سبحانglory be to الباريءthe Creator للنّسمِof souls
سبحان الباريء للنّسمِ
وتباركand blessed is ربكyour Lord ذوpossessor of الكَرمِgenerosity
وتبارك ربك ذو الكَرمِ
Glory to the Creator of souls.
Glory be to the Originator of breath
And blessed is your Lord, possessor of bounty.
And blessed is your Lord, the Generous
وتعالىand exalted is اللهُAllah عزّHe is mighty وجلّand majestic
وتعالى اللهُ عزّ وجلّ
وليُّbestower of النعمةfavor والنِّعمand blessings
وليُّ النعمة والنِّعم
And exalted is Allah, mighty and majestic,
Exalted is Allah, Mighty and Majestic
Bestower of favor and blessings.
The Master of bounty and blessing
وهوand He الحيّthe Ever-Living القيومthe Self-Subsisting Sustainer بِلاَwithout
وهو الحيّ القيوم بِلاَ
سنةdrowsiness أَخذتهovertook Him ولمand has not يَنَمِslept
سنة أَخذته ولم يَنَمِ
And He is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, without
The Ever Living, the Eternal, without
Slumber overtaking Him; nor has He slept.
Slumber that seized Him nor sleep
والآخِرُand the Last بعدُafterward بلاwithout أَمَدٍan endpoint
والآخِرُ بعدُ بلا أَمَدٍ
والأوّلُand the First قبلُbeforehand علىin القدمِeternal pre-existence
والأوّلُ قبلُ على القدمِ
And the Last after all, without an end,
The Last with no end after
And the First before all, eternally pre-existent.
The First before all from the beginning
منشىoriginator of الأحياءthe living منfrom المَوتىthe dead
منشى الأحياء من المَوتى
مُبْديbringer forth of الأنوارlights منfrom الظُلمdarkness
مُبْدي الأنوار من الظُلم
Originator of the living from the dead,
Source of life for the living from death
Bringer of lights out of darkness.
Displayer of lights from darkness
ويميتُand causes to die العالَمthe world ثمّthen هوَHe الthe
ويميتُ العالَم ثمّ هوَ ال
مُحييGiver of life لهمُto them بعدafter الرّمَمِdecayed bones
مُحيي لهمُ بعد الرّمَمِ
And He brings the world to death; then He is the
Who brings death to the world, then He
Giver of life to them after their bones have decayed.
Revives them after decay
ملكٌKing أَحدٌOne فردٌUnique صَمدٌSelf-Sufficient
ملكٌ أَحدٌ فردٌ صَمدٌ
مُحصِreckoner للخلقof creation بلاwithout سأمِweariness
مُحصِ للخلق بلا سأمِ
King, One, Unique, the Self-Sufficient,
A One, Matchless King, Eternal Refuge
Reckoner of creation, without weariness.
Counter of creation without fatigue
هوHe أَبداهbrought it forth ويعيدand brings back كماjust as
هو أَبداه ويعيد كما
هوHe أَوجدهbrought it into being بعدafter العدمِnonexistence
هو أَوجده بعد العدمِ
He brought it forth and brings it back, just as
He initiated them and will repeat as
He brought it into being after nonexistence.
He originated them after nothingness
وكذلكand likewise الطفلthe child بَراهُHe fashioned him وأَنْand brought…
وكذلك الطفل بَراهُ وأَنْ
شأَهُ…him into being حَمْلاas a fetus بعدafter الوَحَمِpregnancy's cravings
شأَهُ حَمْلا بعد الوَحَمِ
Likewise He fashioned the child and brought
And so the babe He showed and
him into being as a fetus after pregnancy's cravings.
Raised it carried after pregnancy
وقضىand decreed بيسيرwith ease ولادتهhis birth
وقضى بيسير ولادته
إذwhen صارhe became جنيناًa fetus فيin الرّحمِthe womb
إذ صار جنيناً في الرّحمِ
And decreed ease for his birth
And ordained its easy birth
When he became a fetus in the womb.
When it became a fetus in the womb
وسَقاهُand gave him to drink الّرةmilk (probable reading) مرتَفعاًgrowing
وسَقاهُ الّرة مرتَفعاً
وغذاهand nourished him بمأكلwith the food of منفطمِa weaned child
وغذاه بمأكل منفطمِ
And gave him milk to drink as he grew,
And nourished it the breast milk raised
And nourished him with a weaned child's food.
And fed it weaned food
والريحُand the wind لواقحَfertilizing أَرسَلهاHe sent it
والريحُ لواقحَ أَرسَلها
فتثيرُso it stirs up سحائبclouds بالرَّهمِwith gentle rains
فتثيرُ سحائب بالرَّهمِ
And He sent the wind as a bearer of fertility,
And the wind as pollinator He sent
So it stirs up clouds laden with gentle rain.
Stirring clouds with thunder
فتصيبthen they reach الأرضthe earth فتنبتهاand make it sprout
فتصيب الأرض فتنبتها
خضْراًgreen growth فيin القاعthe plain وفيand on الأكمِthe hillocks
خضْراً في القاع وفي الأكمِ
They then reach the earth and make it sprout
Which strike the earth growing
Green growth on the plain and on the hillocks:
Greenery on plain and hill
مَرعىpasture وفواكهَand fruits قدرهاHe apportioned them
مَرعى وفواكهَ قدرها
رزقاًas provision لعبادٍfor servants والنَّعمand livestock
رزقاً لعبادٍ والنَّعم
Pasture and fruits, which He apportioned
Pasture and fruits measured
As provision for servants and livestock.
