Gesta Francorum: Liber VII

[xviii] Reuersi sunt nostri agente Deo triumphantes, et gaudentes de triumpho quem in die illo habuerunt deuictis inimicis, qui sunt per omnia superati semper, fugientes huc et illuc; uagantes et errantes, alii in Corrozanam, alii ueroa in Saracenorum introierunt terram. Videntes autem nostri maiores quod male tractarent et constringerent nos inimici nostri qui erant in ciuitate, die ac nocte uigilantes et insidiantes qua parte nos ledere possent, congregati in unum dixerunt: "Priusquam perdamus gentem nostram, faciamus castrum ad machumariam quae est ante urbis portam, ubi pons est, ibique forsitan poterimus nostros constringere inimicos." Consenserunt omnes, et laudauerunt quod bonum esset ad faciendum. Comes de Sancto Egidio primus dixit: "Estote mihi in adiutorium ad faciendum castrum, et ego muniam ac seruabo." Respondit Boamundus: "Si uos uultis et alii, ibo uobiscum ad portum Sancti Simeonis diligenter conducere illos qui illic sunt homines, ut peragant hoc opus; alii qui sunt remansuri muniant se undique ad defendendum."

[18] Our men returned, God bringing it about, triumphing and rejoicing over the triumph which on that day they had, the enemies having been vanquished—who are in all things always overcome—fleeing hither and thither, wandering and straying, some into Corrozanam, but others indeed entered into the land of the Saracens. But when our elders saw that our enemies who were in the city treated us badly and hemmed us in, watching day and night and lying in wait to see in what way they could injure us, gathered together into one they said: "Before we lose our people, let us make a castle at the machumaria which is before the city’s gate, where the bridge is, and there perhaps we shall be able to constrain our enemies." All consented, and approved that it was good to do. The Count of Saint-Gilles spoke first: "Be to me for aid in making the castle, and I will fortify and keep it." Bohemond replied: "If you and the others wish, I will go with you to the port of Saint Simeon to conduct with diligence those men who are there, so that they may accomplish this work; the others who are to remain should fortify themselves on all sides for defense."

Comes igitur et Boamundus perrexerunt ad Sancti Simeonis portum. Nos uero, qui remansimus, congregati in unum, castrum incipiebamus, dum Turei preparauerunt se ilico, et exierunt extra ciuitatem obuiam nobis ad prelium. Sic itaque irruerunt super nos, et miserunt nostros in fugam, occideruntque plures ex nostris, unde tristes ualde fuimus.

Therefore the Count and Bohemond proceeded to the port of Saint Simeon. But we, who remained, gathered into one, were beginning the castle, while the Turks prepared themselves immediately, and went out beyond the city to meet us for battle. Thus accordingly they rushed upon us, and put our men to flight, and they killed many of ours, wherefore we were very sorrowful.

Crastina autem die uidentes Turci quod majores nostri deessent et quod preterita die iuissent ad portum, preparauerunt se, et ierunt obuiam illis uenientibus e portu. Tunc uidentes comitem et Boamundum uenientes et conducentes illam gentem, mox coeperunt stridere et garrire ac clamare uehementissimo clamore, circumcingendo undique nostros, iaculando, sagittando, uulnerando, et crudeliter detruncando. Nam tam acriter inuaserunt nostros ut illi inirent fugam per proximam montaneam, et ubi uia eundi patebat.

On the next day, however, seeing that our leaders were lacking and that on the previous day they had gone to the port, the Turks prepared themselves and went to meet those coming from the port. Then, seeing the count and Bohemond coming and conducting that people, they straightway began to shriek and gabble and to cry out with a most vehement shout, encircling our men on every side, hurling javelins, shooting arrows, wounding, and cruelly detruncating. For they assaulted our men so sharply that they entered flight through the nearest mountainous region, and wherever a way of going lay open.

Qui potuit celeri se gressu expedire euasit uiuus, qui uero fugere nequiuit mortem suscepit. Fueruntque in illa die martyrizati ex nostris militibus seu peditibus plus quam mille, qui ut credimus in caelum ascenderunt, et candidati stolam martyrii receperunt.

