حُكْمُ المنيّةِ نافذُ الأحكامِ

والدّار ما جُعِلَتْ بدار مُقَامِ

The decree of mortality stands firm in its judgments,

And this abode was not made for an eternal dwelling.

كَمْ فتّتَتْ كَبِداً وكم أبكت دماً

ورفيع عرش ثُلَّ بعد نظام

How many a liver did it break and how many tears did it shed,

And a lofty throne crumbled after its system.

وَلَرُبّما هان المصاب وأنتَ يا

حمّودة جلل على الأيّام

And oftentimes calamity was made light, while you, O Hammuda,

Were a majestic mantle over the days.

يفنى الزّمان ورُزءُ فقدِك حادثٌ

يُتْلَى على الأفواه والأقلام

Time passes away but the pain of your loss remains

Recited upon mouths and pens.

إنْ تَسْخُ جامدةُ العيون بِدرِّها

فلطالما رَوِيَتْ بكأس منام

If your still eyes would weep with their light,

For long have they been satiated with a cup of sleep.

أَوْ تَلْبَسِ الدّنيا عليك حِدَادها

فَغُرُوبُ شمسِك مُؤْذِنٌ بظلام

Or if the world would don its mourning clothes for you,

Then the setting of your sun is a harbinger of darkness.

لكم مَآثرُكَ التي خَلَّدْتَهَا

أَبْقَتْ سَنَاك وأنت تحت رُجَامِ

For how many are your celebrated deeds which have

Preserved your brilliance while you lie under soil.

السُّورُ ما سَوَّاهُ إلاّ عَزْمُه

ومُشَيِّدُ الأبراج تحت ضِرَامِ

The wall which he built up was done but by his resolve,

And the builder of towers lies now under clay.

أمّا الثّغور فإنّها غُصّصُ آلْعِدَا

وشِفَا الصّدورِ لأمّة الإسلام

As for the marches, they are the wounds of enemies

And a healing for the breasts of the nation of Islam.

ولكم سَقَيْتَ الرُّعبَ من شقَّ العصا

ومَزَجْتَ كأسَ سرورِه بحمام

And how much fear did you instill when you wielded the rod,

And mixed for them a cup of gladness with worry.

مِنْ بَعْدِ ما بَالَغْتَ في إرشاده

وغَضَضَتَ جفنَ الحلم غَضَّ كِرَام

After you had striven in guiding them

And lowered the eyelid of forbearance with honor.

حتى أطاعَكَ فيهُمُ النّصر الذي

خضعوا به قَسْراً خضوعَ لِئَام

Until victory obeyed you regarding them,

To which they had reluctantly succumbed like the base.

وبلغتَ أنّك إن رَأَوْا لك عسكراً

هُزِموا بلا طَعْنٍ وسلِّ حُسَام

And you had achieved that if they saw an army of yours,

They would be routed without a stab or unsheathing of swords.

وغَدَتْ بذلك تونسٌ تَفْتَرُّ في

حُلَلِ الهنا عن ثغرها البسّام

Thus Tunisia began to exult

In the garments of tranquility, from her undaunted citadel.

محسودةً كَعُقابِ جوٍّ مَنْعَةً

بشموخها وكَمِيِّها الضّرغام

Envied like an eagle in the air, lofty in her

Pride and all her young eaglets.

والآن فهي لفقده محزونةٌ

تبكي عليه بِكُلِّ طَرْفٍ دامي

And now since losing him she grieves,

Weeping for him with every flowing tear.

فكأنّما عَيْنُ الحَوَاسِدِ فَوَّقَتْ

لِجَمَالِها عن قَوْسِها بِسِهَام

It is as though the eye of the envious

Has surpassed her beauty with its arrows.

لمّا دعا داعي الرّضى فأجابه

مستسلماً للّه في الأحكام

When the caller to satisfaction called him, and he responded

Surrendering to God in His decrees.

فَافْسَحْ له اللّهُمَّ عندك منزلا

واسْمَحْ له بزيادة الإِنعام

So expand, O God, his abode with you,

And allow him an increase in bounty.

ولقولتي حَقِّق بفضلك فيه إذْ

أَرَّخْت قيل ادخل لنا بسلام

And fulfill through Your grace the words I stated

When I dated "Enter unto us in peace."