أَورت يَمينك عَزمي بعد ما صلدا

أَورت يَمينك عَزمي بعد ما صلدا

وَقرطس القصد سَهمي إثرما صردا

وَقرطس القصد سَهمي إثرما صردا

Your right hand kindled my resolve after it had failed to spark,

You strengthened my resolve after it had weakened

And aim brought my arrow to the mark after it had gone wide.

And straightened my aim after it had strayed

وَأنجز الدّهر لي وَعداً يماطلني

وَأنجز الدّهر لي وَعداً يماطلني

بهِ ولولاك ما أوفى وَلا وَعدا

بهِ ولولاك ما أوفى وَلا وَعدا

And time fulfilled for me a promise it had long delayed;

And fate fulfilled for me a promise it had prolonged

But for you, it would neither have kept it nor made it.

With you it would not have kept it nor made a promise

ذَلّلت لي صَهوات العزّ واثرةً

ذَلّلت لي صَهوات العزّ واثرةً

فَصرتُ أسمو بها العيّوق مُقتعدا

فَصرتُ أسمو بها العيّوق مُقتعدا

You made glory's cushioned backs easy for me to mount,

You made the rugged paths of glory smooth for me

So I now soar above al-ʿAyyuq, mounted upon them.

Thus I was able to ascend them settled and at ease

وَكيفَ لا أبلغُ الآمالَ منك ولي

وَكيفَ لا أبلغُ الآمالَ منك ولي

عَهد اِنتِساب ودودٍ صادق تلدا

عَهد اِنتِساب ودودٍ صادق تلدا

And how could I not attain my hopes through you, when I have

And how could I not attain hopes with you when I have

A longstanding bond of attachment, affectionate and true?

A legacy of affiliation and true friendship that persists

يا أيّها المُصطفى وصفاً وتسميةً

يا أيّها المُصطفى وصفاً وتسميةً

وَمن به شُدّ أزرُ الملكِ واِعتضدا

وَمن به شُدّ أزرُ الملكِ واِعتضدا

O Mustafa, chosen in quality as well as in name,

O you the Chosen in name and quality

And you through whom the realm's strength was bolstered and sustained.

Through whom the reign of the King was supported and buttressed

أَمّا الودادُ فحظّي منه مكتملٌ

أَمّا الودادُ فحظّي منه مكتملٌ

وَاللّه يعلمُ أنّي لم أقُل فندا

وَاللّه يعلمُ أنّي لم أقُل فندا

As for affection, my share of it is complete;

As for affection, my share of it is complete

And God knows that I have spoken no falsehood.

And Allah knows I have not exaggerated one bit

إِذا ذكرتكَ كادت كلُّ جارحةٍ

إِذا ذكرتكَ كادت كلُّ جارحةٍ

منّي بشكرٍ تُحاكي منطقي بصدى

منّي بشكرٍ تُحاكي منطقي بصدى

Whenever I mention you, every limb of mine nearly

When I mention you, each part of me nearly

Mimics my speech with an echo of gratitude.

Responds in thanks echoing my words

طوّقتَ كلّ الورى منّاً وعارفةً

طوّقتَ كلّ الورى منّاً وعارفةً

فَكلّهم بِثناكم حيث حلّ شدا

فَكلّهم بِثناكم حيث حلّ شدا

You have garlanded all humanity with favors and kindness,

You have adorned all creation with blessings and grace

So each of them sings your praises wherever he dwells.

Thus through your praise they gather wherever you reside

إِن عدّت الدولةُ الغرّا مَفاخِرها

إِن عدّت الدولةُ الغرّا مَفاخِرها

أَلفتكَ أوّل فخرٍ أحرزت عددا

أَلفتكَ أوّل فخرٍ أحرزت عددا

If the glorious state were to count its glories,

If the state were to count its points of pride

It would find you first among the honors counted as its gains.

It would find you the first pride it had amassed

أُهدي إليكَ سلاماً كالنسيمِ إذا

أُهدي إليكَ سلاماً كالنسيمِ إذا

وافى رياضكَ يَروي عَن شذا وندى

وافى رياضكَ يَروي عَن شذا وندى

I offer you a greeting like the breeze when

I send you a greeting like the breeze when it reaches

It reaches your gardens, speaking of fragrance and dew.

Your gardens, quenching them with murmurs and dew

وبعدُ فَالغرضَ المعروضُ مَدرستي

وبعدُ فَالغرضَ المعروضُ مَدرستي

بِتونس لستُ أرضى تَركَها أبدا

بِتونس لستُ أرضى تَركَها أبدا

And now: the matter I present is my school

And after, the matter presented is my school

In Tunis; I shall never consent to leaving it.

