Surah Ash-Shu`arā (The Poets) in English

1. قال فعلتها إذا وأنا من الضالين

   20

   He said, ‘I did that when I was astray.

   qāla faʿaltuhā ʾidhan wa-ʾana mina ḍ-ḍāllīna

2. ففررت منكم لما خفتكم فوهب لي ربي حكما وجعلني من المرسلين

   21

   So I fled from you, as I was afraid of you. Then my Lord gave me sound judgement and made me one of the apostles.

   fa-farartu minkum lammā khiftukum fa-wahaba lī rabbī ḥukman wa-jaʿalanī mina l-mursalīna

3. وتلك نعمة تمنها علي أن عبدت بني إسرائيل

   22

   That you have enslaved the Children of Israel—is that the favour with which you reproach me?’

   wa-tilka niʿmatun tamunnuhā ʿalayya ʾan ʿabbadta banī ʾisrāʾīla

4. قال فرعون وما رب العالمين

   23

   He said, ‘And what is ‘‘the Lord of all the worlds?’’ ’

   qāla firʿawnu wa-mā rabbu l-ʿālamīna

5. قال رب السماوات والأرض وما بينهما إن كنتم موقنين

   24

   He said, ‘The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them,—should you have conviction.’

   qāla rabbu s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi wa-mā baynahumā ʾin kuntum mūqinīna

6. قال لمن حوله ألا تستمعون

   25

   He said to those who were around him, ‘Don’t you hear?!’

   qāla li-man ḥawlahū ʾa-lā tastamiʿūna

7. قال ربكم ورب آبائكم الأولين

   26

   He said, ‘Your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers!’

   qāla rabbukum wa-rabbu ʾābāʾikumu l-ʾawwalīna

8. قال إن رسولكم الذي أرسل إليكم لمجنون

   27

   He said, ‘Indeed your messenger, who has been sent to you, is surely crazy!’

   qāla ʾinna rasūlakumu lladhī ʾursila ʾilaykum la-majnūnun

9. قال رب المشرق والمغرب وما بينهما إن كنتم تعقلون

   28

   He said, ‘The Lord of the east and the west and whatever is between them—should you exercise your reason.’

   qāla rabbu l-mashriqi wa-l-maghribi wa-mā baynahumā ʾin kuntum taʿqilūna

10. قال لئن اتخذت إلها غيري لأجعلنك من المسجونين

    29

    He said, ‘If you take up any god other than me, I will surely make you a prisoner!’

    qāla la-ʾini ttakhadhta ʾilāhan ghayrī la-ʾajʿalannaka mina l-masjūnīna

11. قال أولو جئتك بشيء مبين

    30

    He said, ‘What if I bring you something [as an] unmistakable [proof]?’

    qāla ʾa-wa-law jiʾtuka bi-shayʾin mubīnin

12. قال فأت به إن كنت من الصادقين

    31

    He said, ‘Then bring it, should you be truthful.’

    qāla fa-ʾti bihī ʾin kunta mina ṣ-ṣādiqīna

13. فألقى عصاه فإذا هي ثعبان مبين

    32

    Thereat he threw down his staff, and behold, it was a manifest python.

    fa-ʾalqā ʿaṣāhu fa-ʾidhā hiya thuʿbānun mubīnun

14. ونزع يده فإذا هي بيضاء للناظرين

    33

    Then he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white and bright to the onlookers.

    wa-nazaʿa yadahū fa-ʾidhā hiya bayḍāʾu li-n-nāẓirīna

15. قال للملإ حوله إن هذا لساحر عليم

    34

    He said to the elite [who stood] around him, ‘This is indeed an expert magician

    qāla li-l-malaʾi ḥawlahū ʾinna hādhā la-sāḥirun ʿalīmun

16. يريد أن يخرجكم من أرضكم بسحره فماذا تأمرون

    35

    who seeks to expel you from your land with his magic. So what do you advise?’

    yurīdu ʾan yukhrijakum min ʾarḍikum bi-siḥrihī fa-mādhā taʾmurūna

17. قالوا أرجه وأخاه وابعث في المدائن حاشرين

    36

    They said, ‘Put him and his brother off for a while, and send heralds to the cities

    qālū ʾarjih wa-ʾakhāhu wa-bʿath fī l-madāʾini ḥāshirīna

18. يأتوك بكل سحار عليم

    37

    to bring you every expert magician.’

    yaʾtūka bi-kulli saḥḥārin ʿalīmin

19. فجمع السحرة لميقات يوم معلوم

    38

    So the magicians were gathered for the tryst of a known day,

    fa-jumiʿa s-saḥaratu li-mīqāti yawmin maʿlūmin

20. وقيل للناس هل أنتم مجتمعون

    39

    and the people were told: ‘Will you all gather?!’

    wa-qīla li-n-nāsi hal ʾantum mujtamiʿūna