Philippe de Nanteuil fought with other French knights in the Crusades. In 1239 he and many other French knights lost a battle against the Ayyubids at Gaza. They were taken prisoner by the Ayyubids and put in a prison in Cairo. Philippe de Nanteuil wrote a famous song while he was in prison. It was called "En chantant veil mon duel faire". The song was about the defeat of the Christian knights. It criticized the leaders of the three main military orders, the Knights Templar, the Knights Hospitaller, and the Teutonic Order.