مَنْ كَانَ قَدْ شَادَ العُلاَ فِيمَا غَبَرْ

مَنْ كَانَ قَدْ شَادَ العُلاَ فِيمَا غَبَرْ

مِنْ كُلّ قِرمٍ قَدْ تَمَيَّزَ وَاشْتَهَرَ

مِنْ كُلّ قِرمٍ قَدْ تَمَيَّزَ وَاشْتَهَرَ

If anyone has raised glory in bygone days,

Whoever attained glory in the past

among all the great chiefs distinguished and renowned,

And became eminent and renowned

فَعَلِيُّ بَاشَا تُونِسٍ وَهُمَامُهَا

فَعَلِيُّ بَاشَا تُونِسٍ وَهُمَامُهَا

عَلاَمَّةُ العُلَمَا لَهُ فَخْرٌ بَهَرْ

عَلاَمَّةُ العُلَمَا لَهُ فَخْرٌ بَهَرْ

it is Ali, Pasha of Tunis and its valiant lord,

Ali Pasha of Tunis is its pillar and pride

a great scholar among scholars, whose glory dazzles.

A sign of glory, his excellence dazzled

أحيَا مَعَالِمَهَا وَجَدَّدَ رَسْمَهَا

أحيَا مَعَالِمَهَا وَجَدَّدَ رَسْمَهَا

وَأبَانَ عَنْهَا مَا قَديِماً قَدْ دَثَرْ

وَأبَانَ عَنْهَا مَا قَديِماً قَدْ دَثَرْ

He revived its landmarks and renewed its form,

He revived its features and renewed its image

and revealed what of it had long been effaced.

And revealed what was ancient and forgotten

وَحَبَا العِطَاشَ بِهَا بِوَضْعِ سِقَايَةٍ

وَحَبَا العِطَاشَ بِهَا بِوَضْعِ سِقَايَةٍ

فَاقَتْ عُلىً تِلْكَ السِيَاقَاتِ الأُخَرْ

فَاقَتْ عُلىً تِلْكَ السِيَاقَاتِ الأُخَرْ

And there he favored the thirsty by establishing a fountain

He quenched the thirsty by installing a fountain

that surpassed those other fountains in grandeur.

Surpassing other conduits in height

وَكَفَى بِهَا حَرَّ الشفَاهِ منَ الظَّمَا

وَكَفَى بِهَا حَرَّ الشفَاهِ منَ الظَّمَا

فَكَفَاهُ رَبِّي حَرُّ يَومٍ مُسْتَطِرْ

فَكَفَاهُ رَبِّي حَرُّ يَومٍ مُسْتَطِرْ

And with it he quenched the burning of thirsty lips;

It sufficed the burning of lips from thirst

so may my Lord spare him the heat of a raging day.

So may God protect him from a burning day

فِي عَامِ مَسْغَبَةٍ بَدَا في حَفرِهَا

فِي عَامِ مَسْغَبَةٍ بَدَا في حَفرِهَا

أحْيَا بِمَصْروُفٍ عَلَيْهَا مَنْ حفَرْ

أحْيَا بِمَصْروُفٍ عَلَيْهَا مَنْ حفَرْ

In a year of famine he began digging it;

In a year of drought, it appeared in its digging

he kept its diggers alive through the money spent on it.

Revived by his care for those who dug

فَالنَّفْعُ مُبْتَدأٌ وَمَخْتُومٌ بِمَا

فَالنَّفْعُ مُبْتَدأٌ وَمَخْتُومٌ بِمَا

فِي فَضْلِ سَقْيِ المَاء جاء منَ الأثَرْ

فِي فَضْلِ سَقْيِ المَاء جاء منَ الأثَرْ

So its benefit is there from the outset, and is sealed by what

Benefit is the beginning and end with what

tradition relates about the merit of giving water:

Came in the merit of giving water from tradition

فِي كُلّ ذِي كَبِدٍ لهُ حَرٌ رُوِي

فِي كُلّ ذِي كَبِدٍ لهُ حَرٌ رُوِي

أجْرٌ عَنِ المَبْعُوثِ من غَيرِ البَشَرْ

أجْرٌ عَنِ المَبْعُوثِ من غَيرِ البَشَرْ

For every creature with a liver that feels heat, it is related,

For every one with a burning liver quenched

there is a reward, according to the Messenger—even for nonhuman creatures.

A reward from the One sent without human

فَأُعِيذُهُ بِجَمَالِهَا مِنَْ حَاسِدٍ

فَأُعِيذُهُ بِجَمَالِهَا مِنَْ حَاسِدٍ

وَبِسُورَةِ الفَلَقِ المُبِينِ معَ القَمَرْ

وَبِسُورَةِ الفَلَقِ المُبِينِ معَ القَمَرْ

So I seek protection for him, by its beauty, from an envious person,

I seek refuge for it from the envious with its beauty

and by Surah al-Falaq, the clear Daybreak, together with al-Qamar, the Moon.

And the Surat Al-Falaq, the clear, and the moon

وَحَبَاهُ خَيراً إذْ أتَى تَارِيخُهَا

وَحَبَاهُ خَيراً إذْ أتَى تَارِيخُهَا

يَا حُسْنَهَا جَاءَتْ بمَاءٍ منهَمِرْ

يَا حُسْنَهَا جَاءَتْ بمَاءٍ منهَمِرْ

And may He grant him goodness, as its chronogram reads:

And He granted him goodness when its date came

O how lovely it is, bringing water in torrents!

Oh, its beauty came with pouring rain