وفي العراق التركُ ما كذبوا

وفي العراق التركُ ما كذبوا

أن استلذُّوا النصر واستعذبوا

أن استلذُّوا النصر واستعذبوا

In Iraq, the Turks lost no time

In Iraq the Turks did not lie

in relishing victory and savoring its sweetness.

When they relished victory and found it sweet

وأوهمو أَتباعهم أنهُ

وأوهمو أَتباعهم أنهُ

نصرٌ مبينٌ باهرٌ أَشهبُ

نصرٌ مبينٌ باهرٌ أَشهبُ

And they deluded their followers into believing it was

And made their followers believe

a clear victory, dazzling and gleaming white;

It was a clear, dazzling victory

وأنَّ ضنكاً شفَّهم زالَ وال

وأنَّ ضنكاً شفَّهم زالَ وال

صعابُ هانت وانجلى يذهبُ

صعابُ هانت وانجلى يذهبُ

and that the hardship that had wasted them was gone, and

And that hardship which afflicted them was gone

hardships had eased, and distress had cleared and was fading;

Difficulties subsided and worries disappeared

وأنهم راعوا بريطانيا ال

وأنهم راعوا بريطانيا ال

عُظمى فباتت بأسَهم ترهبُ

عُظمى فباتت بأسَهم ترهبُ

and that they had terrified Great Britain,

And that they had defeated great Britain

so she now dreaded their might;

So it feared their might

وأَنهم في جيشها أَحدثوا

وأَنهم في جيشها أَحدثوا

صدعاً بعيدَ الغورِ لا يُشعبُ

صدعاً بعيدَ الغورِ لا يُشعبُ

and that in her army they had caused

And that they had caused a crevice

a deep-reaching fissure that could not be mended;

In its army, a deep unbridgeable crevice

وأنَّ غربان القضاءِ على

وأنَّ غربان القضاءِ على

فُلولهم لا بدَّ ما تنعبُ

فُلولهم لا بدَّ ما تنعبُ

and that the ravens of doom above

And that the ravens of fate

their shattered ranks would inevitably caw;

Would inevitably descend on its remnants

وأنَّ هذي الحربَ في رأيهم

وأنَّ هذي الحربَ في رأيهم

ليست سوى أُلعوبةٍ تُلعبُ

ليست سوى أُلعوبةٍ تُلعبُ

and that this war, in their view,

And that this war in their view

was nothing but a game to be played.

Was but a game being played

بسمع هذي المضحكاتِ وما

بسمع هذي المضحكاتِ وما

أَشبهها آذانهم أَطربُوا

أَشبهها آذانهم أَطربُوا

By hearing these absurdities, and whatever

When they heard this laughable nonsense

resembled them, they delighted their ears.

And the like, their ears rejoiced

والطيش أَعماهمُ فاستبعدوا

والطيش أَعماهمُ فاستبعدوا

ما كان منهم شرهُ يقربُ

ما كان منهم شرهُ يقربُ

Recklessness blinded them, so they deemed far off

Arrogance blinded them, so they dismissed

the evil that was drawing close to them,

The harm that was approaching them

سارين في داجي الغرور ولا

سارين في داجي الغرور ولا

يرون ما في جوهم ينشبُ

يرون ما في جوهم ينشبُ

journeying by night through the darkness of delusion, not

Proceeding in the darkness of conceit, not seeing

seeing what was brewing in their sky.

What was brewing in their atmosphere

وفاتهم أَن الهزبر الذي

وفاتهم أَن الهزبر الذي

هاجُوه منه ما لهم مهربُ

هاجُوه منه ما لهم مهربُ

And it escaped them that the lion whom

They missed that the Huzbir whom

they had roused was one they could not escape,

They roused had no escape from him

وأَنه عما قليلٍ عدا

وأَنه عما قليلٍ عدا

ه ضربةً قاضيةً يضربُ

ه ضربةً قاضيةً يضربُ

and that, before long, his enemies

And that in a little while he would

would receive a decisive blow from him.

Strike a decisive, powerful blow

وبينما الاقدار تجري ولا

وبينما الاقدار تجري ولا

يدرون ما في لوحها يكتبُ

يدرون ما في لوحها يكتبُ

And while fate ran its course and they did not

While fate was taking its course

know what was being written on its tablet,

Unaware of what was being written

فاجأَهم مودُ بجيش لهُ

فاجأَهم مودُ بجيش لهُ

ايَّان سار النصرُ يستصحبُ

ايَّان سار النصرُ يستصحبُ

Maude surprised them with an army of his

Maude surprised them with an army

that took victory along whenever it marched.

Victory marched alongside it

وصاح فيهم صيحة أشبهت

وصاح فيهم صيحة أشبهت

زمجرة الضرغام إذ يغضبُ

زمجرة الضرغام إذ يغضبُ

And he shouted at them with a cry resembling

And shouted at them with a cry

the growl of a lion when enraged;

Like the roar of a dragon when angry

وهبَّ يغزوهم ومن بطشهِ

وهبَّ يغزوهم ومن بطشهِ

يشبُّ ناراً حولهم تلهبُ

يشبُّ ناراً حولهم تلهبُ

and sprang to attack them, and with his fierce assault

He rushed to attack them, igniting

kindled a fire blazing around them.

Fires around them that burned

جنوب كوتٍ فلهم زاحفاً

جنوب كوتٍ فلهم زاحفاً

وجدَّ في استرجاعها يدأبُ

وجدَّ في استرجاعها يدأبُ

South of Kut he routed them as he advanced,

To the south at Kut marching on them

and strove to retake it, laboring unceasingly.

