اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

THE LAST HOUR draws near, and the moon is split asunder! (1)

وَإِنْ يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُسْتَمِرٌّ

But if they [who reject all thought of the Last Hour] were to see a sign [of its approach], they would turn aside and say, "An ever-recurring delusion!" – (2)

وَكَذَّبُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُسْتَقِرٌّ

for they are bent on giving it the lie being always wont to follow their own desires. Yet everything reveals its truth in the end. (3)

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْبَاءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ

And withal, there has come unto them many a tiding that should have restrained [their arrogance]: (4)

حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُ

far-reaching wisdom [was held out to them]: but [since] all warnings have been of no avail, (5)

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ الدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَيْءٍ نُكُرٍ

turn thou away from them. On the Day when the Summoning Voice will summon [man] unto something that the mind cannot. conceive, (6)

خُشَّعًا أَبْصَارُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُنْتَشِرٌ

they will come forth from their graves, with their eyes downcast, [swarming about] like locusts scattered [by the wind], (7)

مُهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ يَقُولُ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌ

running in confusion towards the Summoning Voice; [and] those who [now] deny the truth will exclaim, "Calamitous is this Day!" (8)

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا مَجْنُونٌ وَازْدُجِرَ

[LONG] BEFORE those [who now deny resurrection] did Noah's people call it a lie; and they gave the lie to Our servant and said, "Mad is he!" – and he was repulsed. (9)

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ

Thereupon he called out to his Sustainer, "Verily, I am defeated; come Thou, then, to my succour!" (10)

فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ

And so We caused the gates of heaven to open with water pouring down in torrents, (11)

وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَالْتَقَى الْمَاءُ عَلَىٰ أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ

and caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so that the waters met for a purpose pre-ordained: (12)

وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ

but him We bore on that [vessel] made of [mere] planks and nails, (13)

تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ

and it floated under Our eyes: a recompense for him who had been rejected with ingratitude. (14)

وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْنَاهَا آيَةً فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

And, indeed, We have caused such [floating vessels] to remain forever a sign [of Our grace unto man]: who, then, is willing to take it to heart? (15)

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ

And how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded! (16)

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur'ān easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart? (17)

كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ

TO THE TRUTH gave the lie [the tribe of] 'ād: and how severe was the suffering which I inflicted when My warnings were disregarded! (18)

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِي يَوْمِ نَحْسٍ مُسْتَمِرٍّ

Behold, We let loose upon them a raging stormwind on a day of bitter misfortune: (19)

تَنْزِعُ النَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ مُنْقَعِرٍ

it swept the people away as though they were palm-trunks uprooted: (20)

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ

for how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded! (21)