Abasa

'Abasa wa tawallaa.

HE FROWNED and turned away

An jaa-ahul 'a-maa

because the blind man approached him!

Wa maa yudreeka la'allahu yaz zakkaa.

Yet for all thou didst know, [O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity,

Au yaz zak karu fatanfa 'ahuz zikraa.

or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this reminder.

Amma manis taghnaa

Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient

Fa-anta lahu tasaddaa

to him didst thou give thy whole attention,

Wa ma 'alaika allaa yaz zakka.

although thou art not accountable for his failure to attain to purity;

Wa amma man jaa-aka yas'a

but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness

Wahuwa yakhshaa,

and in awe [of God]

Fa-anta 'anhu talah haa.

him didst thou disregard!

Kalla innaha tazkirah

NAY, VERILY, these [messages] are but a reminder:

Faman shaa a zakarah

and so, whoever is willing may remember Him

Fi suhufim mukar rama,

in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity,

Marfoo'atim mutah hara,

lofty and pure,

Bi'aidee safara

[borne] by the hands of messengers

Kiraamim bararah.

noble and most virtuous.

Qutilal-insanu maa akfarah.

[But only too often] man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth!

Min aiyyi shai-in Khalaq

[Does man ever consider] out of what substance [God] creates him?

Min nutfah; khalaqahu faqad-darah.

Out of a drop of sperm He creates him, and thereupon determines his nature,

Thummas sabeela yas-sarah

and then makes it easy for him to go through life;

Thumma amatahu fa-aqbarah

and in the end He causes him to die and brings him to the grave;

Thumma iza shaa-a ansharah

and then, if it be His will, He shall raise him again to life,

Kalla lamma yaqdi maa amarah.

Nay, but [man] has never yet fulfilled what He has enjoined upon him!

Falyanzuril insanu ilaa ta-amih

Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food:

Anna sabab nalmaa-a sabba.

[how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down abundantly;

Thumma sha qaqnal-arda shaqqa.

and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder,

Fa ambatna feeha habba

and thereupon We cause grain to grow out of it,

Wa 'inabaw-wa qadba

and vines and edible plants,

Wa zaitoonaw wanakh la'

and olive trees and date-palms,

Wa hadaa-iqa ghulba

and gardens dense with foliage,

Wa faki hataw-wa abba.

and fruits and herbage,

Mata'al-lakum wa li-an'amikum.

for you and for your animals to enjoy.

Faiza jaa-atis saakhah.

AND SO, when the piercing call [of resurrection] is heard

Yauma yafir-rul mar-u min akheeh

on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother,

Wa ummihee wa abeeh

and from his mother and father,

Wa sahi batihee wa baneeh.

and from his spouse and his children:

Likul limri-im-minuhm yaumaa-izin shaa nuy-yughneeh

on that Day, to every one of them will his own state be of sufficient concern.

Wujoo huny-yauma-izim-musfira;

Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness,

Dahi katum mustab shirah

laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings.

Wa wujoohuy yauma-izin 'alaiha ghabar a

And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered,

Tarhaquha qatarah.

with darkness overspread:

Ulaa-ika humul-kafa ratul-fajarah.

these, these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity!