وفي العراق التركُ ما كذبوا

أن استلذُّوا النصر واستعذبوا

In Iraq the Turks did not lie

When they relished victory and found it sweet

وأوهمو أَتباعهم أنهُ

نصرٌ مبينٌ باهرٌ أَشهبُ

And made their followers believe

It was a clear, dazzling victory

وأنَّ ضنكاً شفَّهم زالَ وال

صعابُ هانت وانجلى يذهبُ

And that hardship which afflicted them was gone

Difficulties subsided and worries disappeared

وأنهم راعوا بريطانيا ال

عُظمى فباتت بأسَهم ترهبُ

And that they had defeated great Britain

So it feared their might

وأَنهم في جيشها أَحدثوا

صدعاً بعيدَ الغورِ لا يُشعبُ

And that they had caused a crevice

In its army, a deep unbridgeable crevice

وأنَّ غربان القضاءِ على

فُلولهم لا بدَّ ما تنعبُ

And that the ravens of fate

Would inevitably descend on its remnants

وأنَّ هذي الحربَ في رأيهم

ليست سوى أُلعوبةٍ تُلعبُ

And that this war in their view

Was but a game being played

بسمع هذي المضحكاتِ وما

أَشبهها آذانهم أَطربُوا

When they heard this laughable nonsense

And the like, their ears rejoiced

والطيش أَعماهمُ فاستبعدوا

ما كان منهم شرهُ يقربُ

Arrogance blinded them, so they dismissed

The harm that was approaching them

سارين في داجي الغرور ولا

يرون ما في جوهم ينشبُ

Proceeding in the darkness of conceit, not seeing

What was brewing in their atmosphere

وفاتهم أَن الهزبر الذي

هاجُوه منه ما لهم مهربُ

They missed that the Huzbir whom

They roused had no escape from him

وأَنه عما قليلٍ عدا

ه ضربةً قاضيةً يضربُ

And that in a little while he would

Strike a decisive, powerful blow

وبينما الاقدار تجري ولا

يدرون ما في لوحها يكتبُ

While fate was taking its course

Unaware of what was being written

فاجأَهم مودُ بجيش لهُ

ايَّان سار النصرُ يستصحبُ

Maude surprised them with an army

Victory marched alongside it

وصاح فيهم صيحة أشبهت

زمجرة الضرغام إذ يغضبُ

And shouted at them with a cry

Like the roar of a dragon when angry

وهبَّ يغزوهم ومن بطشهِ

يشبُّ ناراً حولهم تلهبُ

He rushed to attack them, igniting

Fires around them that burned

جنوب كوتٍ فلهم زاحفاً

وجدَّ في استرجاعها يدأبُ

To the south at Kut marching on them

Determined to recapture it

واحتلها حماتها غالباً

بقوةٍ كالسيل لا تُغلبُ

And occupied its protectors by force

Like an unstoppable flood

ومن نجا منهم شمالاً جرى

ومودُ جارٍ خلفهُ يعقبُ

Those who escaped northwards fled

With Maude pursuing them closely behind

ويحسب الاسرى الوفاً وفي ال

مجموع منهم فوق ما يحسب

He counted prisoners generously

In total more than anticipated

اما الالى قتلى وجرحى هووا

فالحق أنَّ عدهم يصعب

As for the many killed and wounded

Truly numbering them is difficult

وبعد كوتٍ خفَّ مودُ ورا

أعدائهِ إرهاقهم يطلب

After Kut, Maude slowed down

To let his enemies rest

يقود جيشاً ينهب الأرض إِذ

يمشي ويغزو الجوَّ إذ يركب

Leading an army that pillaged the land

Marching on foot, riding the air

وعزمهُ يعزى لصلد الصفا

لكنهُ من قلبها اصلب

His resolve is attributed to his steely determination

But it is from his heart, even steelier

وكرُّه إن صال في ساحة ال

وغى الى اسدِ الشرى يُنسب

When he charged into the fray

He was likened to a lion in ferocity

به اقتفى مود خُطى ساقة ال

أتراكِ وهو سوقهم يقضب

Following in Maude's footsteps were the

Turks, as he herded them

وجدَّ في فتح الحصون على

أبراجها أعلامهُ ينصب

He was determined in conquering citadels

Raising his flags over their towers

حتى اتى بغداد فاحتلَّها

واكرهَ الاتراكَ ان يهربوا

Until he came to Baghdad and captured it

Forcing the Turks to flee

فأطلقوا للريح سيقانهم

وخلفهم ذيل الوحى يسحب

They let loose their reins

Dragging behind them the tail of defeat

وغادروا بغداد وهي من ال

حلى الغوالي نهبةً تنهب

And left Baghdad, which was

Prey for looters to plunder

وليس في أجفانهم دمعةٌ

حزناً على فقدانها تسكب

Without shedding a tear

In sorrow for losing it

وإِن يقولوا غير ما قلتهُ

للغض من قيمتها يكذبوا

And if they say otherwise

To reduce its value, they lie

ففقدها جرعهم شربةً

أمرَّ منها قطُّ لم يشربوا

Losing it made them drink a draught

More bitter than they had ever drunk

وعده أقطابهم نكبةً

بمثلها من قبل لم ينكبوا

Their leaders counted it a calamity

The likes of which they had never suffered