يَسقيكَ مِن مُزنِ الحَيا القَطّار

يَسقيكَ مِن مُزنِ الحَيا القَطّار

يا تونِسٌ يا جَنَّةَ الأَقطارِ

يا تونِسٌ يا جَنَّةَ الأَقطارِ

May copious rain from the rainclouds water you,

He waters you from the springs of life O Tunisia, O paradise of countries

O Tunis, O paradise of all lands!

O Kaaba of joy, O garden of pleasure, O flower of the world and sweet home

يا كَعبَةَ الأَفراحِ يا رَوضَ الرضى

يا كَعبَةَ الأَفراحِ يا رَوضَ الرضى

يا زَهرَةَ الدُنيا وَطيبَ الدارِ

يا زَهرَةَ الدُنيا وَطيبَ الدارِ

O Kaaba of joys, O garden of contentment,

Honor it with a sublime residence and dwelling

O blossom of the world and fragrance of the abode!

Where all the great men gather

أَكرِم بِها مِن مَنزِلٍ وَمَحَلَّةٍ

أَكرِم بِها مِن مَنزِلٍ وَمَحَلَّةٍ

فيهِ تَجَمَّعُ جُملَةُ الأَوطارِ

فيهِ تَجَمَّعُ جُملَةُ الأَوطارِ

How noble a dwelling and abode it is!

And settle in a land, if you visit it

Within it all desires gather.

You gain what is secret and public

وَتَحل مِن أَرضٍ إِذا ما زُرتَها

وَتَحل مِن أَرضٍ إِذا ما زُرتَها

تَحظى بِما في السِرِّ وَالإِظهارِ

تَحظى بِما في السِرِّ وَالإِظهارِ

And you alight in a land where, whenever you visit it,

And if you want generosity and its people

You enjoy both what is hidden and what is manifest.

Head to the abode of the messenger of great men

وَإِذا أَرَدتَ المَكرُماتِ وَأَهلَها

وَإِذا أَرَدتَ المَكرُماتِ وَأَهلَها

فاِقصُد مَقامَ مُبَلِّغِ الأَوطارِ

فاِقصُد مَقامَ مُبَلِّغِ الأَوطارِ

And if you seek noble deeds and those who perform them,

The supreme master, the intimate Mustafa

Then make for the abode of the fulfiller of desires:

Treasure of Sultans and registrar of endowments

السَيِّدِ الأَسمى المُقَرّبِ مُصطَفى

السَيِّدِ الأَسمى المُقَرّبِ مُصطَفى

كَنزِ السَلاطينِ وَخازِ ندّارِ

كَنزِ السَلاطينِ وَخازِ ندّارِ

The most exalted lord, the favored Mustafa,

Chief of ministry, its cave and pillar

The sultans' treasure and the Khaznadar,

Mountain of dignity and dawn of good tidings

صَدر الوِزارَةِ كَهفُها وَعَميدُها

صَدر الوِزارَةِ كَهفُها وَعَميدُها

طَودُ الوَقارِ وَفَجرُ الاستِبشارِ

طَودُ الوَقارِ وَفَجرُ الاستِبشارِ

Head of the ministry, its refuge and its chief,

Of insight, lion’s resolve, and virtues

A mountain of dignity and the dawn of gladness;

That rise above the moons

ذو الرأيِ وَالنَظَرِ الأَسَدِّ وَهِمَّةٍ

ذو الرأيِ وَالنَظَرِ الأَسَدِّ وَهِمَّةٍ

وَمَحاسِنٍ تَعلو عَلى الأَقمارِ

وَمَحاسِنٍ تَعلو عَلى الأَقمارِ

Possessed of the soundest counsel and judgment, and of resolve,

Like a sword, fair before use or after

And virtues that rise above the moons.

