ياO وردَrose تونسَTunis ماnot الربيعُspring بمؤنسِcomforting
يا وردَ تونسَ ما الربيعُ بمؤنسِ
فالظلمُfor oppression أذبلَwithered نضرةًbloom منfrom تونسِTunis
فالظلمُ أذبلَ نضرةً من تونسِ
O rose of Tunis, spring brings no solace.
O rose of Tunisia, how can spring be pleasant
For oppression has withered the bloom of Tunis.
When injustice has withered its freshness from Tunisia
قدindeed كنتَyou were زينتَهاher adornment فصرتَso you became لنعشِهاfor her bier
قد كنتَ زينتَها فصرتَ لنعشِها
فاخلعso cast off لمنعاهاfor the news of her death ثيابَrobes السندسfine silk
فاخلع لمنعاها ثيابَ السندس
You were once her adornment; now you are for her bier.
You were once its ornament, now you are for its bier
So cast off your robes of fine silk at the news of her death.
So shed for its misfortune your silken robes
ماno للفضيلةfor virtue والجمالِand beauty كرامةٌhonor
ما للفضيلة والجمالِ كرامةٌ
فيunder حكمِthe rule of علجٍa foreign brute ظالمٍunjust متغطرسarrogant
في حكمِ علجٍ ظالمٍ متغطرس
Virtue and beauty have no honor
Virtue and beauty have no dignity
under the rule of an unjust, arrogant foreign brute.
Under the rule of an unjust tyrant overlord
إنif صعَّدَheaved العربيُّthe Arab أنفاسَsighs الجوىheartache
إن صعَّدَ العربيُّ أنفاسَ الجوى
قالَsaid الفرنجةُthe Franks قِفstop ولاand do not تتنفَّسbreathe
قالَ الفرنجةُ قِف ولا تتنفَّس
If the Arab heaves sighs of heartache,
If an Arab aspires the breaths of passion
the Franks say, “Stop, and do not breathe!”
The French say, stop, don't you breathe
أوor حنَّyearned مشتاقاًlongingly إلىfor أيامهِhis days
أو حنَّ مشتاقاً إلى أيامهِ
كبَحواthey reined in جماحاًdefiance منfrom أعزِّthe proudest الأنفسsouls
كبَحوا جماحاً من أعزِّ الأنفس
Or, full of longing, he yearns for his bygone days,
Or if he yearns for days gone by
they rein in the defiance of the proudest souls.
They curb the wings of the proudest souls
هَلis there? دولةٌa reign للأغلَبيِّينَfor the Aghlabids الأُلىthose who
هَل دولةٌ للأغلَبيِّينَ الأُلى
لبسواthey wore حديدَthe iron of الدرعِarmor أشرفَthe noblest ملبسattire
لبسوا حديدَ الدرعِ أشرفَ ملبس
Will there be a reign for the Aghlabids, who
Can there be a state for the weakened majority
wore iron armor as the noblest attire,
Who wore the armor of iron, the noblest of garb
فيرىso he may see الفرنسيسُthe Frenchman المبالحُobstinate حظَّهُhis lot
فيرى الفرنسيسُ المبالحُ حظَّهُ
مِنهاfrom it كحظِّlike the lot of مليكهِhis king المتَقلنِسcap-wearing
مِنها كحظِّ مليكهِ المتَقلنِس
so the obstinate Frenchman may see his lot
So the Frenchman sees his share of luck
under it, like that of his cap-wearing king?
Like that of his wavering king
Sol 6.1