وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا
OH, the chargers that run panting, (1)
فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا
sparks of fire striking, (2)
فَالْمُغِيرَاتِ صُبْحًا
rushing to assault at morn, (3)
فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِ نَقْعًا
thereby raising clouds of dust, (4)
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا
thereby storming [blindly] into any host! (5)
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ
VERILY, towards his Sustainer man is most ungrateful (6)
وَإِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ
and to this, behold, he [himself] bears witness indeed: (7)
وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ
for, verily, to the love of wealth is he most ardently devoted. (8)
أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ
But does he not know that [on the Last Day,] when all that is in the graves is raised and brought out, (9)
وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ
and all that is [hidden] in men's hearts is bared (10)
إِنَّ رَبَّهُمْ بِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَخَبِيرٌ
that on that Day their Sustainer [will show that He] has always been fully aware of them? (11)
- OH,1 the chargers that run panting,
- 1 Since the subsequent clauses refer to a parabolic, imaginary situation, the adjurative particle wa is more suitably rendered here as "Oh", instead of the rendering "Consider" usually adopted by me, or the adjuration "By" appearing in most other translations.
- By the (Steeds)6241 that run, with panting (breath),
- 6241 The substantive proposition is in verses 6-8 below, and the metaphors and symbols enforcing the lesson are in verses 1-5 here. These symbols have at least three layers of mystic meaning: (1) Look at the chargers (mares or swift camels) panting for war on behalf of their masters. Off they go, striking fire with their hoofs by night at the behest of their riders; they push home the charge in the morning, chivalrously giving the enemy the benefit of daylight; and regardless of flashing steel or the weapons of their enemies they boldly penetrate into the midst of their foe, risking their lives for the Cause. Does unregenerate man show that fidelity to his Lord Allah? On the contrary he is ungrateful to Allah; he shows that by his deeds; he is violently in love with wealth and gain and things that perish. (2) By the figure of metonymy the brave fidelity of the war horse may stand for that of the brave and true men who rally to the standard of Allah and carry it to victory, contrasted with the poltroonery and pettiness of unregenerate man. (3) The whole conflict, fighting, and victory, may be applied to spiritual warfare against those who are caught and overwhelmed by the camp of Evil.
-
By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
By the snorting courses,
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
I swear by the runners breathing pantingly,
— M. Habib Shakir -
By the (steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
By the chargers panting,
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
By the snorting runners (the horses),
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
By the snorting chargers,
— Ayub Khan -
By the snorting charges
— Sher Ali -
OH, the chargers that run panting,
— Muhammad Asad -
By the snorting chargers,
— Arthur Arberry -
By (the horses) that charge snorting,{{1}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi