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

1. واجعل لي لسان صدق في الآخرين

   84

   Confer on me a worthy repute among the posterity,

   wa-jʿal lī lisāna ṣidqin fī l-ʾākhirīna

2. واجعلني من ورثة جنة النعيم

   85

   and make me one of the heirs to the paradise of bliss.

   wa-jʿalnī min warathati jannati n-naʿīmi

3. واغفر لأبي إنه كان من الضالين

   86

   Forgive my father, for he is one of those who are astray.

   wa-ghfir li-ʾabī ʾinnahū kāna mina ḍ-ḍāllīna

4. ولا تخزني يوم يبعثون

   87

   Do not disgrace me on the day that they will be resurrected,

   wa-lā tukhzinī yawma yubʿathūna

5. يوم لا ينفع مال ولا بنون

   88

   the day when neither wealth nor children will avail,

   yawma lā yanfaʿu mālun wa-lā banūna

6. إلا من أتى الله بقلب سليم

   89

   except him who comes to Allah with a sound heart,’

   ʾillā man ʾatā llāha bi-qalbin salīmin

7. وأزلفت الجنة للمتقين

   90

   and paradise will be brought near for the Godwary,

   wa-ʾuzlifati l-jannatu li-l-muttaqīna

8. وبرزت الجحيم للغاوين

   91

   and hell will be brought into view for the perverse,

   wa-burrizati l-jaḥīmu li-l-ghāwīna

9. وقيل لهم أين ما كنتم تعبدون

   92

   and they shall be told: ‘Where is that which you used to worship

   wa-qīla lahum ʾayna mā kuntum taʿbudūna

10. من دون الله هل ينصرونكم أو ينتصرون

    93

    besides Allah? Do they help you, or do they help each other?’

    min dūni llāhi hal yanṣurūnakum ʾaw yantaṣirūna

11. فكبكبوا فيها هم والغاوون

    94

    Then they will be cast into it on their faces—they and the perverse,

    fa-kubkibū fīhā hum wa-l-ghāwūna

12. وجنود إبليس أجمعون

    95

    and the hosts of Iblis all together.

    wa-junūdu ʾiblīsa ʾajmaʿūna

13. قالوا وهم فيها يختصمون

    96

    They will say, as they wrangle in it [together],

    qālū wa-hum fīhā yakhtaṣimūna

14. تالله إن كنا لفي ضلال مبين

    97

    ‘By Allah, we had indeed been in manifest error

    ta-llāhi ʾin kunnā la-fī ḍalālin mubīnin

15. إذ نسويكم برب العالمين

    98

    when we equated you with the Lord of all the worlds!

    ʾidh nusawwīkum bi-rabbi l-ʿālamīna

16. وما أضلنا إلا المجرمون

    99

    No one led us astray except the guilty.

    wa-mā ʾaḍallanā ʾillā l-mujrimūna

17. فما لنا من شافعين

    100

    Now we have no intercessors,

    fa-mā lanā min shāfiʿīna

18. ولا صديق حميم

    101

    nor do we have any sympathetic friend.

    wa-lā ṣadīqin ḥamīmin

19. فلو أن لنا كرة فنكون من المؤمنين

    102

    Had there been another turn for us, we would be among the faithful.’

    fa-law ʾanna lanā karratan fa-nakūna mina l-muʾminīna

20. إن في ذلك لآية وما كان أكثرهم مؤمنين

    103

    There is indeed a sign in that; but most of them do not have faith.

    ʾinna fī dhālika la-ʾāyatan wa-mā kāna ʾaktharuhum muʾminīna

21. وإن ربك لهو العزيز الرحيم

    104

    Indeed your Lord is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.

    wa-ʾinna rabbaka la-huwa l-ʿazīzu r-raḥīmu

22. كذبت قوم نوح المرسلين

    105

    The people of Noah impugned the apostles

    kadhdhabat qawmu nūḥin-i l-mursalīna

23. إذ قال لهم أخوهم نوح ألا تتقون

    106

    when Noah, their brother, said to them, ‘Will you not be wary [of Allah]?

    ʾidh qāla lahum ʾakhūhum nūḥun ʾa-lā tattaqūna

24. إني لكم رسول أمين

    107

    Indeed I am a trusted apostle [sent] to you.

    ʾinnī lakum rasūlun ʾamīnun

25. فاتقوا الله وأطيعون

    108

    So be wary of Allah and obey me.

    fa-ttaqū llāha wa-ʾaṭīʿūni

26. وما أسألكم عليه من أجر إن أجري إلا على رب العالمين

    109

    I do not ask you any reward for it; my reward lies only with the Lord of all the worlds.

    wa-mā ʾasʾalukum ʿalayhi min ʾajrin ʾin ʾajriya ʾillā ʿalā rabbi l-ʿālamīna

27. فاتقوا الله وأطيعون

    110

    So be wary of Allah and obey me.’

    fa-ttaqū llāha wa-ʾaṭīʿūni

28. قالوا أنؤمن لك واتبعك الأرذلون

    111

    They said, ‘Shall we believe in you, when it is the riffraff who follow you?’

    qālū ʾa-nuʾminu laka wa-ttabaʿaka l-ʾardhalūna