يومa day عظيمgreat لمdid not تلدهbear it الأزمنُthe ages
يوم عظيم لم تلده الأزمنُ
للّهto God, in wonder منظرهits sight المسرgladdening المحزنsaddening
للّه منظره المسر المحزن
A momentous day the ages have never borne.
A great day not born by time
God, what a sight—gladdening and saddening!
Its scene saddens and delights God
يومa day كساهclothed it الاستياءdiscontent مهابةmajesty
يوم كساه الاستياء مهابة
سادreigned السكونstillness فأكبرتهso they revered it الأعينthe eyes
ساد السكون فأكبرته الأعين
A day that discontent clothed in majesty.
A day clothed with indignation and awe
Stillness reigned, so eyes regarded it with awe.
Silence prevailed, so eyes widened
يومa day بظاهرهupon its surface السكوتsilence مخيّمencamped
يوم بظاهره السكوت مخيّم
نطقتspoke ولكنand yet بالصموتthrough silence الألسنthe tongues
نطقت ولكن بالصموت الألسن
A day with silence encamped upon its surface.
A day whose surface is covered with silence
Tongues spoke, yet through silence.
Tongues spoke but with muteness
بلدa land بأجمعهin its entirety تمثلappeared صامتاsilent
بلد بأجمعه تمثل صامتا
الساكنونthe dwellers بأسرهمall of them والمسكنand the dwelling
الساكنون بأسرهم والمسكن
An entire land appeared silent—
A country entirely acting mute
The dwellers, all of them, and the dwelling.
Inhabitants altogether still and settled
مرpass فيalong الطريقthe road فلاso not ترىyou see دونother than الفضاopen space
مر في الطريق فلا ترى دون الفضا
لمdid not ينفتحopen بابa door بهاalong it أوor روشنa window
لم ينفتح باب بها أو روشن
Pass along the road: you see nothing but open space;
If you walk the street, you see naught but space
No door or window opened along it.
No door in it opened or lit
سلask بيof me خبيراas one who knows عمwhy أضحتhas become تونسTunisia
سل بي خبيرا عم أضحت تونس
فيin ذاthis السباتslumber وماand what بذلكby that توذنshe announces
في ذا السبات وما بذلك توذن
Ask me, as one who knows, why Tunisia has come to lie
Ask me, o expert, about how Tunis
In this slumber, and what she thereby announces.
Became so dormant and what it portends
أناI منamong بنيهاher sons الطالبينthose seeking حقوقهاher rights
أنا من بنيها الطالبين حقوقها
أناI ضمنamong منthose who طلبواthey demanded الحقوقthe rights وأعلنواand they proclaimed
أنا ضمن من طلبوا الحقوق وأعلنوا
I am one of her sons who seek her rights.
I am one of its children seeking rights
I am among those who demanded rights and spoke out.
I am among those who sought rights and declared
مرتpassed سنوهاher years الخمسthe five فيin استجلائهاseeking to reveal them
مرت سنوها الخمس في استجلائها
عبثاin vain وهمwhile they حرباءةa chameleon تتلونchanges color
عبثا وهم حرباءة تتلون
Her five years passed in seeking to bring them to light,
Five years passed in its enlightenment
In vain, while they were a chameleon changing colors.
In vain, they are fickle and ever-changing
قالواthey said أخيراat last قدindeed عقدناwe convened لجنةa committee
قالوا أخيرا قد عقدنا لجنة
تعطيgrants الحقوقthe rights وللمصالحand for the interests تضمنguarantees
تعطي الحقوق وللمصالح تضمن
At last they said: “We have convened a committee
Finally they said a committee was formed
That grants rights and safeguards interests.”
To grant rights and serve interests
فإذاthen behold البوارقthe lightning flashes مزعجاتalarming حولهاaround it
فإذا البوارق مزعجات حولها
وبماand according to what ارتأىdeemed fit المستعمرونthe colonizers تقنّنit legislates
وبما ارتأى المستعمرون تقنّن
Then behold: alarming lightning flashes all around it,
Yet around it loomed threatening warships
And it legislates as the colonizers deemed fit.
With laws made as colonists saw fit
بلغreached التحيزbias منتهاهits utmost limit وأظهرتand it revealed
بلغ التحيز منتهاه وأظهرت
دونwithout اكتراثconcern عندهاat that point ماwhat تبطنit conceals
دون اكتراث عندها ما تبطن
Bias reached its utmost, and it revealed
Bias reached its peak, and it blatantly showed
Without concern, at that point, what it concealed.
Without caring what it concealed inside
خالواthey thought ابتلاعswallowing up الشعبthe people أمراa matter هيناeasy
خالوا ابتلاع الشعب أمرا هينا
حتىuntil بداappeared اليومthe day العصيبharsh الهينeasy
حتى بدا اليوم العصيب الهين
They thought swallowing up the people an easy matter,
They considered swallowing the people easy
Until the harsh yet easy day appeared.
Until the painful, disgraceful day arrived
ماwhat ذنبهits sin وهوwhile it is الرصينsteadfast تسامحاin forbearance
ما ذنبه وهو الرصين تسامحا
إلاexcept لأنهbecause it is تونسيTunisian مؤمنa believer
إلا لأنه تونسي مؤمن
What is its sin, steadfast as it is in forbearance,
What was its crime, being forbearing and calm
Except that it is Tunisian and a believer?
Except for being Tunisian and faithful?
وصلreached التنازلconcession منهon its part فيin دركاتهits descending levels
وصل التنازل منه في دركاته
أقصاهits furthest limit واعجبيoh, how I marvel لمنat whoever لاnot يذعنyields
أقصاه واعجبي لمن لا يذعن
Its yielding reached, in its downward course,
Concessions reached their limit within its patience
Its furthest limit—how I marvel at those who will not yield!
How strange, for those who do not yield
استنهضroused الإرهاقoppression فيهwithin it عزيمةa resolve
استنهض الإرهاق فيه عزيمة
لاnot تنثنيbends شكراthanks لهمto them إذsince أحسنواthey did well
لا تنثني شكرا لهم إذ أحسنوا
Oppression roused within it a resolve
Exhaustion stirred in it determination
That will not bend—thanks to them, for they did well!
That will not bend; thanks to them for their favor
الحقjustice درعهits shield وهوand it وحدهby itself قوّةa force
الحق درعه وهو وحده قوّة
لاnot يستهانis taken lightly بهاregarding it وليستand is not توهنweakened
لا يستهان بها وليست توهن
Justice is its shield, and justice alone is a force
Justice is its armor and its sole strength
That is not to be taken lightly and is not weakened.
Not to be slighted and never weakened
Sol 6.1