وَالنَّازِعَاتِ غَرْقًا
CONSIDER those [stars] that rise only to set, (1)
وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا
and move [in their orbits] with steady motion, (2)
وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا
and float [through space] with floating serene, (3)
فَالسَّابِقَاتِ سَبْقًا
and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking: (4)
فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا
and thus they fulfil the [Creator's] behest! (5)
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاجِفَةُ
[HENCE, think of] the Day when a violent convulsion will convulse [the world], (6)
تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ
to be followed by further [convulsions]! (7)
قُلُوبٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاجِفَةٌ
On that Day will [men's] hearts be throbbing, (8)
أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ
[and] their eyes downcast.... (9)
يَقُولُونَ أَإِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِي الْحَافِرَةِ
[And yet,] some say, "What! Are we indeed to be restored to our former state – (10)
أَإِذَا كُنَّا عِظَامًا نَخِرَةً
even though we may have become [a heap of] crumbling bones?" (11)
قَالُوا تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ
[And] they add, "That, then, would be a return with loss!" (12)
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ
[But,] then, that [Last Hour] will be [upon them of a sudden, as if it were] but a single accusing cry – (13)
فَإِذَا هُمْ بِالسَّاهِرَةِ
and then, lo, they will be fully awakened [to the truth]! (14)
هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ
HAS THE STORY of Moses ever come within thy ken? (15)
إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
Lo! His Sustainer called out to him in the twice-hallowed valley: (16)
اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ
"Go unto Pharaoh – for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of what is right – (17)
فَقُلْ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَىٰ أَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ
and say [unto him], `Art thou desirous of attaining to purity? (18)
وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ
[If so,] then I shall guide thee towards [a cognition of] thy Sustainer, so that [henceforth] thou wilt stand in awe [of Him].'" (19)
فَأَرَاهُ الْآيَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ
And thereupon he [went to Pharaoh and] made him aware of the great wonder [of God's grace]. (20)
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ
But [Pharaoh] gave him the lie and rebelliously rejected [all guidance], (21)
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ
and brusquely turned his back [on Moses]; (22)
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ
and then he gathered [his great ones], and called [unto his people], (23)
فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ
and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!" (24)
فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَىٰ
And thereupon God took him to task, [and made him] a warning example in the life to come as well as in this world. (25)
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ
In this, behold, there is a lesson indeed for all who stand in awe [of God]. (26)
- But verily, it will be but a single (Compelling) Cry,5925
- 5925 Judgement will be inaugurated with a single compelling Cry. Cf. 37:19. See also 36:29 and 49, where the single mighty Blast seems to refer to the sinners being cut off in this life and plunged into the other world where they will be further judged, and 36:53, where the final Judgement is referred to.
-
But verily, it will be but a single (Compelling) Cry,
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Surely it will need but one shout,
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
But it shall be only a single cry,
— M. Habib Shakir -
But only, it will be a single Zajrah [shout (i.e., the second blowing of the Trumpet)]. (See Verse 37:19).
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
It will be only one scaring shout,
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
But it will be only a single blow,
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
Yes, it shall only be one scare,
— Ayub Khan -
It will only be a single cry,
— Sher Ali -
[But,] then, that [Last Hour] will be [upon them of a sudden, as if it were] but a single accusing cry –
— Muhammad Asad -
But it shall be only a single scare,
— Arthur Arberry -
Surely they will need no more than a single stern blast,
— Abu'l Ala Maududi