Provision for servants and blessing
فتظلso they continue تدرْyielding لناfor us لبناًmilk
فتظل تدرْ لنا لبناً
يتميّزis distinct منfrom فَرثٍdung in the gut وَدَمِand blood
يتميّز من فَرثٍ وَدَمِ
So they go on yielding milk for us,
Remaining pouring for us milk
Distinct from dung and blood.
Distinguished from dung and blood
والمرءُand a person يقولsays ويفعلand does مَاwhat
والمرءُ يقول ويفعل مَا
قدalready حُطّwas set down وقُدّرand decreed بالقَلمِby the pen
قد حُطّ وقُدّر بالقَلمِ
And a person says and does what
And man says and does what
Has already been set down and decreed by the pen.
Was destined by the pen
منْwhoever أَخطأerrs ليمَis blamed ومنand whoever رُزِقَis granted
منْ أَخطأ ليمَ ومن رُزِقَ
التّوفيقdivinely aided success أَصابَgets it right ولمand is not يُلمِblamed
التّوفيق أَصابَ ولم يُلمِ
Whoever errs is blamed, and whoever is granted
Who errs is blamed and who’s granted
Success hits the mark and is not blamed.
Success hits the mark and is not blamed
والرزقand sustenance تجاهدyou strive for مطلبهits pursuit
والرزق تجاهد مطلبه
وينالand is obtained علىaccording to قدرthe measure of القسمِthe allotted share
وينال على قدر القسمِ
And sustenance—you strive in pursuit of it,
And sustenance is struggled for
And it is obtained in proportion to the allotted share.
And attained by the allotted share
عجباًhow astonishing! للمرءat man وكيفَand how يُسَرُّhe rejoices
عجباً للمرء وكيفَ يُسَرُّ
وكيفand how يلَذُّhe takes pleasure بمنصَرمِin what passes away
وكيف يلَذُّ بمنصَرمِ
How strange is man—and how can he rejoice,
Wondrous is man and how he’s made happy
And how can he delight in what passes away?
And how he enjoys the fleeting
ويصيرand turns الحسنُbeauty إلىinto سَمجٍugliness
ويصير الحسنُ إلى سَمجٍ
والّلذةand pleasure تُعقبis followed بالألمِby pain
والّلذة تُعقب بالألمِ
And beauty turns to ugliness,
And beauty turns to ugliness
And pleasure is followed by pain.
And pleasure followed by pain
كمhow many منa ملكٍking أوفىhad in abundance عدداًnumbers
كم من ملكٍ أوفى عدداً
فبنىso he built ليقيمto dwell ولمand did not يُقِمِdwell
فبنى ليقيم ولم يُقِمِ
How many a king had numbers in abundance,
How many a king fulfilled his days
So he built to dwell, yet did not dwell.
Then built to reside but did not remain
أَولميرand has he not seen? كيفhow أصابit struck وكمْand how many
أَولمير كيف أصاب وكمْ
أفنىannihilated الحدثانُtime's vicissitudes منof الأممِthe nations
أفنى الحدثانُ من الأممِ
And has he not seen how it struck, and how many
Like Ozymandias, what befell him and how many
Nations the vicissitudes of time annihilated?
Civilizations the sands erased
قَسَرَoverpowered الأملاكَthe kings طغواacted tyrannically وبغواand transgressed
قَسَرَ الأملاكَ طغوا وبغوا
وعتواand grew insolent بالمالwith wealth وبالخَيمِand with tents
وعتوا بالمال وبالخَيمِ
It subdued kings who tyrannized and transgressed,
They ruled lands, arrogant and unjust
And grew insolent with wealth and tents.
Tyrants in wealth and tents
فبنواso they built شمّاءَa lofty structure مشيّدةًfirmly built
فبنوا شمّاءَ مشيّدةً
ومصانعَand palaces مشرفةsoaring الأُطُمِfortified towers
ومصانعَ مشرفة الأُطُمِ
So they built lofty, firmly raised structures,
Building lofty decorated
And palaces with soaring fortified towers,
Edifices and towering landmarks
حتَّىuntil بلغواthey reached أمداًa term وسطتand assailed
حتَّى بلغوا أمداً وسطت
بهمupon them شنعاءa hideous calamity منamong الرَّقمِdisasters
بهم شنعاء من الرَّقمِ
Until they reached their term, and there pounced
Until they reached an appointed time
Upon them a hideous calamity among disasters.
Seized by a lion made of sand
والحيّand the people بمأربat Ma'rib منof سَبأٍSaba'
والحيّ بمأرب من سَبأٍ
أودىbrought ruin بهمupon them سيلُthe flood of العَرِمِal-'Arim
أودى بهم سيلُ العَرِمِ
And the people of Saba' at Ma'rib—
And the living of Ma’rib from Sheba
The flood of al-'Arim brought them to ruin.
Washed away by the flood of the dam