"The Brothers of al-Qassam"- A Nashid for the Islamic Group in Lebanon's Quwat al-Fajr

In a recent post I covered the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Islamic Group in Lebanon and the question of how its relationship with Hezbollah has fluctuated over the years, most recently taking the form of the revival of its armed wing Quwat al-Fajr (“Forces of the Dawn”) and an alliance to confront Israel on the south Lebanon front with the goal of pressuring Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. As part of promoting the revival of Quwat al-Fajr, the Islamic Group in Lebanon’s Sidon branch has recently released a nashid (‘song’) entitled “The Brothers of al-Qassam,” which I have translated into English and Latin. While highlighting past credentials and precedents in resisting the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, the nashid emphasises the affinity of the Islamic Group and Quwat al-Fajr with the Muslim Brotherhood and by extension Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, and that the Islamic struggle to liberate Palestine should transcend borders.

The language of the lyrics is influenced by Levantine Arabic. The song also contains some references and terms that require annotation in a commentary.

We waged jihad against the occupier
And humiliated its army years ago.
From Sidon we rise through liberation
And rearrange cards and balances.

When Jerusalem calls
We compete with each other to attain martyrdom
We are Quwat al-Fajr’s soldiers
And we have given allegiance to al-Banna[1] and Yasin [2]

We have sworn and fulfilled the promise
Through the Qur’an and sword of liberation.
Oh Aqsa, we remain committed to the pledge
Through the tahlil [3] and the takbir. [4]
We do not forget the land of glories.
Our fingers are on the triggers.
We are al-Aqsa Flood’s soldiers.
May the land of Palestine be liberated.

Oh Zionist, day is coming.
May the sun of freedom shine.
We are al-Qassam’s brothers: [5]
The Islamic Group.
We resist till the end.
For Islam we raise the banner.
Sidon was the beginning
And the end is in Palestine.

From Sidon the land of the free
Shaykh Muharram [6] shouted and said:
"Infiltrate, plant a fiery explosive.
Call to all the heroes.
Blow up and destroy a tank
The land of ribat [7] is being liberated.
And kill a Zionist and cry the takbir
And trample the head of the occupiers."

We swear we will liberate the land
By force, truth and with freedom
Quwat al-Fajr are the sturdy poles:
al-Qassam’s brothers and support.
Blood with blood, fire with fire
We will cross this wall.
By God let us complete the course
And from my Lord comes tamkin [8]

The blood’s colour has changed
And al-Aqsa Flood has begun to rage
From Beirut and from Akkar [9]
Quwat al-Fajr al-Tha’ir. [10]
Oh Aqsa, we are coming.
We have sworn we will proceed and not be gentle
As resisting soldiers and commanders
Until we liberate Palestine.
Fire your missile in the south
In the Shab‘a Farms and ‘Arqub. [11]
Jamal al-Habbal [12] counselled us
That we should speak to the occupier through wars.
Quwat al-Fajr in Lebanon
The heroes of al-Banna and Qassam.
This is the slogan of the Ikhwan: [13]
Oh Palestine, we are coming

Notes

[1]- Hasan al-Banna, who founded the Muslim Brotherhood.
[2]- Ahmad Yasin, who founded Hamas.
[3]- Saying ‘la ilaha ill Allah’ (‘there is no deity but God’).
[4]- Saying ‘Allahu Akbar’ (‘God is greater’).
[5]- i.e. The brothers of the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing.
[6]- Shaykh Muharram ‘Arifi, a Sidon cleric and member of the Islamic Group who played a role in fighting the Israeli occupation of Lebanon and was arrested by the Israelis. He died in 2000.
[7]- Ribat: manning the frontlines. Sentinel duty.
[8]- Enablement/empowerment by God.
[9]- A region of north Lebanon.
[10]- i.e. ‘The forces of the avenging dawn.’
[11]- Regions of south Lebanon. The Sheb‘a Farms in particular are considered by Lebanon to be Israeli-occupied.
[12]- A ‘martyr’ of the Islamic Group in Lebanon who played a leading role in the establishment of Quwat al-Fajr and was killed fighting Israeli forces in 1983.
[13]- i.e. The Muslim Brotherhood.

[Latin version of the nashid- just for fun]:

occupantes pugnavimus
multos abhinc annos exercitum humiliavimus.
e Sidonia liberationem ferentes orti sumus
documenta et libras mutamus.

Hiersolymis vocantibus
ad martyrium contendimus.
Copiae Aurorae milites sumus:
Albanna et Yasin fidem dedimus.

vovimus et promissionem complevimus
Alchorano liberationisque gladio perfectum est.
o Aksa, fidem observamus
'non est deus praeter Deum’ et ‘Deus maior est.’
non obliti terrae gloriarum
digitis tenemus arcum.
milites diluvii Alaksae
liberetur terra Palaestinae!

o Zionista, dies adventat,
Libertatis sol gliscat!
fratres Kassam sumus,
nam Factio Islamica sumus.
usque ad finem resistimus
pro religione Islamica vexillum tollimus.
principio orto e Sidonia
finis erit in Palaestina.

e Sidonia, terra liberorum, clamavit
senior Muharram et dixit:
'repe et terrae pyrobolam manda
omnes heroes voca.
curru armato per ignem deleto
super terram excubiarum descendit liberatio.
Zionista occiso, clama: ‘non est deus praeter Deum’
et conculca capita occupantium.

nos terram liberaturos iuramus:
quod vi veritateque cum libertate perficimus.
Copiae Aurorae sunt columnae fortes
Alkasam auxilium et fratres.
sanguine igneque nitentes
transibimus, murum superantes.
iter per Deum perficiatur
a Domino meo potestas detur.

color sanguinis mutavit
dilivium Alaksae furere coepit
e Beryto et Akkar orientes
Copiae Aurorae Ulciscentes.
O Aksa, venimus
nos progressuros nec mites futuros iuravimus
ut milites et duces resistentiae
donec liberetur terra Palaestinae.
iace telum in regione australi,
Fundis Sheba et Arkubi.
sic Jamal Alhabal nos hortatur
Ut ad Occupantem bellis loquamur.
Copiae Aurorae in Phoenicia
Heroes Kassam et Albanna.
hic est Fratrum titulus:
o Palaestina, nos venimus!