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THE FOLLOWING WAR SONG
(TRANSLATED FROM ASSYRIAN LANGUAGE) WAS WRITTEN BY SHAMASHA APRIM OF SERI
AND WAS SUNG THROUGHOUT THE ASSYRIAN VILLAGES URGING THE ASSYRIANS TO
FIGHT AND DEFEND THEIR LANDS:
"Brothers, up;
arouse ye; shake off sloth and slumber!
Take each man
his rifle for the battle with the Turk.
Now the day is
dawning when we face our foemen.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Rouse ye
chiefs and princes, Malicks God-appointed;
Forward goes
our army through the land we owned of yore.
Hear the rifle
rattle echo from our mountains.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Up, I say, ye
captains; up, I say, ye Malicks!
Kings we had
in olden time right mighty men of war.
Take we gun
and powder; days of stress are on us.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Young men of
the Nation, Clans renowned in story,
Stand by one
another now in brotherhood and zeal.
Shall beloved
Kochanes be a prey to foemen?
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Young men of
the Nation, bide a band of brothers,
Tyari fast by
Jelu and Tkhoma fast by Baz.
Listen to the
roll of battle drums ye warriors.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
David is our
leader, valiant in the combat;
He shall be
our captain and set us in array!
He shall go
before like sun and moon to guide us.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Forth we go to
battle, raging over the mountains;
Hearts all
yearning forward to Mosul's fertile plains.
Ninweh's fair
city summons back her children.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
On the Tigris'
banks lies Ninweh (Nineveh) the holy;
Her old walls
shall be to us a diadem and crown.
There alone,
Assyrians, can our race be established.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun.
Hark, our
Nation calls-our great Assyrian Mother;
Hark, young
men, she calls you-calls each one of you by name.
Blest that
youth forever who will hear her calling.
Forth we go to
battle in thy name, 0 Mar Shimmun." |
