A. J. Arberry - Sura 14: Abraham lyrics

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compa**ionate 14:1 Alif Lam Ra A Book We have sent down to thee that thou mayest bring forth mankind from the shadows to the light by the leave of their Lord, to the path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable, God, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And woe to the unbelievers for a terrible chastisement, such as prefer the present life over the world to come, and bar from God's way, desiring to make it crooked -- they are in far error. And We have sent no Messenger save with the tongue of his people, that he might make all clear to them; then God leads astray whomsoever He will, and He guides whomsoever He will; and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise. 14:5 And We sent Moses with Our signs --'Bring forth thy people from the shadows to the light and remind thou them of the Days of God.' Surely in that are signs for every man enduring, thankful! And when Moses said to his people, 'Remember God's blessing upon you when He delivered you from the folk of Pharaoh, who were visiting you with evil chastisement, slaughtering your sons, and sparing your women -- and in that was a grievous trial from your Lord. And when your Lord proclaimed, "If you are thankful, surely I will increase you, but if you are thankless My chastisement is surely terrible."' And Moses said, 'If you are thankless, you and whoso is on earth, all together, yet a**uredly God is All-sufficient, All-laudable.' Has there not come to you the tidings of those who were before you -- the people of Noah, 14:10 Ad, Thamood, and of those after them whom none knows but God? Their Messengers came to them with the clear signs; but they thrust their hands into their mouths, saying, 'We certainly disbelieve in the Message you have been sent with, and we are in doubt, concerning that you call us unto, disquieting.' Their Messengers said, 'Is there any doubt regarding God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who calls you so that He may forgive you your sins, and defer you to a term stated?' They said, 'You are nothing but mortals, like us; you desire to bar us from that our fathers served; then bring us a manifest authority.' Their Messengers said to them, 'We are nothing but mortals, like you; but God is gracious unto whomsoever He will of His servants. It is not for us to bring you an authority save by the leave of God; and in God let the believers put all their trust. 14:15 And why should we not put our trust in God, seeing that He has guided us in our ways? We will surely endure patiently, whatever you hurt us; and in God let all put their trust who put their trust.' The unbelievers said to their Messengers, 'We will a**uredly expel you from our land, or you will surely return into our creed.' Then did their Lord reveal unto them: 'We will surely destroy the evildoers, and We will surely make you to dwell in the land after them -- that, for him who fears My station and fears My threat.' They sought a judgment; then was disappointed every froward tyrant -- beyond him Gehenna, and he is given to drink of oozing pus, 14:20 the which he gulps, and can scarce swallow, and d**h comes upon him from every side, yet he cannot die; and still beyond him is a harsh chastisement. The likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their works are as ashes, whereon the wind blows strong upon a tempestuous day; they have no power over that they have earned -- that is the far error! Hast thou not seen that God created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He will, He can put you away and bring a new creation; that is surely no great matter for God. They sally forth unto God, all together; then say the weak to those who waxed proud, 'We were your followers; will you avail us against the chastisement of God anything?' 14:25 They say, 'If God had guided us, we would have guided you. Alike it is for us whether we cannot endure, or whether we are patient; we have no asylum.' And Satan says, when the issue is decided, 'God surely promised you a true promise; and I promised you, then I failed you, for I had no authority over you, but that I called you, and you answered me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves; I cannot aid you, neither can you aid me. I disbelieved in your a**ociating me with God aforetime.' As for the evildoers, for them awaits a painful chastisement; but as for those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, they shall be admitted to gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling forever, by the leave of their Lord, their greeting therein: 'Peace!' Hast thou not seen how God has struck a similitude? A good word is as a good tree -- its roots are firm, and its branches are in heaven; 14:30 it gives its produce every season by the leave of its Lord. So God strikes similitudes for men; haply they will remember. And the likeness of a corrupt word is as a corrupt tree -- uprooted from the earth, having no stablishment. God confirms those who believe with the firm word, in the present life and in the world to come; and God leads astray the evildoers; and God does what He will. Hast thou not seen those who exchanged the bounty of God with unthankfulness, and caused their people to dwell in the abode of ruin? -- Gehenna, wherein they are roasted; an evil stablishment! 14:35 And they set up compeers to God, that they might lead astray from His way. Say: 'Take your joy! Your homecoming shall be -- the Fire!' Say to My servants who believe, that they perform the prayer, and expend of that We have provided them, secretly and in public, before a day comes wherein shall be neither bargaining nor befriending. It is God who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down out of heaven water wherewith He brought forth fruits to be your sustenance. And He subjected to you the ships to run upon the sea at His commandment; and He subjected to you the rivers and He subjected to you the sun and moon constant upon their courses, and He subjected to you the night and day, and gave you of all you asked Him. If you count God's blessing, you will never number it; surely man is sinful, unthankful! And when Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this land secure, and turn me and my sons away from serving idols; my Lord, they have led astray many men. Then whoso follows me belongs to me; and whoso rebels against me, surely Thou art All-forgiving, All-compa**ionate. 14:40 Our Lord, I have made some of my seed to dwell in a valley where is no sown land by Thy Holy House; Our Lord, let them perform the prayer, and make hearts of men yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits; haply they will be thankful. Our Lord, Thou knowest what we keep secret and what we publish; from God nothing whatever is hidden in earth and heaven. Praise be to God, who has given me, though I am old, Ishmael and Isaac; surely my Lord hears the petition. My Lord, make me a performer of the prayer, and of my seed. Our Lord, and receive my petition. Our Lord, forgive Thou me and my parents, and the believers, upon the day when the reckoning shall come to pa**. Deem not that God is heedless of what the evildoers work; He is only deferring them to a day when eyes shall stare, when they shall run with necks outstretched and heads erect, their glances never returned on themselves, their hearts void. And warn mankind of the day when the chastisement comes on them, 14:45 And those who did evil shall say, 'Our Lord, defer us to a near term, and we will answer Thy call, and follow the Messengers.' 'Ah, but did you not swear aforetime there should be no removing for you? And you dwelt in the dwelling-places of those who wronged themselves, and it became clear to you how We did with them, and how We struck similitudes for you. They devised their devising, and their devising is known to God; though their devising were such as to remove mountains.' So do not deem that God will fail in His promise to His Messengers; surely God is All-mighty, Vengeful. Upon the day the earth shall be changed to other than the earth, and the heavens and they sally forth unto God, the One, the Omnipotent. 14:50 And thou shalt see the sinners that day coupled in fetters, of pitch their shirts, their faces enveloped by the Fire, that God may recompense every soul for its earnings; surely God is swift at the reckoning. This is a Message to be delivered to mankind that they may be warned by it, and that they may know that He is One God, and that all possessed of minds may remember.