مَا تَرى النِّيلَ عَلَيْهِ

مَا تَرى النِّيلَ عَلَيْهِ

حَبكاً مِثْلَ الدُّرُوعِ

حَبكاً مِثْلَ الدُّرُوعِ

Do you not see the Nile, bearing

I could not see the Nile as on it

ripples like coats of mail?

were plates of armor.

إِنَّما زَادَ لأَنِّي

إِنَّما زَادَ لأَنِّي

فيهِ أَجْرَيْتُ دُمُوعي

فيهِ أَجْرَيْتُ دُمُوعي

It has risen only because I

Rather, my tears made it rise,

have made my tears flow into it.

for I let my tears run free in it.