Hattïn

Syria, Palestine: In the year of our Lord 1187. The territories occupied by the Latins under Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem and the united realms of the Ayyubids under Sultan Saladin were keeping an unstable truce. Knowing that this truce could be broken by the pettiest trespass Lord Raynald of Chatillon, a confident of the King, regularly attacked and plundered Muslim caravans. These misdeeds driven by pride, hatred and greed provoked the single greatest catastrophe in the history of the crusades and sealed the beginning of the end of Christian reign in Outremer. A reign based on faith, courage, honour and glory, carried throughout the land on blazing wings of thunder. "In the year 1177 the Crusaders had defeated Saladin's forces at the Battle of Montgisard. What ensued was a truce which was repeatedly broken by the Christian king's ally Raynald of Chatillon who attacked peaceful Muslim caravans without any obvious reason. Longing for war he couldn't foresee that his actions would trigger the beginning of the end of the Christian dominance over the Holy Land. "

Submitted by NecroGod — Apr 26, 2025

(Raynald of Chatillon) Now the stars are shining On my way A sword of steel makes my day Saladin the Great One Bloody liar Burn, burn, burn in fire And we ride and we ride and we ride and we ride For the glory, the king and the pride Oh how we ride, my duty's calling me to seize the day In the night we´re searching Lying in wait Don't run away it's too late Kill the Islam fever Stop this lie "Deus lo vult's" our battle cry And I know and I know and I know you will go Into the fire with your soul Hungry for gold, regain what's good and right for heavens sake On wings of thunder made of steel We could fly away to the sky someday Calling the god of victory He will show us now in a dream somehow That the evil among us we´ll meet on the field ´Cause the truce that we´ve made our fall it has sealed Why does no-one believe no-one open their eyes Why does everyone trust in their lies Now the knights are on my side again We ride for glory, fame and pride, the end Is near, we heed the call of duty "Fight for heaven" that's our fate Strike them down with your hate Till death appears in all it's beauty Like a screaming symphony What a sweet melody "When Raynald of Chatillon reapeatedly plundered Muslim traders' caravans who relied on the uneasy truce of the early and mid 1180s, Saladin decided to assemble his army and venture a direct confrontation with the Crusaders in July 1187. The shameful defeat at the Battle of Montgisard (1177) in mind, Saladin's forces began their march, determined to crush their Christian opponents once and for all. "

Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 26, 2025

(Sultan Saladin) Christian greed brings them death My caravan's lost, I see A rush of blood to my head - it's deafening me Can't let them go, it's my duty, they died for me It's Raynald's will, I don't know is this meant to be There is no way out for me - it's killing me My army shall rise, Christian downfall we'll see They have reigned the Holy Land Jerusalem in Christian hand Shameful fields of Montgisard Will the Sultan rise again There's no doubt we will regain Our old glory, we shall rise After all - hear me scream, hear me scream Battles taking their toll, open the gates (Sultan Saladin's forces) Now the war is at hand, we will regain our land Our people and our Muslim faith we'll defend - To battle we ride It's their final crusade Our feud will be brought to an end here and now (Sultan Saladin) 20000 Eastern men Will bring back Jerusalem No Knights Templar will remain Under Saladin the Great Muslim states retaliate Guy of Lusignan will fall One more time - hear me scream, hear me scream Battles taking their toll, open the gates (Sultan Saladin's forces) Now the war is at hand, we will regain our land Our people and our Muslim faith we'll defend - To battle we ride It's their final crusade Our feud will be brought to an end here and now It's our destiny to fight Christian hordes won't see the night In the end, will we be right? It's not us who want this war One more battle, then no more We will rule just like before After all - hear me scream, hear me scream Battles taking their toll, open the gates (Sultan Saladin's forces) Now the war is at hand, we will regain our land Our people and our Muslim faith we'll defend - To battle we ride It's their final crusade Our feud will be brought to an end here and now "To lure King Guy into moving his army out of the town of Sephoria, an oasis with indispensable water supplies, Saladin besieged Count Raymond's fortress of Tiberias on July 2nd. The town was plundered and burned, while Raymond's wife remained besieged in the citadel. "

