PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the Iraqi song "Abart el-Shat", which was composed and performed by Kazem el-Saher.

• Abart el Shat (I Crossed the River), 1989
• Song Title in Arabic: عبرت الشط
• Album: Ghazal 
• Lyricist: Mohamed Sharhan
• Composer: Kazem el-Saher
• Original Artist: Kazem el-Saher

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

About this Song

In 1988, Kazem al-Saher's final year at the Institute of Music, he composed "Abart el Shat". Some of the professors objected, calling it lowly "contemporary sha'abi" music. Fortunately, other professors supported his work, and recognized his potential as a promising composer.

When this song was released, it became a major hit, not only in Iraq, but also throughout the Arabic-speaking world.

About Kazem el-Saher

Kazem el-Saher is an Iraqi singer, composer, and songwriter, sometimes known by the nickname "The Caesar of Arabic music". Over the course of his career, he has achieved spectacular success throughout the Arabic-speaking world and beyond. His biggest hit has been Ana Wa Laila.

When el-Saher was growing up, he was influenced by hearing music on the radio by composers such as Mohamed Abdel Wahab. He started learning to play guitar as a child, then later switched to oud. At age 21, he enrolled in the prestigious Baghdad Institute of Music and studied there approximately 6 years.

El-Saher found it difficult to break into the music business because he wanted to perform his own compositions, whereas music producers were more interested in artists who would perform their material. He collaborated with a friend who happened to be a television director to create a music video featuring one of his own songs, "Ladghat El Hayya". It was broadcast on Iraqi television in 1987, immediately generating controversy due to the content of its lyrics. A year later he released another hit, "Abart Al Shat".

After moving to Lebanon in 1996, el-Saher teamed up with Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani, who served as his lyricist on more than 30 songs. By 1998, el-Saher had released 10 albums and elevated his reputation from "pop star" to "artist". He won a UNICEF award for his song "Tathakkar", which he was invited to perform for the U.S. Congress and the United Nations.

El-Saher began his career as a songwriter creating music for other Iraqi singers, but eventually moved on to become a recording artist in his own right. He relocated to Cairo, Egypt, and built a following as the voice of Iraqi exiles.

Kazem el Saher has often been compared to legendary Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez because of his emotive singing style. Like Hafez, he has also been a heartthrob in the eyes of many young Arab women. Al-Saher has been at the forefront of a return to romantic classicism in Arabic music, steering clear of the pop sound that is so prevalent today. El-Saher is known for his perfectionism and attention to detail, and praised for his non-traditional use of long-forgotten maqamat (musical building blocks) in his compositions.

El-Saher has released over 20 albums, toured the world, and achieved international popularity.

Other ways to spell his name include "Kathem el-Saher" and "Kadim Al Sahir".