The lyrics come from a poem written in the 1930s by Egyptian poet Mostafa Saadeq Al-Rafe'ie. Although some say the melody of this march was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab,[1] Tunisian musicologist Salah El Mahdi claims the melody was composed by the poet Ahmed Kheireddine [fr] while the original music for the poem was composed by Zakariyya Ahmad.[2][3]
The very last verses of the lyrics were written by Aboul-Qacem Echebbi.[4] According to El Mahdi, these verses were appended to the lyrics in June 1955 by nationalist Mongi Slim.
Known as the "Hymn of the Revolution", it was sung during the meetings of the ruling party, the Neo Destour, which later changed its name to the Socialist Destourian Party. "Ḥumat al-Ḥima" was temporarily used as a national anthem between the end of the monarchy on 25 July 1957, when it replaced the "Salam al-Bey", and 20 March 1958, when it was replaced by "Ala Khallidi". "Ḥumat al-Ḥima" was later brought back again following the coup d'état that brought Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to power on 7 November 1987.
Lyrics
On occasions requiring brevity, a short version is sung consisting of the chorus, the third verse (not repeated) and the chorus again.[5][6]
كورال:
حماة الحمى يا حماة الحمى
هلموا هلموا لمجد الزمن
لقد صرخت في عروقنا الدماء
نموت نموت ويحيا الوطن
١
لتدو السماوات برعدها
لترم الصواعق نيرانها
إلى عز تونس إلى مجدها
رجال البلاد وشبانها
فلا عاش في تونس من خانها
ولا عاش من ليس من جندها
نموت ونحيا على عهدها
حياة الكرام وموت العظام
كورال
٢
ورثنا السواعد بين الأمم
صخورا صخورا كهذا البناء
سواعد يهتز فوقها العلم
نباهي به ويباهي بنا
وفيها كفا للعلى والهمم
وفيها ضمان لنيل المنى
وفيها لأعداء تونس نقم
وفيها لمن سالمونا السلام
كورال
٣
𝄇 إذا الشعب يوما أراد الحياة
فلا بدّ أن يستجيب القدر
ولا بد لليل أن ينجلي
ولا بد للقيد أن ينكسر 𝄆
Chorus:
O defenders of the Homeland!
Rally around to the glory of our time!
The blood surges in our veins,
We die for the sake of our land.
I
Let the heavens roar with thunder
Let thunderbolts rain with fire.
Men and youth of Tunisia,
Rise up for her might and glory.
No place for traitors in Tunisia,
Only for those who defend her!
We live and die loyal to Tunisia,
A life of dignity and a death of glory.
Chorus
II
As a nation we inherited
Arms like granite towers.
Holding aloft our proud flag flying,
We boast of it, it boasts of us,
Arms that achieve ambitions and glory,
Sure to realize our hopes,
Inflict defeat on foes,
Offer peace to friends.
Chorus
III
𝄆 When the people will to live,
Destiny must surely respond.
Oppression shall then vanish.
Fetters are certain to break. 𝄇
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Tunisia