Submitted by MetalElf — Apr 26, 2025

(Count Raymond III. of Tripoli) In the distance far away there is my love I could break these walls, my heart is strong enough No, we cannot go, they wait for us to come To storm the open fields below the desert sun Tiberias is under the siege (Citizens of Tiberias) We are lost and need to fly We're under siege To rise up to the sky We're under siege Are we strong enough to die for revolution Let them hear our battle cry We're under siege (Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem) Cry out, it´s burning like a flame in the night All you soldiers of the magical light Obey my call we're getting ready to fight March on, and follow me through fire and pain We're outnumbered but we fight in HIS name To free our city from the unholy reign (Gerard of Ridefort, Grandmaster of the Knights Templar) The fever of vengeance is burning my eyes Beware of the count don't believe in his lies [Chorus] "The besieged fortress of Tiberias fell the same day and Guy, despite Raymonds argument that this was just what Saladin wanted, decided to move his troops out of Sephoria on July 3rd to face Saladin at Tiberias. While Raymond had argued against this move, Gerard of Ridgeford and others had encouraged Guy to attack immediately. Thus, the battle began..."

Submitted by Grave666 — Apr 26, 2025

(Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem) Out of Sephoria On July 3rd we are The vanguard glorious Our rearguard pray for us We will reach Tiberias Nine more painful miles, alas! (The Christian army) We will prevail (onward we go!!!) Our glorious king we hail Onward! The battlefield Shall be our grave (Count Raymond III. of Tripoli) Our kingdom soon will fade They say no man ever made Such a distance in one day Saladin is drawing near Muslim warcries we can hear Christian knights must show no fear (Gerard of Ridefort, Grandmaster of the Knights Templar) Till our last breath we march The slaughter can begin For our kingdom and for our king Into battle our old hymns we sing By the hawks, our infantry's pride All for one and one for all! (Count Raymond III. of Tripoli) Our kingdom soon will fade They say no man ever made Such a distance in one day Saladin is drawing near Muslim warcries we can hear Christian knights must show no fear (Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem) The time is near, it´s crystal clear No-one give in, no man we fear Its time to fight, before the night Will lay its coat upon this field (Count Raymond III. of Tripoli) Marching - Marching till the end of time Can it be God's will? Will we be burning for a senseless crime Some wounds time won´t heal [Chorus] "Saladin was watching every move the Crusaders made and realized that their decision to start heading for Tiberias after an already exhausting march over several miles could give his army the crucial edge which could determine the outcome of the battle. Vested with their firm belief the Muslim forces tightend the noose around the Christians' necks."

Submitted by Pestilence — Apr 26, 2025

(Sultan Saladin) Onward the Christians go It's hard to believe that they did what I hoped for They can't win this fight It's Saracen sunrise, the Crusaders' sundown They won't stand a chance Attacked by brave men Now their fate it is sealed We will crush them they're damned for all time At home they will tell them 'bout Saladin, all his glory and pride (The Muslim army) Hattin brings down the Crusaders Muslims triumphant we will vanquish our foe Charge after charge we will counter Saladin's army in new glory shall rise Forever we'll be - higher than the sky (Sultan Saladin) Cut off from water and blinded by fire These noble knights, they defect out of fear Telling their secrets, their dire situation Facing his downfall, their king's gonna crawl (The Muslim army) Now we are the ones who will rule again Saladin stands above all We cannot forgive the Christian invaders Who struggle to take our land (The Muslim army) Hattin brings down the crusaders Muslims triumphant we will vanquish our foe Charge after charge we will counter Saladin's army in new glory shall rise Forever we'll be (The Muslim army) Now we are the ones who will rule again Saladin stands above all We cannot forgive the Christian invaders Who struggle to take our land (The Muslim army) Hattin brings down the Crusaders Muslims triumphant we will vanquish our foe Charge after charge we will counter Saladin's army in new glory shall rise Forever we'll be (Sultan Saladin) Rightful rulers of these lands We've spilled too much blood Our reign will be one based on faith in our God Christian forces surrender, their final retreat Is just hours ahead, they must face their defeat Most of them slain, reinforcements they need So their king must be wise and give in "Guy's decision to take Saladin's bait and start heading for Tiberias proved to be a fatal mistake. Saladin, who had expected that move, sent troops around the Crusader army, blocking their line of retreat and separating them from their water supplies. Despite their fierce resistance the Crusaders finally had to face defeat. While most of the Christian army met with death on July 4th on the fields of Hattin, some were captured and some could even flee to herald the news of the Saracen rising..."

