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)
- and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!"10
- 10 Cf. 28:38 and the corresponding note 36. Pharaoh's claim to divine status is the cardinal sin whereby "he has transgressed all bounds of what is right" (verse 17 above).
-
Saying, "I am your Lord, Most High".
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
And proclaimed: "I (Pharaoh) am your Lord the Highest."
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Then he said: I am your lord, the most high.
— M. Habib Shakir -
Saying: "I am your lord, most high",
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
And he said: I am Your Lord, most high.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
'I am your lord, the most high! '
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
and he said, `I am your lord, the most high';
— Ayub Khan -
Saying, 'I am your Lord, the Most High.
— Sher Ali -
and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!"
— Muhammad Asad -
and proclaimed, and he said, I am your Lord, the Most High!
— Arthur Arberry -
"I am the supreme lord of you all."
— Abu'l Ala Maududi