ياO حسنbeauty شاطيbank دجلهthe Tigris
يا حسن شاطي دجله
لمdid not ترsee عينan eye مثلهits like
لم تر عين مثله
O beauty of the Tigris’s bank!
O beautiful Tigris riverbank
No eye has seen its like.
No eye has seen the like of it
ماءwater صفاbecame clear زلالهits pure water
ماء صفا زلاله
فهوso it is شفاءa cure العلهthe illness
فهو شفاء العله
Water, limpid and pure,
Its water is clear and pure
So it is a cure for illness,
It is the cure for illness
علىover حصىpebbles كانهas though it were
على حصى كانه
قلائدnecklaces منحلهunstrung
قلائد منحله
Over pebbles that seem like
Its pebbles seem
Unstrung necklaces.
Like scattered pearls