Submitted by Grave666 — Apr 26, 2025

(The Christian knights surrounded by the Saracen enemy) Turan is lost, no retreat The heathens we´ll meet Not one drop to drink The spring without reach Now surrounded by foes On this damn plateau This camp is no longer safe Running out of supplies Arrows go down Blinded by smoke we march Still we go on (Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem) Losing faith, our knights defecting - it's our kings disgrace (The knights) This battle is over - we're beaten and lost There is nowhere to go Crusaders defeated - the Holy Land's lost Christians down on the ground (Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem) Raymond's charges in vain There's nothing to gain Cut off from the rest Men and horses were slain Defections in droves The only ones brave The knights of the orders alone (The fleeing knights) Not more than 3000 men we are Who are fleeing the fields of death Escape from the heathen's grasp Led by count Raymond and Balian Attacked by the blazing sun We are on our way home (Raymond II of Tripoli) Charging on Saladin Again and again But it's all over now When the tent falls (The knights) This battle is over - we're beaten and lost There is no way to go Crusaders defeated - the Holy Land's lost Christians down on the ground Saracen Ascension - our kingdom is gone We are down on our knees We will rise again - we will return Beat them once and for all "Only a small number of Crusaders survived the battle at the Horns of Hattin. Those who didn't die or flee from the battlefield were captured, among them former King Guy of Lusignan, Gerard of Ridefort, Raynald of Chatillon and many others. In the meantime, Richard I Lionheart, King of England, supported by the pope, was already preparing another crusade, swearing to regain the Holy Land for the sake of Christianity."

Submitted by Celtic Frost — Apr 26, 2025

(Gerard of Ridefort, Grandmaster of the Knights Templar) Now the sun is sinking slowly Away's the light 14.000 dead, noone survived? All is lost, our troops defeated I can't run and hide Here I am, a prisoner in decay But for all time I'll be your son Let me preach with an iron tongue Oh Lord can't you see Your knights beheaded by the Saracen What a shameful deed And in my dreams There is no pain Soon the day will come to take revenge To bring back the fields once won Let me preach with an iron tongue (Richard I, "Lionheart". King of England) My call to arms arises slowly Heeded throughout the land To praise the Lord, the one and only We hold HIS crown in hand Over the sea on ships so strong Another holy war Jerusalem we'll bring you back to To where you once belonged The shore is near, Acre in sight The fortress will not hold A noble knight, I save your life The ransom paid in gold Their cities fall one by one Back into Christian hand By the fields of Arsuf we've won Leaving thousands dead (Sultan Saladin) For now we must retreat, our forces failed I don't know what went wrong The "Lionheart" is too strong Will this war never end (Pope Gregory VIII.) Kingdom of the brave, far beyond the sea Men from England, Spain and France Take the cross, deliverance for the Master, not the slave, kings we'll always be Seek redemption for your sins And the realm of glory just begins (Richard I., "Lionheart", King of England) I tried to take revenge The fields are littered with blood and stench Jaffa, Acre, men and land I wrest from the Sultan's hand For the sake of heaven's light Many fought and many died If I can't reach Jerusalem I'll turn away my eyes again (Pope Clement III.) My hail goes out to the strong and the bright The Templars, the Hospitalers, the Teutonic Knights Without whom everything is lost and undone The soldiers of Christ preaching with an iron tongue (Richard I., "Lionheart", King of England) The King's crusade, at last a failure So many brave men died We sought revenge for the fields of Hattin To leave the pain behind I finalized for now a treaty To make the peace a fact And Saladin my noble enemy Has launched his last attack (Sultan Saladin) And now the war is over, the "Lionheart" tamed Jerusalem we hold Under Muslim control But they will come again [Chorus] Retrospect: (Count Raymond III. of Tripoli) All you Christian knights and soldiers Who came from magic light To lead you into battle Has filled my heart with pride HIS kingdom now awaits us The angels choir sings Hattin, it has shown us What blinded hate can bring

Submitted by Finntroll — Apr 26, 2025