ماwhat غادَةٌa graceful maiden راكِبَةُriding النَّسرِthe eagle وَقَدand already
ما غادَةٌ راكِبَةُ النَّسرِ وَقَد
بَدَتappeared لِأَبصارِto the eyes of الوَرىhumankind نُقوشُهاher designs
بَدَت لِأَبصارِ الوَرى نُقوشُها
What maiden rides the eagle, with
She rides the eagle high, her image plain,
Her designs now revealed to the eyes of humankind?
Borne by the bird whose plume her feathers reign.
يَحمِلُهاbears her النَسرُthe eagle الَّذيwhich أَضحىhas become لَهُbelonging to it
يَحمِلُها النَسرُ الَّذي أَضحى لَهُ
مِنَfrom الطَواويسِthe peacocks الذُكورِthe males ريشُهاher plumage
مِنَ الطَواويسِ الذُكورِ ريشُها
The eagle bears her; it has now acquired
The sun itself grows dim before her rays.
Her plumage from male peacocks.
The crescent moon curls up in shamed disdain,
خافَتfeared سُطاهاher onslaught الشَّمسُthe sun فيat مَصامِهاits zenith
خافَت سُطاها الشَّمسُ في مَصامِها
وَذاكَand that إِذwhen شَكَّpierced الهِلالَthe crescent شيشُهاher skewer
وَذاكَ إِذ شَكَّ الهِلالَ شيشُها
The sun feared her onslaught at its zenith,
As if a partridge wings in startled fright,
And that was when her skewer pierced the crescent.
When hawk descends, its evening shade to gain.
كَأَنَّماas though الهِلالُthe crescent خَشكَنانَةٌa sweet pastry
كَأَنَّما الهِلالُ خَشكَنانَةٌ
وَكَفُّهُand its palm فيin أُفقِهِits horizon تَحوشُهاgathers it up
وَكَفُّهُ في أُفقِهِ تَحوشُها
As though the crescent were a khashkanana pastry,
And its palm, within its horizon, were gathering it up.
Partial English translation: 6 of 8 Arabic lines translated.