On the twelfth (1) of Rabiʿ al-Awwal the King of France, Philip (2), reached the Franks on six accursed galleys crammed with worshipers of the Cross. When he arrived and presented himself (3), none of their other kings retained any authority in his presence, so exalted was he in their eyes. He also brought with him an enormous white bāz— the fearsome grey falcon; [it flew from his hand and alighted] (4) upon the wall of Acre. The townspeople seized it and sent it to Sultan Saladin (5). The Franks offered one thousand dinars for its return, but their request was refused.

After him came Kandafrir (6), likewise one of their greatest sovereigns. The ships of the King of England (7) arrived as well, yet their king himself (8) did not appear, being occupied with the island of Cyprus and taking it from its ruler.

At the beginning of the spring season the Muslim kings also converged from their realms, in order to serve (9) Sultan al-Nasir Saladin—may Allah support him (10).

al-ʿImad (11) relates: The Muslims had thieves who would slip into the Frankish tents and steal, even abducting men. On one occasion some of them carried off a nursing infant of three months from his cradle. The child’s mother was overwhelmed with grief and complained to their kings. They said to her, “The Sultan of the Muslims is compassionate of heart; we grant you leave to go to him and present your case.”

al-ʿImad continues: She came to the Sultan while I was standing with him. She wept bitterly and rubbed her face on the ground. He asked her what had happened; when she recounted her story, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes (12). He then ordered (13) that her child be sought out, and it transpired that he had been sold (14) in the market. The Sultan instructed that the purchase price be paid to the buyer and remained standing until the boy was brought. His mother took him, suckled him for a while, and wept from the intensity of her joy and longing for him. Then he ordered