Jaafer Ben Alba - On the Battle of Sabla

Sabla, thou saw'st th' exulting foe

In fancied triumphs crown'd; 

Thou heard'st their frantic females throw

These galling taunts around:

"Make now your choice — the terms we give,

Defponding victims, hear; 

These fetters on your hands receive,

Or in your hearts the spear"

"And is the conflict o'er," we cried,

"And lie we at your feet? 

And dare you vauntingly decide

The fortune we must meet?

A brighter day we soon shall see,

Tho' now the prospect lowers,

And conquest, peace and liberty

Shall gild our future hours."

The foe advanc'd: — in firm array

We rush'd o'er Sabla's sands, 

And the red sabre mark'd our way

Amidst their yielding bands.

Then, as they writh'd in death's cold grasp

We cried, "Our choice is made,

These hands the sabre's hilt shall clasp, 

Your hearts shall have the blade."

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Jaafer Ben Alba (9th century) Saudi Arabia

Translated by Joseph Dacre Carlyle

Source: Specimens of Arabian poetry, from the earliest time to the extinction of the Khaliphat, with some account of the authors by Joseph Dacre Carlyle, Cambridge: Lunn, 1796

Note: There is no information available about the author, but I have put Saudi Arabia as his country since this is where the battle he wrote about took place. Similarly I have dated him based on the surce book for his poem, viz. Ḥamāsah, a ten-book anthology of Arabic poetry, compiled in the 9th century by Abu Tammam.