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