وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ يَومَ المَغارِ

وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ يَومَ المَغارِ

مُحَجَّبَةً لَفَظَتها الحُجُب

مُحَجَّبَةً لَفَظَتها الحُجُب

And whatever I forget, I shall not forget, on the day of the raid,

I will not forget the day of al-Maghar,

a veiled woman whom the curtains cast out.

When she appeared veiled by barriers.

دَعاكَ ذَوُوها بِسوءِ الفِعالِ

دَعاكَ ذَوُوها بِسوءِ الفِعالِ

لِما لاتَشاءُ وَما لاتُحِب

لِما لاتَشاءُ وَما لاتُحِب

Her kin, through their evil deeds, summoned you

Her people called you evil-doer,

to what you do not wish and what you do not love.

For what you disliked and did not want.

فَوافَتكَ تَعثُرُ في مَرطِها

فَوافَتكَ تَعثُرُ في مَرطِها

وَقَد رَأَتِ المَوتَ مِن عَن كَثَب

وَقَد رَأَتِ المَوتَ مِن عَن كَثَب

So she came to you, stumbling in her cloak,

Stumbling on her veil, you went to her,

having already seen death at close quarters.

And saw death closely with your eyes.

وَقَد خَلَطَ الخَوفُ لَمّا طَلَع

وَقَد خَلَطَ الخَوفُ لَمّا طَلَع

تَ دَلَّ الجَمالِ بِذُلِّ الرُعُب

تَ دَلَّ الجَمالِ بِذُلِّ الرُعُب

And fear, when you appeared, had mingled

Fear intermingled when you appeared,

beauty's coquetry with terror's abasement.

Lowering the beauty with fright.

تُسارِعُ في الخَطوِ لاخِفَّةً

تُسارِعُ في الخَطوِ لاخِفَّةً

وَتَهتَزُّ في المَشيِ لامِن طَرَب

وَتَهتَزُّ في المَشيِ لامِن طَرَب

She quickens her steps, not from nimbleness,

She hurried in her steps lightness,

and sways as she walks, not from joy.

And swayed as she walked not from pleasure.

فَلَمّا بَدَت لَكَ دونَ البُيوتِ

فَلَمّا بَدَت لَكَ دونَ البُيوتِ

بَدا لَكَ مِنهُنَّ جَيشٌ لَجِب

بَدا لَكَ مِنهُنَّ جَيشٌ لَجِب

So when she appeared to you before the houses,

When the houses appeared to you below,

a clamorous host appeared to you from them.

An army of heroes appeared from them to you.

فَكُنتَ أَخاهُنَّ إِذ لا أَخٌ

فَكُنتَ أَخاهُنَّ إِذ لا أَخٌ

وَكُنتَ أَباهُنَّ إِذ لَيسَ أَب

وَكُنتَ أَباهُنَّ إِذ لَيسَ أَب

You were their brother when there was no brother,

You were their brother when there was no brother,

and you were their father when there was no father.

And you were their father when there was no father.

وَما زِلتَ مُذ كُنتَ تَأتي الجَميلَ

وَما زِلتَ مُذ كُنتَ تَأتي الجَميلَ

وَتَحمي الحَريمَ وَتَرعى النَسَب

وَتَحمي الحَريمَ وَتَرعى النَسَب

And since you came to be, you have never ceased to do good,

You have never ceased since you came to the beautiful one,

and to protect women and honor kinship.

Protecting the inviolable and preserving lineage.

وَتَغضَبُ حَتّى إِذا مامَلَكتَ

وَتَغضَبُ حَتّى إِذا مامَلَكتَ

أَطَعتَ الرِضا وَعَصَيتَ الغَضَب

أَطَعتَ الرِضا وَعَصَيتَ الغَضَب

And you grow angry until, once you gain mastery,

You would become angry until, when you controlled yourself,

you obey contentment and disobey anger.

You obeyed consent and disobeyed anger.

فَوَلَّينَ عَنكَ يُفَدَّينَها

فَوَلَّينَ عَنكَ يُفَدَّينَها

وَيَرفَعنَ مِن ذَيلِها ما اِنسَحَب

وَيَرفَعنَ مِن ذَيلِها ما اِنسَحَب

So they turned away from you, offering themselves as her ransom,

They turned away from you ransoming her,

and lifting the trailing part of her hem,

And raised from its train what had dragged.

يُنادينَ بَينَ خِلالِ البُيو

يُنادينَ بَينَ خِلالِ البُيو

تِ لايَقطَعِ اللَهُ نَسلَ العَرَب

تِ لايَقطَعِ اللَهُ نَسلَ العَرَب

calling out in the spaces between the houses:

They called between the houses,

"May God never cut off the Arabs' lineage!"

May God not cut off the lineage of the Arabs!

أَمَرتَ وَأَنتَ المُطاعُ الكَريمُ

أَمَرتَ وَأَنتَ المُطاعُ الكَريمُ

بِبَذلِ الأَمانِ وَرَدِّ السَلَب

بِبَذلِ الأَمانِ وَرَدِّ السَلَب

You commanded, you who are obeyed and noble,

You commanded, while you are the obeyed noble one,

that safety be granted and the spoils returned.

To grant safety and return the plunder.

وَقَد رُحنَ مِن مُهَجاتِ القُلوبِ

وَقَد رُحنَ مِن مُهَجاتِ القُلوبِ

بِأَوفَرِ غُنمٍ وَأَغلى نَشَب

بِأَوفَرِ غُنمٍ وَأَغلى نَشَب

And they had gone away, taking from the hearts' lifeblood

They gained from the core of hearts,

the richest booty and the most precious wealth.

The most abundant spoils and sweetest saplings.

فَإِن هُنَّ يا اِبنَ السَراةِ الكِرامِ

فَإِن هُنَّ يا اِبنَ السَراةِ الكِرامِ

رَدَدنَ القُلوبَ رَدَدنا النَهَب

رَدَدنَ القُلوبَ رَدَدنا النَهَب

So if they, O son of noble chieftains,

For they, O son of the generous honored ones,

return the hearts, we shall return the plunder.

Have returned hearts and returned plunder.