[Intro]
Bells on the dune
Bells on the tide
Jerusalem waits
With a sword at its side
[Verse 1]
From Acre the banners came
Salt on the wind, ash in the sun
Richard’s host in iron prayer
Marched where the sea and spear run
Saladin watched from the ridge
Crescent steel in the heat
The road to Jaffa burned ahead
Under hooves and blistered feet
[Pre-Chorus]
And the coast held its breath
As the shield wall moved
One step, one oath
One kingdom proved
[Chorus]
Arsuf, rise!
Hold the line!
Cross and crescent
Clash in time
Arsuf, rise!
Steel and prayer!
Richard’s roar
Cuts through the air
[Verse 2]
Turkish riders circled hard
Arrow rain in the dust
Hospitaller ranks stayed firm
Biting back with their trust
The rear grew wild with the charge
Cry for charge, cry for blood
Then the order rang at last
And the field turned into flood
[Pre-Chorus]
The knights broke left
Then thundered through
A holy storm
In red and blue
[Chorus]
Arsuf, rise!
Hold the line!
Cross and crescent
Clash in time
Arsuf, rise!
Steel and prayer!
Richard’s roar
Cuts through the air
[Bridge]
By the road to Jaffa
The slaughter bent and broke
Miryokef? No, here the desert
Learned the lion’s stroke
And though the holy city
Stayed beyond the blade
Arsuf sang of discipline
And the price that kings must pay
[Final Chorus]
Arsuf, rise!
Hold the line!
Cross and crescent
Clash in time
Arsuf, rise!
Steel and prayer!
Richard’s roar
Cuts through the air
Arsuf, rise!
Hear the bells!
Third Crusade
Cast its spell
[Outro]
Bells on the dune
Bells on the tide
Arsuf remembers
Who lived, who died