علىincumbent upon الناهضينthose who rise نهوضthe rising of الكرامthe noble
على الناهضين نهوض الكرام
حثيثswift السرىnight travel فالأمامso onward الأمامonward
حثيث السرى فالأمام الأمام
Those who rise must rise as the noble do,
Rise up, O noble ones
Swift in their night journey—onward, onward!
Hasten forth, forward, ever forward
هلمواcome (plural) جميعاall together لتحريرto liberate كمyou (plural)
هلموا جميعا لتحرير كم
بفكby breaking القيودthe shackles ونشرand spreading السلامpeace
بفك القيود ونشر السلام
Come, all of you, to free yourselves,
Come one and all to free your people
By breaking the shackles and spreading peace.
Break the chains and spread peace
ولاand do not تجعلواmake (plural) نهضةthe awakening of الشعبthe people مهداa cradle
ولا تجعلوا نهضة الشعب مهدا
إذاwhen حركتهstirred it البواعثthe impulses نامfell asleep
إذا حركته البواعث نام
And do not make the people's awakening a cradle:
Do not let the nation's awakening become a cradle
When impulses stir them, they fall asleep.
If events stir it to slumber
عليناincumbent upon us القيامthe performance بواجبناof our duty
علينا القيام بواجبنا
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تحتمbecomes imperative ذاكthat القيامaction
إذا ما تحتم ذاك القيام
We must carry out our duty,
It is our duty to fulfill our obligation
When that action becomes imperative.
If that duty calls us
فلاfor no ضاعis lost حقa right لهfor it طالبa claimant
فلا ضاع حق له طالب
ولاnor جانبthe side of الحرthe free man حقاtruly يضامis wronged
ولا جانب الحر حقا يضام
For no right is lost while someone claims it,
So no seeker of rights loses them
Nor is a free man's dignity truly violated.
And no free soul suffers injustice
وقلناand we said الحياةlife حياةa life of إخاءbrotherhood
وقلنا الحياة حياة إخاء
وقالواand they said الحياةlife حياةa life of انقسامdivision
وقالوا الحياة حياة انقسام
And we said: life is a life of brotherhood.
We said life is fraternal coexistence
And they said: life is a life of division.
They said life is division
وقلناand we said بصيصa glimmer منof النورlight علماknowledge
وقلنا بصيص من النور علما
فحتامso how long? والتونسيwhile the Tunisian فيin ظلامdarkness
فحتام والتونسي في ظلام
And we said: a glimmer of light—of knowledge!
We spoke of a ray of enlightenment
How long, then, must the Tunisian remain in darkness?
While they dwelled in darkness
فقالواso they said التعلمlearning ماemphatic particle بينناamong us
فقالوا التعلم ما بيننا
سيفتحwill open إذاكthen بابthe door of الكلامdiscussion
سيفتح إذاك باب الكلام
So they said: learning in our midst
They said learning between us
Will then open the door to discussion.
Would open the door to discourse
وماand not الجهلignorance إلاbut حجابa veil لكمfor you (plural)
وما الجهل إلا حجاب لكم
إذاif ماemphatic particle كشفناهwe lift it نخشىwe fear السقامsickness
إذا ما كشفناه نخشى السقام
And ignorance is only a veil for you;
Ignorance is but a veil over you
If we lift it, we fear sickness.
Which, if we drew back, we would fear sickness
علىincumbent upon التونسيّthe Tunisian إذاthen سعيهhis effort
على التونسيّ إذا سعيه
وباللّهand through God نجحهhis success والإعتصامand seeking refuge
وباللّه نجحه والإعتصام
The Tunisian, then, must make his own effort;
It is for the Tunisian, in his endeavor
And in God lie his success and refuge.
And, by God, to succeed and stand firm
وبالنيرينand to the two luminaries ثراءwealth وعلماand knowledge
وبالنيرين ثراء وعلما
أحرضI urge قوميmy people علىto الإهتمامpaying attention
أحرض قومي على الإهتمام
And to the two luminaries—wealth and knowledge—
And by the two rivers, wealth and knowledge
I urge my people to turn their attention.
I spur my people to heed
فلولاهماfor without them both ماnot بداappeared للهلالfor the Crescent
فلولاهما ما بدا للهلال
كمالKamal (also: fullness) ولاnor سعدSaad (also: good fortune) نيلهits Nile قامarose
كمال ولا سعد نيله قام
For without them, the Crescent would not have seen
Without them the crescent moon would not have shown
Kamal, nor would Saad of its Nile have risen.
Its perfection, nor would Saad have achieved his goal