| | Edward Henry Palmer rendition of Surah Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers(as-Saffat) --- |
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| 37:1 | | By the (angels) ranged in ranks, |
| 37:2 | | and the drivers driving, |
| 37:3 | | and the reciters of the reminder, |
| 37:4 | | 'Verily, your God is one, |
| 37:5 | | the Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between the two, and the Lord of the sunrises!' |
| 37:6 | | Verily, we have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars, |
| 37:7 | | and to preserve it from every rebellious devil, |
| 37:8 | | that they may not listen to the exalted chiefs; for they are hurled at from every side, |
| 37:9 | | driven off, and for them is lasting woe; |
| 37:10 | | save such as snatches off a word, and there follows him a darting flame! |
| 37:11 | | Ask them whether they are stronger by nature or (the angels) whom we have created? We have created them of sticky clay. |
| 37:12 | | Nay, thou dost wonder and they jest! |
| 37:13 | | and when they are reminded they will not remember; |
| 37:14 | | and when they see a sign they make a jest thereof, |
| 37:15 | | and say, 'This is naught but obvious sorcery. |
| 37:16 | | What! when we are dead, and have become earth and bones, shall we then be raised? |
| 37:17 | | what! and our fathers of yore?' |
| 37:18 | | Say, 'Yes, and ye shall shrink up, |
| 37:19 | | and it shall only be one scare, and, behold, they shall look on, |
| 37:20 | | and they shall say, 'O, woe is us! this is the day of judgment, |
| 37:21 | | this is the day of decision, which ye did call a lie!' |
| 37:22 | | Gather ye together, ye who were unjust, with their mates and what they used to serve |
| 37:23 | | beside God, and guide them to the way of hell, |
| 37:24 | | and stop them; verily, they shall be questioned. |
| 37:25 | | 'Why do ye not help each other?' |
| 37:26 | | nay, on that day they shall resign themselves, |
| 37:27 | | and some shall draw near to others, to question each other, |
| 37:28 | | and they shall say, 'Verily, ye came to us from the right.' |
| 37:29 | | They shall say, 'Nay, ye were not believers, |
| 37:30 | | nor had we any authority over you; nay, ye were an outrageous people. |
| 37:31 | | And the sentence of our Lord shall be due for us; verily, we shall surely taste thereof; |
| 37:32 | | we did seduce you - verily, we were erring too!' |
| 37:33 | | therefore, verily, on that day they shall share the torment: |
| 37:34 | | thus it is that we will do with the sinners. |
| 37:35 | | Verily, when it is said to them, 'There is no god but God,' they get too big with pride, |
| 37:36 | | and say, 'What! shall we leave our gods for an infatuated poet?' |
| 37:37 | | Nay, he came with the truth, and verified the apostles; |
| 37:38 | | verily, ye are going to taste of grievous woe, |
| 37:39 | | nor shall ye be rewarded save for that which ye have done! |
| 37:40 | | Except God's sincere servants, |
| 37:41 | | these shall have a stated provision |
| 37:42 | | of fruits, and they shall be honoured |
| 37:43 | | in the gardens of pleasure, |
| 37:44 | | upon couches facing each other; |
| 37:45 | | they shall be served all round with a cup from a spring, |
| 37:46 | | white and delicious to those who drink, |
| 37:47 | | wherein is no insidious spirit, nor shall they be drunk therewith; |
| 37:48 | | and with them damsels, restraining their looks, large eyed; |
| 37:49 | | as though they were a sheltered egg; |
| 37:50 | | and some shall come forward to ask others; |
| 37:51 | | and a speaker amongst them shall say, 'Verily, I had a mate, |
| 37:52 | | who used to say, "Art thou verily of those who credit? |
| 37:53 | | What! when we are dead, and have become earth and bones, shall we be surely judged?"' |
| 37:54 | | He will say, 'Are ye looking down?' |
| 37:55 | | and he shall look down and see him in the midst of hell. |
| 37:56 | | He shall say, 'By God, thou didst nearly ruin me! |
| 37:57 | | And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I should have been among the arraigned.' - |
| 37:58 | | 'What! shall we not die save our first death? |
| 37:59 | | and shall we not be tormented?- |
| 37:60 | | Verily, this is mighty bliss! |
| 37:61 | | for the like of this then let the workers work.' |
| 37:62 | | Is that better as an entertainment, or the tree of Ez Zaqqum? |
| 37:63 | | Verily, we have made it a trial to the unjust. |
| 37:64 | | Verily, it is a tree that comes forth from the bottom of hell; |
| 37:65 | | its spathe is as it were the heads of devils; |
| 37:66 | | verily, they shall eat therefrom, and fill their bellies therefrom. |
| 37:67 | | Then shall they have upon it a mixture of boiling water; |
| 37:68 | | then, verily, their return shall be to hell. |
| 37:69 | | Verily, they found their fathers erring, |
| 37:70 | | and they hurried on in their tracks; |
| 37:71 | | but there had erred before them most of those of yore, |
| 37:72 | | and we had sent warners amongst them. |
| 37:73 | | Behold, then, what was the end of those who were warned, |
| 37:74 | | save God's sincere servants! |
| 37:75 | | Noah did call upon us, and a gracious answer did we give; |
| 37:76 | | and we saved him and his people from a mighty trouble; |
| 37:77 | | and we made his seed to be the survivors; |
| 37:78 | | and we left for him amongst posterity |
| 37:79 | | 'peace upon Noah in the worlds; |
| 37:80 | | verily, thus do we reward those who do well; |
| 37:81 | | verily, he was of our believing servants.' |
| 37:82 | | Then we drowned the others. |
| 37:83 | | And, verily, of his sect was Abraham; |
| 37:84 | | when he came to his Lord with a sound heart; |
| 37:85 | | when he said to his father and his people, 'What is it that ye serve? |
| 37:86 | | with a lie do ye desire gods beside God? |
| 37:87 | | What then is your thought respecting the Lord of the worlds?' |
| 37:88 | | And he looked a look at the stars |
| 37:89 | | and said, 'Verily, I am sick!' |
| 37:90 | | and they turned their backs upon him fleeing. |
| 37:91 | | And he went aside unto their gods and said, 'Will ye not eat? |
| 37:92 | | What ails you that ye will not speak?' |
| 37:93 | | And he went aside to them smiting with the right hand. |
| 37:94 | | And they rushed towards him. |
| 37:95 | | Said he, 'Do ye serve what ye hew out, |
| 37:96 | | when God has created you, and what ye make?' |
| 37:97 | | Said they, 'Build for him a pyre, and throw him into the flaming hell!' |
| 37:98 | | They desired to plot against him, but we made them inferior. |
| 37:99 | | Said he, 'Verily, I am going to my Lord, He will guide me. |
| 37:100 | | My Lord! grant me (a son), one of the righteous;' |
| 37:101 | | and we gave him glad tidings of a clement boy. |
| 37:102 | | And when he reached the age to work with him, he said, 'O my boy! verily, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice thee, look then what thou seest right.' Said he, 'O my sire! do what thou art bidden; thou wilt find me, if it please God, one of the patient!' |
| 37:103 | | And when they were resigned, and Abraham had thrown him down upon his forehead, |
| 37:104 | | we called to him, 'O Abraham! |
| 37:105 | | thou hast verified the vision; verily, thus do we reward those who do well. |
| 37:106 | | This is surely an obvious trial.' |
| 37:107 | | And we ransomed him with a mighty victim; |
| 37:108 | | and we left for him amongst posterity, |
| 37:109 | | 'Peace upon Abraham; |
| 37:110 | | thus do we reward those who do well; |
| 37:111 | | verily, he was of our servants who believe!' |
| 37:112 | | And we gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a prophet among the righteous; |
| 37:113 | | and we blessed him and Isaac;- of their seed is one who does well, and one who obviously wrongs himself. |
| 37:114 | | And we were gracious unto Moses and Aaron. |
| 37:115 | | We saved them and their people from mighty trouble, |
| 37:116 | | and we helped them and they had the upper hand; |
| 37:117 | | and we gave them both the perspicuous Book; |
| 37:118 | | and we guided them to the right way; |
| 37:119 | | and we left for them amongst posterity, |
| 37:120 | | 'Peace upon Moses and Aaron; |
| 37:121 | | verily, thus do we reward those who do well; |
| 37:122 | | verily, they were both of our servants who believe!' |
| 37:123 | | And verily Elyas was of the apostles; |
| 37:124 | | when he said to his people, 'Will ye not fear? |
| 37:125 | | do ye call upon Baal and leave the best of Creators, |
| 37:126 | | God your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of yore?' |
| 37:127 | | But they called him liar; verily, they shall surely be arraigned, |
| 37:128 | | save God's sincere servants. |
| 37:129 | | And we, left for him amongst posterity, |
| 37:130 | | 'Peace upon Elyasin; |
| 37:131 | | verily, thus do we reward those who do well; |
| 37:132 | | verily, he was of our servants who believe!' |
| 37:133 | | And, verily, Lot was surely among the apostles; |
| 37:134 | | when we saved him and his people altogether, |
| 37:135 | | except an old woman amongst those who lingered; |
| 37:136 | | then we destroyed the others; |
| 37:137 | | verily, ye pass by them in the morning |
| 37:138 | | and at night; have ye then no sense? |
| 37:139 | | And, verily, Jonah was amongst the apostles |
| 37:140 | | when he ran away into the laden ship; |
| 37:141 | | and he cast lots and was of those who lost; |
| 37:142 | | and a fish swallowed him, for he was to be blamed; |
| 37:143 | | and had it not been that he was of those who celebrated God's praises |
| 37:144 | | he would surely have tarried in the belly thereof to the day when men shall be raised. |
| 37:145 | | But we cast him on to the barren shore; and he was sick; |
| 37:146 | | and we made to grow over him a gourd tree; |
| 37:147 | | and we sent him to a hundred thousand or more, |
| 37:148 | | and they believed; and we gave them enjoyment for a season. |
| 37:149 | | Ask them, 'Has thy Lord daughters while they have sons? |
| 37:150 | | or have we created the angels females while they were witnesses?' |
| 37:151 | | is it not of their lie that they say, |
| 37:152 | | 'God has begotten?' verily, they are liars. |
| 37:153 | | Has he preferred daughters to sons? |
| 37:154 | | what ails you? how ye judge! |
| 37:155 | | will ye not be mindful, |
| 37:156 | | or have ye obvious authority? |
| 37:157 | | then bring your Book if ye do speak the truth. |
| 37:158 | | And they made him to be related to the ginns, while the ginns know that they shall be arraigned; |
| 37:159 | | celebrated be God's praises from what they attribute!- |
| 37:160 | | save God's sincere servants. |
| 37:161 | | 'Verily, ye and what ye worship |
| 37:162 | | shall not try any one concerning him, |
| 37:163 | | save him who shall broil in hell; |
| 37:164 | | there is none amongst us but has his appointed place, and, |
| 37:165 | | verily, we are ranged, and, |
| 37:166 | | verily, we celebrate His praises. |
| 37:167 | | And yet they say, |
| 37:168 | | 'Had we a reminder from those of yore |
| 37:169 | | we should surely have been of God's sincere servants.' |
| 37:170 | | But they misbelieved in it; but soon shall they know. |
| 37:171 | | But our word has been passed to our servants who were sent |
| 37:172 | | that they should be helped; |
| 37:173 | | that, verily, our hosts should gain mastery for them. |
| 37:174 | | Then turn thou thy back upon them for a time, |
| 37:175 | | and look upon them, for soon they too shall look. |
| 37:176 | | Would they hasten on our torment? |
| 37:177 | | but when it descends in their court, ill will the morning be of those who have been warned! |
| 37:178 | | But turn thy back upon them for a time; |
| 37:179 | | and look, for soon they too shall look. |
| 37:180 | | Celebrated be the praises of thy Lord, the Lord of glory, above what they attribute! |
| 37:181 | | and peace be upon the apostles |
| 37:182 | | and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds! |