Trabzon, which they failed to defend

وحالوا حفظ بتليسٍ وَوَانَ فما

وحالوا حفظ بتليسٍ وَوَانَ فما

فازوا وكروا بارزنجان فانكسروا

فازوا وكروا بارزنجان فانكسروا

They tried to hold Bitlis and Van, but

And they attempted to protect Batumi and Van but

Did not succeed; they charged at Erzincan and were routed.

Were defeated, retreating to Erzurum

لكنهم حسبوا استرداد كوتَ من ال

لكنهم حسبوا استرداد كوتَ من ال

غُزاة اعظم نصرٍ ساقه القدرُ

غُزاة اعظم نصرٍ ساقه القدرُ

Yet they deemed the recapture of Kut from the

Yet they considered retaking Kut from the

Invaders the greatest victory fate had brought.

Invaders a greater victory ordained by fate

ربحٌ يسيرٌ حقيرٌ عظَّموه وما

ربحٌ يسيرٌ حقيرٌ عظَّموه وما

من قبله خسروا في جنبهِ احتقروا

من قبله خسروا في جنبهِ احتقروا

A small, paltry gain they magnified; and what

A minor, insignificant gain they exaggerated, while ignoring

They had lost before it, they belittled beside it.

The major losses they had suffered before it

أنساهم فقدَهم ارمينيا وبهِ

أنساهم فقدَهم ارمينيا وبهِ

تبجح الاتحاديونَ وافتخروا

تبجح الاتحاديونَ وافتخروا

It made them forget their loss of Armenia; and over it

Forgetting their loss of Armenia, they

The Unionists boasted and took pride.

Boasted about Kut and took pride