بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمـٰنِ الرَّحيمِ لا أُقسِمُ بِهـٰذَا البَلَدِ

Nay, I swear by this city.

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهـٰذَا البَلَدِ

And you are a dweller in this city.

وَوالِدٍ وَما وَلَدَ

And by a parent and what he fathered.

لَقَد خَلَقنَا الإِنسانَ في كَبَدٍ

We created man in struggle.

أَيَحسَبُ أَن لَن يَقدِرَ عَلَيهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one can overpower him?

يَقولُ أَهلَكتُ مالًا لُبَدًا

He boasts, “I have squandered a great wealth.”

أَيَحسَبُ أَن لَم يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that none sees him?

أَلَم نَجعَل لَهُ عَينَينِ

Didn’t We give him two eyes?

وَلِسانًا وَشَفَتَينِ

And a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيناهُ النَّجدَينِ

And We guided him to the two diverging ways?

فَلَا اقتَحَمَ العَقَبَةَ

Yet he didn’t attempt the Ascent.

وَما أَدراكَ مَا العَقَبَةُ

And what will make you comprehend what theAscent is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave.

أَو إِطعامٌ في يَومٍ ذي مَسغَبَةٍ

Or providing food on a day of widespread hunger.

يَتيمًا ذا مَقرَبَةٍ

To a related orphan.

أَو مِسكينًا ذا مَترَبَةٍ

Or to a destitute in misery.

ثُمَّ كانَ مِنَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَتَواصَوا بِالصَّبرِ وَتَواصَوا بِالمَرحَمَةِ

Then, he becomes of those who believe and advise one another to patience and compassion.

أُولـٰئِكَ أَصحابُ المَيمَنَةِ

These are the companions of happiness.

وَالَّذينَ كَفَروا بِآياتِنا هُم أَصحابُ المَشأَمَةِ

However, those who deny Our revelations are the companions of misery.

عَلَيهِم نارٌ مُؤصَدَةٌ

Upon them is a Sealed Fire.