Jórsalanám in Latin [Crusader Song] - De Expugnātiōne Hierūsalēm | The Skaldic Bard

Here’s my translation into Latin (and my performance) of my most popular song, Jórsalanám, this time in mediaeval Latin. The song details the events of the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099. The Crusaders won the siege and instituted the Kingdom of Jerusalem. As a Catholic and given the preeminence of Latin at the time of the siege, I felt that it had to exist in my glorious liturgical language. It was good fun translating from Old Norse to Latin; they’re more similar than one would give them credit for upon first glance! The name, Jórsalanám, literally means "The Taking of Jerusalem". The Latin name for the song is De Expugnātiōne Hierūsalēm. Hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment, like and subscribe if you enjoyed it! If you'd like to support my work, you can do so here: www.buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard Thank you for your kindness. Lyrics: Abhinc quattuor annōs iūrāvimus. Gladiōs nostrōs promisimus. Omnes nos crucesignāvimus. Ad Hierūsalēm īmus! Sȳria madet sanguine Christianorum. Antiochīa in manū Christi. Praetervehimur Accram et Bēthlēēm, Hierūsalēm exspectat! Urbs ēmergit ex horizonte. Crucesignātī, semper porrō! Circumdate mūrōs urbis, obsidēte portās! Raimundus et Francī tenent Sion et Portam Stephani. Godefridus ad Portam Herodis pergit, Tancredus ex Bēthlēēm. Nunc pugnāmus Saracēnōs. Interfecti in terra iacent. Non refert utrum revertāmur necne, pugnāmus prō cruce! Defectus spei in cordibus bellātōrum. Terra sicca et aspera erat. Virīs in lōrīcīs summa aestāte dēsertum mortem affert. Ifticarus Dux invocat exercitum aegyptium. Mīlia virōrum ab austro veniunt, ignāvissimī fūgērunt. Ademarius appāruit Petrō. Vocāvit in peregrīnātiōnem. Ad Montem Olivarum discalceātī iimus. Inimīcitiae cessērunt ōrātiōnibus. Chrīstiānī in gratiam redierunt. Spiritus caelestis super nōs vēnit, Porrō, in campōs caeli! Peregre ad auxilium nostrum vēnit exercitus Anglorum cum bellātōribus Genuae. Adferunt petram et lignum. Trīduum pugnae trucis trānsīvit. In mūrīs septentriōnālibus catapultae saxa iaciēbant, et dēstrūximus castellum. Godefridus et virī Lotharii percurrerunt Portam Herodis. Cēpērunt arcem et ēiēcērunt Saracēnōs de urbe. Godefridus ēlēctus in regem; corōnam Jesu non cupiēbat. Ita nōminātus est Advocātus Sāncti Sepulchri. Dēfendimus urbem ab aegyptiīs, ipsō Lavendaliō Vezīrō. Godefridus prōgrediuntur et Rōbertus Flandrensis. Decem mīlia crucesignātōrum māne gladiōs ēdūcunt in campīs Ascalōnis. Vīsus hostium malus est. Tunc Christiani impetum fēcērunt arcubus et gladīis sub cruce. Saracēnī pavidī sunt et ēiectī sunt de terrā. Complēvimus vōtum nostrum. Campānae iterum tinniunt in Sepulchrō Sānctō Dominī. Sōlī Deō glōria!

Skald, it's the 29th time you brought a musical masterpiece to class

POV: it’s 2026 and we’ve taken the holy land back…

As a Protestant Christian who's considering converting to Catholicism, this is my favorite song of yours. All of your songs are masterpieces but your ones in Latin and Crusader songs deeply resonate with my soul and heart. The Crusaders deeply inspire me to always have faith in our Holy Father, no matter my adversary or tribulation. These men traveled across ocean and land and gave everything they had to reclaim God's kingdom. Their lesson and their example strives in the hearts of all brothers and sisters in Christ. As a brother in Christ, I thank you for giving me such an incredible song to honor our faith and the Crusaders of old with. God bless you, Bard

“The blood of heroes is closer to the Lord than the ink of scholars and the prayers of the pious.” - Julius Evola

As a Latino i feel really proud of the Holy Crussaders , a lot of our Saints were crussaders and i pray to them really offten 🙏🏻✝️

As a Maronite Catholic Arameic Syriac from Lebanon this song relates to us big time as old Inhabitants of the Levant Antioch Syria Lebanon Israel

I fell into tears when I heard Jorsalanam again... I got back so much lost memories

Love to our christian brothers from Ethiopia 🇪🇹❤️

A grand thing to hear in the Petrine tongue. God keep and reward you brother.

Oh my God this is so good, I love it, keep it up my man. God bless the Crusaders!

Crucesignati semper porro! Amen

@SkaldBard, you're actually creating a subgenre and a corpus of songs celebrating Late Antique and Medieval Christianity in a mixed way, both modern and old-fashioned. I appreciate that. This could make for a great album.

cannot fathom how great this song is. It exerts a Crusader zeal that is unmatched by anything else

I didn't know how much I needed this until I saw the notification. Refreshing, for sure, after several epic pieces in Germanic languages. Superb work!

Jórsalanám was already my favorite one of your songs and it just got better 👍

Epic music! You have a lot of talent, friend!

I'm latinist I love Latin and history of crusaders I love this epic song!!!! 😍😍😍😍

Long live the glorious Roman Rite, to call Rome our Mother Church, to call St. Peter and Paul our forbears and fathers, truly it is a great privilege to belong to her, which enjoys a primacy of all rites in the Catholic Church.

Such a beautiful song!