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