بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ

By the heaven, and the night-visitor,

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ

what do you know what the night-visitor is?

النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ

It is the piercing star.

إِنْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ

There is no living being but there is a protector over it.

فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ

So let man consider of what he was created.

خُلِقَ مِنْ مَاءٍ دَافِقٍ

He was created of a gushing fluid,

يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ

emanating from between the loins and the ribs.

إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ

Surely He (the Creator) has the power to bring him back (to life).

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ

On the Day when man's deepest secrets shall be put to the test

فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ

he shall have no power, and no helper.

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ

By the heaven with its recurring cycle of rain,

وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ

and by the earth ever bursting with verdure,

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ

this (Qur'an) is surely a decisive Word,

وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ

not a flippant jest.

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا

They are devising a guile,

وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا

and I too am devising a guile.

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا

So leave the unbelievers to themselves; respite them awhile.