أَضحَى العراقُ بمَسْعودٍ على خَطرٍ

أَضحَى العراقُ بمَسْعودٍ على خَطرٍ

ظَمآنَ إِن أَمطَرتْ فيه السّيوفُ رَوى

ظَمآنَ إِن أَمطَرتْ فيه السّيوفُ رَوى

Iraq has come into peril under Masʿud,

Iraq is in danger with Mas'ud as its ruler

thirsty: if swords rained upon it, its thirst would be quenched.

It thirsts, and is quenched when swords rain down

وكيف يَصلُحُ ما يُخشَى تَغَيُّرُه

وكيف يَصلُحُ ما يُخشَى تَغَيُّرُه

بالشهْرزورِيِّ والهيتيِّ والهَرَوي

بالشهْرزورِيِّ والهيتيِّ والهَرَوي

And how can that whose change is feared be set right

How can what is feared to change be mended

by al-Shahrazuri, al-Hiti, and al-Harawi?

With al-Shahrazuri, al-Hayyi, and al-Harawi

عُورٌ وأخْلِقْ بمُلْكٍ رُسْلُه طِيَرٌ

عُورٌ وأخْلِقْ بمُلْكٍ رُسْلُه طِيَرٌ

ألا يَتمَّ وهذا قد رُئي وَرُوي

ألا يَتمَّ وهذا قد رُئي وَرُوي

One-eyed men! And how likely it is that a kingdom whose envoys are ill omens

It is laid bare, its envoys only birds

will fail to reach fulfillment—and this has indeed been seen and recounted.

Will it not be complete? This has been seen and told