In Tunis, which I do not accept leaving ever

وَكيفَ أترُكها وهيَ الّتي ضَمِنت

وَكيفَ أترُكها وهيَ الّتي ضَمِنت

لي العزّ في بلدٍ والمالَ والولدا

لي العزّ في بلدٍ والمالَ والولدا

And how could I leave it, when it is the one that assured

And how could I leave it when it secured for me

Me honor in a city, wealth, and offspring?

Honor in a land, wealth, and children as well

بِشارةٌ في مَنامي من مورّثها

بِشارةٌ في مَنامي من مورّثها

شيخُ الصلاحِ الّذي لا زال مُعتقدا

شيخُ الصلاحِ الّذي لا زال مُعتقدا

Glad tidings in my dream from the one who bequeathed it—

Good tidings in my dream from its founder

The sheikh of piety, who remains revered.

The Sheikh of Righteousness who remains revered

نَعم وأسكنُ في الدارِ المعدّة لي

نَعم وأسكنُ في الدارِ المعدّة لي

وَلستُ أوثر في قربٍ لَكم أحدا

وَلستُ أوثر في قربٍ لَكم أحدا

Yes, and I shall dwell in the house prepared for me,

Yes, I will reside in the house prepared for me

And I would give no one precedence in being near you.

And I do not prefer anyone's proximity over it

وَالدرسُ في مكتبِ الحرب الحريّ به

وَالدرسُ في مكتبِ الحرب الحريّ به

مِثلي وغيري لا يَدري له صددا

مِثلي وغيري لا يَدري له صددا

And teaching at the military school is fitting

And teaching at the Free War College

For one like me; others know not how to approach it.

Suits me and others, none can limit its scope

لي في الرياضيّ باعٌ غير مستترٍ

لي في الرياضيّ باعٌ غير مستترٍ

وفي الفَصاحةِ ما منّي لَكم عُهدا

وفي الفَصاحةِ ما منّي لَكم عُهدا

My reach in mathematics is no secret,

I have unmatched skill in mathematics

And in eloquence, my skill is what you have known of me.

And in rhetoric, none from me have known the like

كِلاهُما تبعٌ لي لا يعارضني

كِلاهُما تبعٌ لي لا يعارضني

إِلّا الّذي خاضَ في الأطماع دون هُدى

إِلّا الّذي خاضَ في الأطماع دون هُدى

Both are at my command; no one challenges me

Both follow me, none contend with me

Except the one who plunges into greed without guidance.

Except those who delved into greed without guidance

وَالدرسُ في تونسَ إِذ ذاك أتركه

وَالدرسُ في تونسَ إِذ ذاك أتركه

عَن طيبِ نفسٍ لِكَي يُعطى لمن قصدا

عَن طيبِ نفسٍ لِكَي يُعطى لمن قصدا

And teaching in Tunis I would then relinquish

As for teaching in Tunis, I would leave it

Willingly, so that it might be given to whoever seeks it.

Willingly, so it may be given to whoever sought it

فَاِنعم عليّ بِتعجيلِ الأوامر في

فَاِنعم عليّ بِتعجيلِ الأوامر في

كلّ ودُم واِبق لي يا سيّدي سندا

كلّ ودُم واِبق لي يا سيّدي سندا

So favor me by hastening the orders concerning

So grace me by hastening the orders regarding

All of it; and live on, and remain my support, my lord.

Every tie, and let me rely on you, my master, as support

وَاللّه أَسأل جهدي أن يبلّغكم

وَاللّه أَسأل جهدي أن يبلّغكم

مِن السعادةِ في الدارين كلّ مدى

مِن السعادةِ في الدارين كلّ مدى

And I ask God with all my strength to grant you

And I ask Allah to enable me to attain for you

The fullest measure of happiness in this world and the next,

The utmost felicity in both abodes

في ظلّ سيّدنا الملك الّذي بسطت

في ظلّ سيّدنا الملك الّذي بسطت

لَه العناية ظلّا فَوقنا ويدا

لَه العناية ظلّا فَوقنا ويدا

In the shade of our lord the king, for whom

In the shadow of our King whom Providence

Providence has spread shade above us, and extended a hand.

Has spread its care over us all as shade and hand

لا زالَ طوداً بِه تحمى إيالتنا

لا زالَ طوداً بِه تحمى إيالتنا

وَركن عزّ بهِ الإسلام معتضدا

وَركن عزّ بهِ الإسلام معتضدا

May he ever remain a mountain by which our province is protected,

He remains as a towering refuge protecting our state

And a pillar of might through which Islam is upheld.

And pillar of glory through whom Islam is supported