Whoever was able to extricate himself with swift step escaped alive, but he who was unable to flee received death. And on that day more than a thousand of our soldiers or footsoldiers were martyred, who, as we believe, ascended into heaven, and, arrayed in white, received the robe of martyrdom.

Itaque Boamundus uiam quam tenuerant non tenuit, sed celerius cum paucis militibus ad nos uenit, qui eramus in unum congregati. Tunc nos accensi occisione nostrorum, Christi nomine inuocato et Sancti Sepulchri confidentes itinere, iuncti simul peruenimus contra eos ad bellum, eosque inuasimus uno corde et animo. Stabant uero inimici Dei et nostri undique iam stupefacti et uehementer perterriti, putantes nostros se deuincere et occidere, sicut fecerant gentem comitis et Boamundi.

And so Boamund did not hold the road which they had held, but more swiftly came with a few soldiers to us, who were gathered together into one. Then we, inflamed by the slaughter of our own, with the name of Christ invoked and confident in the journey to the Holy Sepulchre, joined together came against them to battle, and we assailed them with one heart and mind. But the enemies of God and of us stood on every side already stupefied and greatly terrified, thinking that our men would vanquish and kill them, just as they had done the company of the count and of Boamund.

Sed Deus omnipotens hoc illis non permisit. Milites igitur ueri Dei undique signo crucis amati irruerunt acriter super illos et fortiter inuaserunt. Illi autem celeriter fugerunt, per medium angusti pontis, ad illorum introitum.

But Almighty God did not permit this to them. Therefore the soldiers of the true God, armed with the sign of the Cross, from every side rushed fiercely upon them and bravely assaulted them. But they quickly fled, through the middle of the narrow bridge, to their entrance.

Illi qui uiui nequiuerunt transire pontem pre nimia multitudine gentium et caballorum, ibi receperunt sempiternum interitum cum diabolo et angelis eius. Nos itaque illos superauimus, impellentes in flumen et deicientes. Vnda uero rapidi fluminis undique uidebatur fluere rubea Turcorum sanguine.

Those who, alive, were unable to cross the bridge because of the excessive multitude of nations and cavalry-horses, there received sempiternal destruction with the devil and his angels. We therefore overpowered them, impelling them into the river and casting them down. And the wave of the swift river seemed on every side to flow red with the blood of the Turks.

Et si forte aliquis eorum uoluisset reptare super pontis columnas, aut natando ad terram moliretur exire, uulneratus est a nostris, undique stantibus super ripam fluminis. Rumor quoque et clamor nostrorum et illorum resonabat ad caelum. Pluuiae telorum et sagittarum tegebant polum, et claritatem diei.

And if perchance any of them had wished to crawl over the pillars of the bridge, or by swimming had endeavored to get out to land, he was wounded by our men, who were standing on every side upon the bank of the river. The rumor and the clamor of ours and of theirs resounded to heaven. Showers of missiles and arrows covered the pole, and the brightness of the day.

Mulieres Christianae urbis ueniebant ad muri fenestras, spectantes misera fata Turcorum, et occulte plaudebant manibus. Hermenii et Surani iussu maiorum Turcorum, inuiti seu spontanei sagittas iaciebant foras ad nos. Mortui sunt etiam in anima et corpore duodecim ammiralii de Turcorum agmine in prelio illo, et alii prudentissimorum et fortiorum militum, qui melius ciuitatem pugnando defendebant; numerus quorum fuit mille et quingenti.

Christian women of the city were coming to the wall’s windows, watching the wretched fates of the Turks, and secretly they were applauding with their hands. Armenians and Syrians, by the command of the greater Turks, whether unwilling or of their own accord, were casting arrows outward at us. There also died, in soul and in body, twelve admirals from the host of the Turks in that battle, and others of the most prudent and most valiant soldiers, who were better defending the city by fighting; their number was 1,500.