From its polish or its sharp cutting edge

كالسَيفِ يَحسُنُ مَنظَراً أَو مَخبَراً

كالسَيفِ يَحسُنُ مَنظَراً أَو مَخبَراً

مِن صَقلِهِ أَو حَدِّهِ البتّارِ

مِن صَقلِهِ أَو حَدِّهِ البتّارِ

Like a sword, he is splendid in appearance or in proven worth,

You see him like a garden in its first youth

Through its polish or its cleaving edge.

That came to blossom with the breeze of flowers

وَتَراهُ مِثلَ الرَوضِ باكَرَهُ الحَيا

وَتَراهُ مِثلَ الرَوضِ باكَرَهُ الحَيا

فَغَدا يَنِمّ بِنَفحَةِ الأَزهارِ

فَغَدا يَنِمّ بِنَفحَةِ الأَزهارِ

And you see him like a garden visited at dawn by rain,

Tell the pretender to cut his poetizing short

Which then began to breathe the fragrance of flowers.

You cannot encompass the pomp of the snarling lion

قُل لِلمُحاوِلِ شأوَهُ أَقصِر فَما

قُل لِلمُحاوِلِ شأوَهُ أَقصِر فَما

تَسطيعُ شأوَ غَضَنفَرٍ هَصّارِ

تَسطيعُ شأوَ غَضَنفَرٍ هَصّارِ

Tell whoever strives to match his prowess: 'Desist, for never

And let him who recites his eulogies in verse

Can you match the prowess of a crushing lion.'

And tries to limit his eminence in poetry

وَلِمَن يُرَنِّمُ شِعرَهُ بِمَديحهِ

وَلِمَن يُرَنِّمُ شِعرَهُ بِمَديحهِ

وَيَرومُ حَصرَ عُلاهُ بالأَشعارِ

وَيَرومُ حَصرَ عُلاهُ بالأَشعارِ

And tell whoever chants his verse in his praise

You pretender to encompass a drop of the sea

And seeks to encompass his eminence in poems:

Or count the stars in prevailing darkness

أَنتَ المُحاوِلُ حَصرَ قُطرِ البَحرِ أَو

أَنتَ المُحاوِلُ حَصرَ قُطرِ البَحرِ أَو

عَدَّ النُجومِ لَدى الظَلامِ الساري

عَدَّ النُجومِ لَدى الظَلامِ الساري

'You are trying to encompass the breadth of the sea, or

O Master, time rejoiced at his wearing

To count the stars amid the creeping darkness.'

The auspicious and sweet-scented robes

يا سَيِّداً فَرِحَ الزَمانُ بلُبسهِ

يا سَيِّداً فَرِحَ الزَمانُ بلُبسهِ

للحُلَةِ المَيمونَة المِعطارِ

للحُلَةِ المَيمونَة المِعطارِ

O lord, Time rejoiced at your donning

And you came down from the eternal abode as an eminent counsel

The auspicious, richly fragrant robe.

With supreme rank and immeasurable worth

وَحَلَلتَ مِن خَلَدِ المُشيرِ بِمَنزِلٍ

وَحَلَلتَ مِن خَلَدِ المُشيرِ بِمَنزِلٍ

سامي المَكانَةِ شامِخِ المِقدارِ

سامي المَكانَةِ شامِخِ المِقدارِ

And you have taken a place in the marshal's heart,

Shade of God and pillar of the two abodes is one

Exalted in standing and lofty in rank.

Whose gifts suffice without rain

ظِلّ الإِلَهِ وَعُمدَةُ الدارَينِ مَن

ظِلّ الإِلَهِ وَعُمدَةُ الدارَينِ مَن

تُغني عَطاياهُ عَنِ الأَمطارِ

تُغني عَطاياهُ عَنِ الأَمطارِ

God's shadow, the mainstay of both worlds, whose

The exalted Pasha Ahmad

Gifts leave no need for rain:

