1. By the break of Day
2. By the Nights twice five;
3. By the even and odd
(contrasted);
4. And by the Night when it
passeth away;-
5. Is there (not) in these an
adjuration (or evidence) for
those who understand?
6. Seest thou not how thy Lord
dealt with the 'Ad (people),-
7. Of the (city of) Iram, with
lofty pillars,
8. The like of which were not
produced in (all) the land?
9. And with the Thamud (people),
who cut out (huge) rocks in the
valley?-
10. And with Pharaoh, lord of
stakes?
11. (All) these transgressed
beyond bounds in the lands,
12. And heaped therein mischief
(on mischief).
13. Therefore did thy Lord pour
on them a scourge of diverse
chastisements:
14. For thy Lord is (as a
Guardian) on a watch-tower.
15. Now, as for man, when his
Lord trieth him, giving him
honour and gifts, then saith he,
(puffed up), "My Lord hath
honoured me."
16. But when He trieth him,
restricting his subsistence for
him, then saith he (in despair),
"My Lord hath humiliated me!"
17. Nay, nay! but ye honour not
the orphans!
18. Nor do ye encourage one
another to feed the poor!-
19. And ye devour inheritance -
all with greed,
20. And ye love wealth with
inordinate love!
21. Nay! When the earth is
pounded to powder,
22. And thy Lord cometh, and His
angels, rank upon rank,
23. And Hell, that Day, is
brought (face to face),- on that
Day will man remember, but how
will that remembrance profit
him?
24. He will say: "Ah! Would that
I had sent forth (good deeds)
for (this) my (Future) Life!"
25. For, that Day, His
Chastisement will be such as
none (else) can inflict,
26. And His bonds will be such
as none (other) can bind.
27. (To the righteous soul will
be said:) "O (thou) soul, in
(complete) rest and
satisfaction!
28. "Come back thou to thy
Lord,- well pleased (thyself),
and well-pleasing unto Him!
29. "Enter thou, then, among My
devotees!
30. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven! |