لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

NAY! I call to witness this land – (1)

وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

this land in which thou art free to dwell – (2)

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring: (3)

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil, and trial. (4)

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him? (5)

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

Does he, then, think that no one sees him? (7)

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not given him two eyes, (8)

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

and a tongue, and a pair of lips, (9)

وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? (10)

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road.... (11)

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road? (12)

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin], (13)

أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, (14)

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

of an orphan near of kin, (15)

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust – (16)

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion. (17)

أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

Such are they that have attained to righteousness; (18)

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil, (19)

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ

[with] fire closing in upon them. (20)