Crown of the caliphate, everlasting works

السَيِّدُ الباش المُعَظَّمُ أَحمَدٌ

السَيِّدُ الباش المُعَظَّمُ أَحمَدٌ

تاجُ الخِلافَة خالِدُ الآثارِ

تاجُ الخِلافَة خالِدُ الآثارِ

The lord, the revered Pasha Ahmad,

Protector of Islam’s sanctuary, its savior

Crown of the caliphate, whose legacy endures;

Whose glory endures through the ages

حاي حِمى الإِسلام مُنجِدُ أَهله

حاي حِمى الإِسلام مُنجِدُ أَهله

مَن مَجدُهُ باقٍ عَلى الأَعصار

مَن مَجدُهُ باقٍ عَلى الأَعصار

Guardian of Islam's sanctuary, helper of its people,

My tryst’s time eluded me, and I came to you

Whose glory remains throughout the ages.

With glad tidings to the extent possible

قَد فاتَني سرّ الشُهود بِمَوعد

قَد فاتَني سرّ الشُهود بِمَوعد

وَافاكَ بِالبُشرى عَلى مِقدار

وَافاكَ بِالبُشرى عَلى مِقدار

The secret of witnessing eluded me at an appointed time

So I grew from my joy and longing a flower

That brought you glad tidings in due measure.

To convey to you the witnessed excuses

فَأنَبتُ مِن فَرَحي وَشَوقي غادَةً

فَأنَبتُ مِن فَرَحي وَشَوقي غادَةً

نُبدي لَكَ المَشهودَ مِن أَعذاري

نُبدي لَكَ المَشهودَ مِن أَعذاري

So, out of my joy and longing, I sent a maiden in my stead;

From a burdened mind and the right of one who turns

We reveal to you what is evident in my excuses,

Away from you to be struck by the darkness of thoughts

مِن خاطِرٍ مُضنىً وَحُقّ لِمَن نأى

مِن خاطِرٍ مُضنىً وَحُقّ لِمَن نأى

عَنكُم يُصابُ بِظُلمَة الأَفكارِ

عَنكُم يُصابُ بِظُلمَة الأَفكارِ

From a weary mind; and it is fitting that anyone far

Since you are my sun in time and my pillar

From you should suffer the darkness of thoughts.

And destination of my hopes and pole of my orbit

إِذ أَنتَ شَمسي في الزَمان وَعُمدَتي

إِذ أَنتَ شَمسي في الزَمان وَعُمدَتي

وَمَحَل آمالي وَقُطبُ مَداري

وَمَحَل آمالي وَقُطبُ مَداري

For you are my sun in this age and my mainstay,

So may God protect your glory and help you

The abode of my hopes and the axis of my orbit.

With fortune in revenue and expenditure

فاللَه يَحفَظُ عِزَّكُم وَيُمدكُم

فاللَه يَحفَظُ عِزَّكُم وَيُمدكُم

بالسَعدِ في الإِيراد وَالإِصدار

بالسَعدِ في الإِيراد وَالإِصدار

So may God preserve your honor and sustain you

And make your glory last and raise your worth

With good fortune in bringing in and sending forth,

And lengthen your bliss in the noblest abode

وَيُديمُ مَجدَكُم وَيُعلي قَدرَكُم

وَيُديمُ مَجدَكُم وَيُعلي قَدرَكُم

وَيُطيلُ أَنسَكَ في أَجَلَّ قَرّار

وَيُطيلُ أَنسَكَ في أَجَلَّ قَرّار

And perpetuate your glory and exalt your rank,

By Muhammad, his family, and companions

And prolong your joy in the most august abode,

And people of his emigration, and the Helpers

بِمُحَمَّدٍ وَبآله وَبصَحبِهِ

بِمُحَمَّدٍ وَبآله وَبصَحبِهِ

وَبأهلِ هِجرَتِهِ مَعَ الأَنصار

وَبأهلِ هِجرَتِهِ مَعَ الأَنصار

By Muhammad, and by his family and his companions,

And by those who shared his migration, together with the Ansar.