عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

HE FROWNED and turned away (1)

أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ

because the blind man approached him! (2)

وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ

Yet for all thou didst know, [O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity, (3)

أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ

or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this reminder. (4)

أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ

Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient – (5)

فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ

to him didst thou give thy whole attention, (6)

وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ

although thou art not accountable for his failure to attain to purity; (7)

وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ

but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness (8)

وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ

and in awe [of God] – (9)

فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ

him didst thou disregard! (10)

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ

NAY, VERILY, these [messages] are but a reminder: (11)

فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ

and so, whoever is willing may remember Him (12)

فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ

in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity, (13)

مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ

lofty and pure, (14)

بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ

[borne] by the hands of messengers (15)

كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ

noble and most virtuous. (16)

قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ

[But only too often] man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth! (17)

مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ

[Does man ever consider] out of what substance [God] creates him? (18)

مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ

Out of a drop of sperm He creates him, and thereupon determines his nature, (19)

ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ

and then makes it easy for him to go through life; (20)

ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ

and in the end He causes him to die and brings him to the grave; (21)

ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْشَرَهُ

and then, if it be His will, He shall raise him again to life. (22)

كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ

Nay, but [man] has never yet fulfilled what He has enjoined upon him! (23)

فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ

Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food: (24)

أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا

[how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down abundantly; (25)

ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا

and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder, (26)

فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا

and thereupon We cause grain to grow out of it, (27)

وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا

and vines and edible plants, (28)

وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا

and olive trees and date-palms, (29)

وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا

and gardens dense with foliage, (30)

وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا

and fruits and herbage, (31)

مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ

for you and for your animals to enjoy. (32)

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ

AND SO, when the piercing call [of resurrection] is heard (33)

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ

on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother, (34)

وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ

and from his mother and father, (35)

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ

and from his spouse and his children: (36)

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ

Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness, (38)

ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ

laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings. (39)

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ

And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered, (40)

تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

with darkness overspread: (41)

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ

these, these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity! (42)