Chapter 80, 42 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عبس وتولى
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. He frowned and turned away
He frowned and turned (his) back,
The Prophet frowned and turned away
أن جاءه الأعمى
Because the blind man came unto him.
Because there came to him the blind man.
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)
And what would make you know that he would purify himself,
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him ?
Or become reminded so that the reminder should profit him?
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
أما من استغنى
As for him who thinketh himself independent,
As for him who considers himself free from need (of you),
As for he who thinks himself without need,
فأنت له تصدى
Unto him thou payest regard.
To him do you address yourself.
To him you give attention.
وما عليك ألا يزكى
Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace).
And no blame is on you if he would not purify himself
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
وأما من جاءك يسعى
But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose
And as to him who comes to you striving hard,
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
وهو يخشى
And hath fear,
And he fears,
While he fears [Allah],
فأنت عنه تلهى
From him thou art distracted.
From him will you divert yourself.
From him you are distracted.
كلا إنها تذكرة
Nay, but verily it is an Admonishment,
Nay! surely it is an admonishment.
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
فمن شاء ذكره
So let whosoever will pay heed to it,
So let him who pleases mind it.
So whoever wills may remember it.
في صحف مكرمة
On honoured leaves
In honored books,
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted, purified,
Exalted, purified,
Exalted and purified,
بأيدي سفرة
(Set down) by scribes
In the hands of scribes
[Carried] by the hands of messenger - angels,
كرام بررة
Noble and righteous.
Noble, virtuous.
Noble and dutiful.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Man is (self - )destroyed: how ungrateful!
Cursed be man! how ungrateful is he!
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
من أي شيء خلقه
From what thing doth He create him ?
Of what thing did He create him?
From what substance did He create him?
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him,
Of a small seed; He created him, then He made him according to a measure,
From a sperm - drop He created him and destined for him;
ثم السبيل يسره
Then maketh the way easy for him,
Then (as for) the way - - He has made it easy (for him)
Then He eased the way for him;
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then causeth him to die, and burieth him;
Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave,
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then, when He will, He bringeth him again to life.
Then when He pleases, He will raise him to life again.
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
Nay, but (man) hath not done what He commanded him.
Nay; but he has not done what He bade him.
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Let man consider his food:
Then let man look to his food,
Then let mankind look at his food -
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
How We pour water in showers
That We pour down the water, pouring (it) down in abundance,
How We poured down water in torrents,
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then split the earth in clefts
Then We cleave the earth, cleaving (it) asunder,
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And cause the grain to grow therein
Then We cause to grow therein the grain,
And caused to grow within it grain
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and green fodder
And grapes and clover,
And grapes and herbage
وزيتونا ونخلا
And olive - trees and palm - trees
And the olive and the palm,
And olive and palm trees
وحدائق غلبا
And garden - closes of thick foliage
And thick gardens,
And gardens of dense shrubbery
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruits and grasses:
And fruits and herbage
And fruit and grass -
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
Provision for you and your cattle.
A provision for you and for your cattle.
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
But when the Shout cometh
But when the deafening cry comes,
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
يوم يفر المرء من أخيه
On the day when a man fleeth from his brother
The day on which a man shall fly from his brother,
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
وأمه وأبيه
And his mother and his father
And his mother and his father,
And his mother and his father
وصاحبته وبنيه
And his wife and his children,
And his spouse and his son - -
And his wife and his children,
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
Every man that day will have concern enough to make him heedless (of others).
Every man of them shall on that day have an affair which will occupy him.
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
On that day faces will be bright as dawn,
(Many) faces on that day shall be bright,
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
ضاحكة مستبشرة
Laughing, rejoicing at good news;
Laughing, joyous.
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
And other faces, on that day, with dust upon them,
And (many) faces on that day, on them shall be dust,
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
ترهقها قترة
Veiled in darkness,
Darkness shall cover them.
Blackness will cover them.
أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked.
These are they who are unbelievers, the wicked.
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.