I SWEAR by the Day of Resurrection
and by the self-reproaching soul
Does man think We shall never put his bones together again
Indeed, We can remould his very fingers
Yet man would ever deny what is to come
‘When will this be,‘ he asks, ‘this Day of Resurrection?‘
But when the sight of mortals is confounde
and the moon eclipsed
when sun and moon are joined togethe
on that day man will ask: ‘Whither shall I flee?‘
No, there shall be no refuge
for to your Lord, on that day, all shall be restored
Indeed, man shall on that day be told of all he did, from first to last
Indeed, man shall bear witness against himself
plead as he may with his excuses
(You¹ need not move your tongue too fast to learn this revelation
We Ourself shall see to its collection and recital
When We read it, follow its words attentively
We shall Ourself explain its meaning.
No! But you² love this fleeting life
and ignore the life to come
On that day there shall be joyous faces
looking towards their Lord
On that day there shall be mournful faces
dreading some great affliction
No! But when a man‘s soul is about to leave hi
and those around him say: ‘Will no one save him?‘
When he knows it is the final parting
and leg and leg are twined ―
on that day to your Lord he shall be driven
For in this life he neither believed nor prayed
he denied the Truth and, turning his back
went to his kin elated with pride
Well have you deserved this doom; well have you deserved it
Well have you deserved this doom: too well have you deserved it
Does man think he will be left alone, to no purpose
Was he not a drop of ejaculated semen
He became a clot of blood;³ then God formed and moulded him
and gave him male and female parts
Has He no power, then, to raise the dead to life