# Humat al-Hima

Ḥumāt al-Ḥimá (Arabic: حماة الحمى, "Defenders of the Homeland") is the national anthem of Tunisia; the text was written by Mostafa Saadeq Al-Rafe'ie and Aboul-Qacem Echebbi.

## History

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, 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.
The very last verses of the lyrics were written by Aboul-Qacem Echebbi. 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.
| Arabic original | Arabic transliteration | IPA transcription | English translation |
| 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 𝄆 كورال | Kūrāl: Ḥumāt al-ḥimá yā ḥumāt al-ḥimá Halummū halummū li-majdi iz-zaman Laqad ṣarakhat fī ʿurūqinā ad-dimā Namūtu namūtu wa-yaḥyā al-waṭan I Li-tadwi is-samāwātu bi-raʿdihā Li-tarmi iṣ-ṣawāʿiqu nīrānahā ʾIlá ʿizzi Tūnis ʾilá majdihā Rijāl al-bilādi wa-shubbānahā Fa-lā ʿāsha fī Tūnis man khānahā Wa-lā ʿāsha man laysa min jundihā Namūtu wa-naḥyā ʿalá ʿahdihā Ḥayāt al-kirāmi wa-mawt al-ʿiẓām Kūrāl II Wa-rithnā as-sawāʿida bayn al-ʾumam Ṣukhūran ṣukhūran ka-hadhā al-bināʾ Sawāʿidu yahtazzu fawqahā al-ʿalam Nubāhī bihi wa-yubāhī binā Wa-fīhā kafā lil-ʿulá wa-al-himam Wa-fīhā ḍamānun li-nayli il-muná Wa-fīhā li-ʾaʿdāʾi Tūnis niqam Wa-fīhā li-man sālamūnā as-salām Kūrāl III 𝄆 ʾIdhā ash-shaʿbu yawman ʾarāda al-ḥayāh Fa-lā budda ʾan yastajīb al-qadar Wa-lā budda lil-layli ʾan yanjalī Wa-lā budda lil-qaydi ʾan yankasir 𝄇 Kūrāl | [kuː.rɑːl] [ħʊ.mæːt æl.ħɪ.mæː jæ ħʊ.mæːt æl.ħɪ.mæː] [hæ.lʊm.mʊː hæ.lʊm.mʊː li.mæʒ.dɪ‿z.zæ.mæn] [lɑ.qɑd sˤɑ.rɑ.χɑt fɪː ʕʊ.rʊː.qɪ.næː‿d.di.mæː] [næ.muː.tu næ.muː.tu wæ.jɑħ.jæ‿l.wɑ.tˤɑn] 1 [lɪ.tæd.wɪ‿s.sæ.mæː.wæː.tʊ bi.rɑʕ.di.hæ] [lɪ.tɑr.mɪ‿sˤ.sˤɑ.wɑː.ʕɪ.qʊ niː.rɑː.næ.hæː] [ʔi.læ ʕɪz.zɪ tuː.nɪs ʔi.læ mæʒ.di.hæː] [rɪ.ʒæːl æl.bɪ.læː.di wæ.ʃʊb.bæː.næ.hæː] [fæ.læː ʕɑ.ʃæ fiː tuː.nɪs mæn χɑ.næ.hæː] [wæ.læː ʕɑ.ʃæ mæn læj.sæ mɪn ʒʊn.di.hæː] [næ.muː.tu wæ.nɑħ.jæː ʕɑ.læ ʕɑh.di.hæː] [ħɑ.jæːt æl.ki.rɑː.mi wɑ.mɑwt æl.ʕɪ.ðˤɑm] [kuː.rɑːl] 2 [wɑ.rɪθ.næː‿s.sæ.wɑː.ʕɪ.dæ bæjn æl.ʔu.mæm] [sˤʊ.χuː.rɑn sˤʊ.χuː.rɑn kæ.hæ.ðæː‿l.bi.næː] [sæ.wæː.ʕɪ.dʊ jæh.tæz.zʊ fɑw.qɑ.hæː‿l.ʕɑ.læm] [nu.bæː.hiː bi.hiː wæ.jʊ.bæː.hiː bi.næː] [wæ.fiː.hæː kæ.fæː lɪl.ʕʊ.læ wæ‿l.hɪ.mæm] [wæ.fiː.hɑː dˤɑ.mæː.nʊn li.næj.lɪ‿l.mu.næ] [wæ.fiː.hæː li.ʔɑʕ.dæː.ʔi tuː.nɪs nɪ.qɑm] [wæ.fiː.hæː li.mæn sæː.læ.muː.næː‿s.sæ.læːm] [kuː.rɑːl] 3 𝄆 [ʔi.ðæː‿ʃ.ʃɑʕ.bʊ jɑw.mæn ʔɑ.rɑː.dæ‿l.ħɑ.jæːh] [fæ.læː bʊd.dæ ʔæn jæs.tæ.ʒiːb æl.qɑ.dɑr] [wæ.læː bʊd.dæ lɪl.læj.li ʔæn jæn.ʒæ.liː] [wæ.læː bʊd.dæ lɪl.qɑj.di ʔæn jæn.kæ.sɪr] 𝄇 [kuː.rɑːl] | 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 betrayers 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. 𝄇 Chorus |