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