Determined to recapture it

واحتلها حماتها غالباً

واحتلها حماتها غالباً

بقوةٍ كالسيل لا تُغلبُ

بقوةٍ كالسيل لا تُغلبُ

And he occupied it, overcoming its defenders

And occupied its protectors by force

with a force like a flood, invincible.

Like an unstoppable flood

ومن نجا منهم شمالاً جرى

ومن نجا منهم شمالاً جرى

ومودُ جارٍ خلفهُ يعقبُ

ومودُ جارٍ خلفهُ يعقبُ

And whoever of them escaped ran north,

Those who escaped northwards fled

and Maude raced behind him in pursuit.

With Maude pursuing them closely behind

ويحسب الاسرى الوفاً وفي ال

ويحسب الاسرى الوفاً وفي ال

مجموع منهم فوق ما يحسب

مجموع منهم فوق ما يحسب

He counts the prisoners by thousands, and in the

He counted prisoners generously

total, they exceed what is reckoned.

In total more than anticipated

اما الالى قتلى وجرحى هووا

اما الالى قتلى وجرحى هووا

فالحق أنَّ عدهم يصعب

فالحق أنَّ عدهم يصعب

As for those who fell, dead and wounded,

As for the many killed and wounded

the truth is that counting them is difficult.

Truly numbering them is difficult

وبعد كوتٍ خفَّ مودُ ورا

وبعد كوتٍ خفَّ مودُ ورا

أعدائهِ إرهاقهم يطلب

أعدائهِ إرهاقهم يطلب

And after Kut, Maude sped after

After Kut, Maude slowed down

his enemies, seeking to wear them down.

To let his enemies rest

يقود جيشاً ينهب الأرض إِذ

يقود جيشاً ينهب الأرض إِذ

يمشي ويغزو الجوَّ إذ يركب

يمشي ويغزو الجوَّ إذ يركب

He leads an army that devours the ground when

Leading an army that pillaged the land

it marches, and invades the air when it rides.

Marching on foot, riding the air

وعزمهُ يعزى لصلد الصفا

وعزمهُ يعزى لصلد الصفا

لكنهُ من قلبها اصلب

لكنهُ من قلبها اصلب

His resolve is likened to solid rock,

His resolve is attributed to his steely determination

yet it is harder than the rock's very heart.

But it is from his heart, even steelier

وكرُّه إن صال في ساحة ال

وكرُّه إن صال في ساحة ال

وغى الى اسدِ الشرى يُنسب

وغى الى اسدِ الشرى يُنسب

His charge, when he attacks on the field of

When he charged into the fray

battle, is likened to the lion of al-Shara.

He was likened to a lion in ferocity

به اقتفى مود خُطى ساقة ال

به اقتفى مود خُطى ساقة ال

أتراكِ وهو سوقهم يقضب

أتراكِ وهو سوقهم يقضب

With it, Maude followed the footsteps of the rearguard of the

Following in Maude's footsteps were the

Turks, while he hacked through their shins.

Turks, as he herded them

وجدَّ في فتح الحصون على

وجدَّ في فتح الحصون على

أبراجها أعلامهُ ينصب

أبراجها أعلامهُ ينصب

And he strove to conquer the fortresses, upon

He was determined in conquering citadels

whose towers he planted his banners,

Raising his flags over their towers

حتى اتى بغداد فاحتلَّها

حتى اتى بغداد فاحتلَّها

واكرهَ الاتراكَ ان يهربوا

واكرهَ الاتراكَ ان يهربوا

until he reached Baghdad and occupied it,

Until he came to Baghdad and captured it

and forced the Turks to flee.

Forcing the Turks to flee

فأطلقوا للريح سيقانهم

فأطلقوا للريح سيقانهم

وخلفهم ذيل الوحى يسحب

وخلفهم ذيل الوحى يسحب

So they loosed their legs to the wind,

They let loose their reins

and behind them trailed the tail of haste.

Dragging behind them the tail of defeat

وغادروا بغداد وهي من ال

وغادروا بغداد وهي من ال

حلى الغوالي نهبةً تنهب

حلى الغوالي نهبةً تنهب

And they left Baghdad, one of the

And left Baghdad, which was

precious jewels, as spoil to be plundered.

Prey for looters to plunder

وليس في أجفانهم دمعةٌ

وليس في أجفانهم دمعةٌ

حزناً على فقدانها تسكب

حزناً على فقدانها تسكب

And there was not a tear in their eyelids

Without shedding a tear

to be shed in sorrow for its loss.

In sorrow for losing it

وإِن يقولوا غير ما قلتهُ

وإِن يقولوا غير ما قلتهُ

للغض من قيمتها يكذبوا

للغض من قيمتها يكذبوا

And if they say anything other than what I have said,

And if they say otherwise

to belittle its worth, they lie.

To reduce its value, they lie

ففقدها جرعهم شربةً

ففقدها جرعهم شربةً

أمرَّ منها قطُّ لم يشربوا

أمرَّ منها قطُّ لم يشربوا

For its loss made them swallow a draught

Losing it made them drink a draught

more bitter than any they had ever drunk.

More bitter than they had ever drunk

وعده أقطابهم نكبةً

وعده أقطابهم نكبةً

بمثلها من قبل لم ينكبوا

بمثلها من قبل لم ينكبوا

And their leaders deemed it a calamity,

Their leaders counted it a calamity

the like of which had never before befallen them.

The likes of which they had never suffered