Tunisia
حماة الحمى
Humat al-Hima
Defenders of the Homeland
1930
1987
Mustafa Sadik al-Rafii / Aboul-Qacem Echebbi
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
⚔ Battle / War 🕊 Freedom 🗽 Independence |
Context
The current anthem was adopted in 1987 when President Ben Ali took power, replacing the previous anthem. The lyrics draw from a poem by Aboul-Qacem Echebbi, Tunisia's most celebrated poet, who died in 1934 at just 25 years old. The music was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the same Egyptian composer who wrote melodies for several Arab national anthems.
Lyrics
حُمَاةَ الحِمَى يَا حُمَاةَ الحِمَى
هَلُمُّوا هَلُمُّوا لِعِزِّ الزَّمَنْ
لَقَدْ صَرَخَتْ فِي عُرُوقِنَا الدِّمَا
نَمُوتُ نَمُوتُ وَيَحْيَا الوَطَنْ
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • The lyrics include lines from a famous poem by Aboul-Qacem Echebbi, who is considered Tunisia's national poet and died at just 25 years old
- • Mohammed Abdel Wahab composed the anthems of at least four Arab countries, making him the most prolific national anthem composer in the Arab world
- • During the 2011 Tunisian Revolution (the first of the Arab Spring), this anthem was widely sung in protests against the Ben Ali regime