Medieval Sourcebook:
Al Maggari: Tarik's Address to His Soldiers, 711 CE, from The Breath of Perfumes
Tarik was the Muslim leader who lead the conquest of Spain.
Tarik's Address to His Soldiers, 711 CE
When Tarik had been informed of the approach of the enemy, he rose in the midst of his
companions and, after having glorified God in the highest, he spoke to his soldiers thus:
"Oh my warriors, whither would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the
enemy. You have left now only the hope of your courage and your constancy. Remember that
in this country you are more unfortunate than the orphan seated at the table of the
avaricious master. Your enemy is before you, protected by an innumerable army; he has men
in abundance, but vou, as your only aid, have your own swords, and, as your only chance
for life, such chance as you can snatch from the hands of your enemy. If the absolute want
to which you are reduced is prolonged ever so little, if you delay to seize immediate
success, your good fortune will vanish, and your enemies, whom your very presence has
filled with fear, will take courage. Put far from you the disgrace from which you flee in
dreams, and attack this monarch who has left his strongly fortified city to meet you. Here
is a splendid opportunity to defeat him, if you will consent to expose yourselves freelv
to death. Do not believe that I desire to incite you to face dangers which I shall refuse
to share with you. In the attack I myself will be in the fore, where the chance of life is
always least.
"Remember that if you suffer a few moments in patience, you will afterward enjoy
supreme delight. Do not imagine that your fate can be separated from mine, and rest
assured that if you fall, I shall perish with you, or avenge you. You have heard that in
this country there are a large number of ravishingly beautiful Greek maidens, their
graceful forms are draped in sumptuous gowns on which gleam pearls, coral, and purest
gold, and they live in the palaces of royal kings. The Commander of True Believers,
Alwalid, son of Abdalmelik, has chosen you for this attack from among all his Arab
warriors; and he promises that you shall become his comrades and shall hold the rank of
kings in this country. Such is his confidence in your intrepidity. The one fruit which he
desires to obtain from your bravery is that the word of God shall be exalted in this
country, and that the true religion shall be established here. The spoils will belong to
yourselves.
"Remember that I place myself in the front of this glorious charge which I exhort
you to make. At the moment when the two armies meet hand to hand, you will see me, never
doubt it, seeking out this Roderick, tyrant of his people, challenging him to combat, if
God is willing. If I perish after this, I will have had at least the satisfaction of
delivering you, and you will easily find among you an experienced hero, to whom you can
confidently give the task of directing you. But should I fall before I reach to Roderick,
redouble your ardor, force yourselves to the attack and achieve the conquest of this
country, in depriving him of life. With him dead, his soldiers will no longer defy
you."
Source.
From: Charles F. Horne, ed., The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, (New York: Parke, Austin, & Lipscomb, 1917), Vol. VI: Medieval Arabia, pp.
241-242.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by
Prof. Arkenberg.
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