ياO مفخرpride البيتthe house الحسيthe Husayni (beginning)
يا مفخر البيت الحسي
نيHusayni (ending) التونسيthe Tunisian الزاهرthe resplendent
ني التونسي الزاهر
O pride of the Husayni house,
O pride of the glorious Hashemi house
Tunisian and resplendent!
O you the flourishing Tunisian
خلقتyou fashioned ذكركyour remembrance باقةa bouquet
خلقت ذكرك باقة
فيin وسطthe midst of روضa garden عاطرfragrant
في وسط روض عاطر
You fashioned your memory into a bouquet
Your mention created a bouquet
in the midst of a fragrant garden.
In the midst of a fragrant garden
ودخلتand you entered جناتgardens النعيthe bliss (beginning)
ودخلت جنات النعي
مbliss (ending) دخولthe entry of حرa free man ظافرtriumphant
م دخول حر ظافر
And you entered the gardens of bliss,
And you entered the gardens of bliss
as a free man enters, triumphant.
With the entrance of a bold horseman
كلeveryone يقدرappreciates ماwhat صنعdid (verb stem)
كل يقدر ما صنع
تهyou … it (suffixes) شاكراgrateful عنon behalf of شاكرa grateful person
ته شاكرا عن شاكر
Everyone values what you have done,
Everyone appreciates what he did
grateful on behalf of a grateful one.
Thankful over thankfulness
شرعاaccording to religious law نؤرخwe date مولداa birth
شرعا نؤرخ مولدا
لكfor you فيin الزمانthe time الغابرbygone
لك في الزمان الغابر
By sacred law, we date a birth
Lawfully we date your birth
for you in times gone by.
In times past
أيامthe days of حكمكyour rule سبعةseven
أيام حكمك سبعة
منfrom بعدafter عامa year عاشرtenth
من بعد عام عاشر
Your reign lasted seven years
Your reign lasted seven years
beyond its tenth year.
After the tenth year
فيهاin them جمعتyou gathered قلوبناour hearts
فيها جمعت قلوبنا
بيدwith the hand of الحكيمthe sage الماهرthe skillful
بيد الحكيم الماهر
In those years you gathered our hearts
In it you united our hearts
with the hand of a skillful sage.
With the hand of the wise master
وملكتand you won أفئدةhearts الورىhumankind
وملكت أفئدة الورى
لطفاthrough kindness بقلبwith a heart طاهرpure
لطفا بقلب طاهر
And you won the hearts of humankind
And you owned the hearts of people
through kindness, with a pure heart.
With a pure heart
هذاthis وفيand at السبعينseventy قدindeed
هذا وفي السبعين قد
لبيتyou answered صوتthe voice of القاهرthe All-Subduing One
لبيت صوت القاهر
So it was; and at seventy you
This is it, and in the seventies
answered the All-Subduing One’s call.
The Victorious Lord called upon you
لاقيتyou met فيin ذيDhu ('possessor of') القعدةal-Qaʿdah ('the sitting') الthe (prefix of 'Lord')
لاقيت في ذي القعدة ال
مولىLord بوجهwith a face نائرradiant
مولى بوجه نائر
You met, in Dhu al-Qaʿdah, the
You met Him in Dhu al-Qi'dah
Lord with a radiant face.
With an angry face
ولسانand the tongue of حالكyour state قائلsaying
ولسان حالك قائل
ماذاwhat يقولهsays it شاعريmy poet
ماذا يقوله شاعري
And the tongue of your state declared:
And your tongue's state was saying
What does my poet say?
What does my poet say about me?
فأجبتهso I answered him مسترحماseeking mercy
فأجبته مسترحما
والدمعand the tears ملءfilling محاجريmy eye sockets
والدمع ملء محاجري
So I answered him, seeking mercy,
So I answered Him seeking mercy
while tears filled my eye sockets:
With tears filling my eyelids
هذاthis فقيدthe departed one بلادناour land الthe (prefix of 'green')
هذا فقيد بلادنا ال
خضراgreen ولاand no منany ناكرdenier
خضرا ولا من ناكر
This is the departed of our land—
This is the loss of our land
the green land—and none denies it.
Neither green nor denier
هوhe درةa pearl فيin تاجهمtheir crown
هو درة في تاجهم
خلابةcaptivating للناظرto the beholder
خلابة للناظر
He is a pearl in their crown,
He is a pearl in their crown
captivating to the beholder.
Pleasing to the onlooker
زانadorned الإمارةthe emirate عطفهhis compassion
زان الإمارة عطفه
أحببhow lovable! بهhe is (in exclamation) منas a آمرruler
أحبب به من آمر
His compassion adorned the emirate:
His kindness adorned leadership
how lovable a ruler!
Those ruled loved him
تركhe left المآثرthe noble legacies فيin الضماthe consciences (beginning)
ترك المآثر في الضما
ئرconsciences (ending) وهيand they are خيرthe best of مآثرlegacies
ئر وهي خير مآثر
He left noble legacies in hearts,
He left landmarks in history
and these are the finest legacies.
Which are the best landmarks
اياwhomever سألتyou asked ظفرتyou gained عنabout
ايا سألت ظفرت عن
بحرa sea بفضلهwith his bounty زاخرoverflowing
بحر بفضله زاخر
Whomever you asked, you learned of
If you asked, you found of his grace
a sea overflowing with his bounty.
An abundant ocean
سحرhe enchanted العقولminds بلطفهwith his gentleness
سحر العقول بلطفه
أكرمhow noble! بهhe is (in exclamation) منas an ساحرenchanter
أكرم به من ساحر
He enchanted minds with his gentleness:
He captivated minds with his kindness
how noble an enchanter!
Honored people with his generosity
ننسىwe forget ولاbut we do not ننساهforget him فيon الthe (prefix of 'day')
ننسى ولا ننساه في ال
يومday العصيبthe dire الحاشرthe gathering
يوم العصيب الحاشر
We forget, but we do not forget him on the
We don't forget him nor forget him
dire day of gathering,
On the painful, remorseful day
مذsince قيلit was said ألقىcast التاجthe crown صاowner (beginning)
مذ قيل ألقى التاج صا
حبهits owner (ending) بكفinto the palm of الساخرthe mocker
حبه بكف الساخر
since it was said: the crown was cast
When it was said, hand over the crown
by its owner into the mocker’s palm,
To the grip of the defiant one
يرجوhe hopes for كأمتهlike his nation العداthe justice (beginning)
يرجو كأمته العدا
لةjustice (ending) ياO لهذاfor this العاذرthe forgiving one
لة يا لهذا العاذر
hoping, like his nation, for justice—
Hoping, like his nation, for justice
O, what a forgiving man!
Oh this transgression!
أبدىhe revealed نواياهhis intentions بباthrough the inward (beginning)
أبدى نواياه ببا
طنinward (ending) حالهhis state والظاهرand the outward
طن حاله والظاهر
He revealed his intentions through his inward
He showed his intentions openly
and outward state.
His state and the obvious
يكفيsuffices اسمهhis name لمؤرخfor a chronicler
يكفي اسمه لمؤرخ
هذاthis الأميرthe prince الناصريal-Nasiri
هذا الأمير الناصري
His name suffices for a chronicler:
His name suffices the historian
this prince, al-Nasiri.
This victorious Emir