غُيُومٌ مِنَ الْغُبَارِ تَرْتَفِعُ عِنْدَ الْأُفُقِ عَلَامَةً وَاضِحَةً عَلَى اقْتِرَابِ عَاصِفَةٍ عَاتِيَةٍ

Clouds of dust rise on the horizon, a clear sign of an approaching fierce storm.

تَحْتَ الْقِيَادَةِ الثَّأْرِيَّةِ لِأَبِي سُفْيَانَ

Under the vengeful leadership of Abu Sufyan,

اجْتَمَعَ جَيْشٌ عَظِيمٌ قِوَامُهُ عَشَرَةُ آلَافِ مُقَاتِلٍ مِنْ شَتَّى أَنْحَاءِ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ

A mighty army of ten thousand fighters gathered from across the Arabian Peninsula,

وَوَصَلَ إِلَى أَطْرَافِ الْمَدِينَةِ

And arrived at the outskirts of Medina.

"بِجَيْشٍ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ"

"With an army of ten thousand men,"

"سَنَجْعَلُهُمْ يَلْعَنُونَ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي وُلِدُوا فِيهِ!"

"We will make them curse the day they were born!"

كَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يَشْتَعِلُونَ رَغْبَةً فِي الِانْتِقَامِ

The polytheists were burning with a desire for revenge,

لَكِنَّ مَا رَأَوْهُ أَمَامَهُمْ تَرَكَهُمْ فِي ذُهُولٍ شَدِيدٍ

But what they saw before them left them in utter bewilderment.

فَالطَّرِيقُ الْوَحِيدُ الَّذِي يُمْكِنُ لِلْجَيْشِ أَنْ يَقْتَرِبَ مِنْهُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ

For the only path by which the army could approach Medina

كَانَ مَسْدُودًا بِخَنْدَقٍ يَبْلُغُ طُولُهُ نَحْوَ سِتَّةِ كِيلُومِتْرَاتٍ

Was blocked by a trench nearly six kilometers long,