And dived 'neath the ship's counter, lashing fast
Her rudder with strong ropes well twisted round,
So stopped the way of the great ship; while some
Caught hold of her stern cables and swarmed up,
Boarding the vessel. Manfully the Turks
Met their assault, and as they climbed aboard
Cut them to pieces......This man's head lopped off,
The hands of that one, and another's arms......
Casting their bleeding bodies in the sea;
Which our men seeing, glowing with quick rage,
They gained fresh heart from longing for revenge,
So rushed across the bulwarks of the ship,
And in a body charged with ardour fierce
Against the Turks, who, though perforce pushed back,
Made yet a hard and obstinate defence.
King Richard now had hurled himself on board
And fought his way amidships........'Gainst the mast
He dressed his back, and with his mighty axe
Struck down the Saracens. Some luckless ones
He clove unto the chine through helm and head,
Some through the girdle e'en to the ship's edge,
And some he caught fair on the neck that so
Both heads and helms flew off into the sea...........
As knife through wax doth slip so through their mail
His heavy axe carved deep.......The Turks, appalled,
Cried out he was a devil fresh from Hell..........
Urged by despair the infidels grew bold,
Striving with savage fury 'gainst our men,
Cutting off hands and arms and heads.......But we
After a fearful struggle drave the Turks
Back step by step, so forced them to the prow.
The bowels of their ship then disgorged men
Upon us in a swarm, their fierce minds set
To drive us back or die........These were those youths,
The chosen soldiers of the Saracens,
Armed cap-à-pie and hardened unto war.
Long we upheld the fight, and on both sides
Many brave warriors fell, but in the end
The Turks pressed boldly on us, drave us back,
Though we fought stoutly.........By St. George we did......
And forced us from the ship........So overboard,
Heels up, we leapt, or slid down her steep sides
Into our galleys.......Then once more we tried,
Surrounding that curst dromond on all sides,
To find an easier way to tackle her.
Last was our King and loath to leave the ship,
Yet saw he well the danger of his men.
He saw too if the ship uninjured still
Remained defiant, 'twere no easy task
To seize her crew and cargo, gear and arms.......
Cried he, "Pass ye the word! Each galley charge!
Ram we the dromond with our iron beaks...........
Spurs in and charge!" ..........Whereat we knights all laughed,
Knowing right well a ship's spur is her beak.........
Then drew our galleys back, but suddenly
E'en as the trumpets sounded, with a shout
Dashed all together , borne by our swift oars
Against the dromond's sides to pierce them.........Then,
Instantly broken, she began to sink,
Taking in water through her shattered ribs........
She had put out her oars..........A double bank,
Manned by poor Christian slaves, who naked rowed
Beneath the lash of the curst infidels........
Now were the oars entangled.........Backwards thrown,
Tossed in confused and mangled shrieking heaps
The wretched rowers..........None of them were saved,
For they were chained to benches.......May their souls
Rest safe in Paradise, for surely they
Won then the Martyr's Crown by flood or fire........
For all the vessel now from bow to stern
Was blazing, since the decks were well aflame
With burning oil, through spilling of Greek fire,
And she was sinking quickly by the head.......
Which the Turks seeing they leapt off in shoals
Into the sea to die, aided thereto
With right good will by our loud cheering men.......
For some we drowned and others swiftly slew,
Smashing their heads in .........But King Richard bade,
Shouting above the tumult, to spare some;
So from the waves we dragged out prisoners,
Of whome we chose some five and thirty men,
Namely, the Amirals, (6) and such of those
Who owned that they were skilled in making gyns, (7)
The rest we soon despatched........But by ill luck
The ship had foundered, and no loot was saved.
We lost the food and gear and the good arms,
Besides those hapless ones, the Christian slaves;
The serpents too were scattered soon and sank
Beneath the waves......But, on my knightly troth,
Had that fine ship come safely to her port
In Akka harbour, sure we Christians ne'er
Had ta'en the city; but by God's good care
She served instead to harm the infidels,
And bring on them a merited disgrace.
Whereas we soldiers of the Cross rejoiced
To think we had such leader as our King,
Who was thus prospered by the Heavenly Powers.

The Saracens, who from the distant cliffs
Near Akka watched, saw their most treasured ship
Destroyed and sunk. O sorrowfully then
Went they to Saladin and brought that news;
Who, when he heard it, in his maddened wrath
And his fierce fury seized his beard and tore
The hair therefrom in handfuls.........So 'tis said.....
Though I have heard from an old Saracen,
Who was my prisoner once......an honest man,
And for an infidel, of proven worth........
That Saladin but bowed his head and said, (8)
"It is the will of Allah........my brave men.......
Are martyrs who have perished for the Faith".......
Yet later groaning he was heard to sigh
"Allah! Have I lost Akka?........And my ship?
My dear and chosen soldiers? I had hoped
Great things of them.........Their skill, their prowess such......
Now is my head abased unto the dust,
And I am overwhelmed by my sharp loss."
When they who saw it told the direful news
Unto the army of the Saracens,
What long loud wailings were there! Bitter cries
And lamentations for their woe......Men shore
Their locks in mourning, rent their clothes,
And cursed that hour and the fate of the stars
That e'er brought them in Syria........In this ship
They lost their best and noblest......Their picked band
In whom they trusted..........But thereat we joyed,
As we drew near the port of our desire.

Akka! I'll ne'er forget thee........It was there
I told this tale to pleasure our fair Queen.........
Ah! What a sight across the azure bay
As we passed Candalion, (9) then sailed by
Casella Ymbric, when at last our eyes
Saw Akka shine like marble in the sun.
The peak of Carmel we saw loom afar.
Where the great green-flanked mountain reared its head,
And, far beyond, the coast-line sweeping curved
Till in the white cape of Nakura merged.
First the tall watch-towwer came in view that soars
High to the clouds; 'tis Maladetta called,
Or the Accursed Tower, and right well named
Because the silver coins were minted there.....
The thirty pieces unto Judas given
When he betrayed his Lord, the King of Heaven......
And now we sailed abreast the long sea-wall,
Flanked by tall massive towers, that belts the town,
As it juts out, low-lying.........Like an isle,
Rather than mainland, Akka doth appear,
Hemmed in by sea as ring encircles jewel.
Behind its frowning walls, white terraces,
Green cupolas, and domes pink, white, and blue,
With slender minarets and quaint peaked roofs
Hove into view......Tall palms and cypresses,
Red-blossomed tamarisks, slim almond trees,
Acacias, olives, oleanders, shrubs,
Whose name I know not, with flame-coloured flowers,

Notes:
6. Amiral (Admiral) from Arabic Amir-al [báhr] = commander of the sea. [Back]