Alii qui remanserant uiui, iam amplius non audebant clamitare, uel garrire, die neque nocte sicut ante solebant. Omnes itaque nos uel illos solummodo separauit nox, noxque diuisit utrosque in preliando, iaculando, spiculando, sagittando. Sic superati sunt inimici nostri uirtute Dei et Sancti Sepulchri, et ulterius non ualuerunt talem uirtutem habere, neque in uoce, neque in opere sicuti prius.

Others who had remained alive no longer dared to clamor or gabble, by day nor by night as they had been accustomed before. Therefore only night separated all of us and them, and night divided both parties in fighting, hurling javelins, thrusting with spears, and shooting arrows. Thus our enemies were overcome by the virtue of God and of the Holy Sepulcher, and thereafter they were not able to have such virtue, neither in voice nor in deed as before.

Nos itaque ualde fuimus refecti in illa die multis rebus quae satis erant nobis necessariae, et de equis.

We therefore were very much refreshed on that day by many things which were sufficient and necessary for us, and for the horses.

Crastina uero die summo diluculo exierunt alii Turci de ciuitate, et colligerunt omnia cadauera foetentia Turcorum mortuorum, quae reperire potuerunt super ripam fluminis, exceptis illis quae in alueo latebant eiusdem fluminis; et sepelierunt ad machumariam quae est ultra pontem ante portam urbis; simulque illis consepelierunt pallia, bisanteos aureos, arcus, sagittas, et alia plurima instrumenta, quae nominare nequimus. Audientes itaque nostri quod humassent mortuos suos Turci, omnes sese preparauerunt, et uenerunt festinantes ad diabolicum atrium, et iusserunt desepeliri et frangi tumbas eorum, et trahi eos extra sepulchra. Et eiecerunt omnia cadauera eorum in quandam foueam, et deportauerunt cesa capita ad tentoria nostra quatinus perfecte sciretur eorum numerus, excepto quod onerauerant quatuor equos, de nuntiis ammirali Babiloniae, et miserant ad mare.

But on the next day, at the very dawn, other Turks went out from the city and gathered all the stinking cadavers of the dead Turks which they were able to find upon the bank of the river, except those which were lying hidden in the channel of the same river; and they buried them at the machumaria which is beyond the bridge before the gate of the city; and together with them they co-buried cloaks, golden bezants, bows, arrows, and very many other instruments, which we cannot name. Therefore our men, hearing that the Turks had interred their dead, all prepared themselves and came hastening to the diabolic atrium, and ordered their tombs to be unburied and broken, and them to be dragged out of the sepulchers. And they threw all their cadavers into a certain ditch, and carried off the hewn heads to our tents so that their number might be perfectly known, except that they had loaded four horses, those of the messengers of the ammiral of Babylon, and had sent them to the sea.

Quod uidentes Turci doluerunt nimis, fueruntque tristes usque ad necem. Nam cotidie dolentes, nichil aliud agebant nisi flere et ululare. Tertia uero die coepimus simul iuncti cum gaudio magno aedificare castrum supradictum, de lapidibus scilicet quos abstraximus de tumulis Turcorum.

Seeing which, the Turks grieved exceedingly, and were sad unto death. For daily, grieving, they did nothing else except to weep and to ululate. But on the third day we began, joined together with great joy, to build the aforesaid fortress, namely from the stones which we had removed from the tombs of the Turks.

Peracto itaque castro, mox coepimus ex omni parte coangustare inimicos nostros, quorum superbia ad nichilum iam erat redacta. Nos autem secure ambulabamus huc et illuc, ad portam et ad montaneas, laudantes et glorificantes Dominum Deum nostrum, cui est honor et gloria per omnia seculorum secula. Amen.

Therefore, with the castle completed, soon we began to constrict on every side our enemies, whose pride had already been reduced to nothing. But we walked securely here and there, to the gate and to the mountain regions, praising and glorifying the Lord our God, to whom be honor and glory through all the ages of ages. Amen.

[Explicit liber VII. Incipit liber VIII.]

[Here ends Book 7. Here begins Book 8.]