I need not swear by what ye see or what ye do not see, verily, it is the speech of a noble apostle; and it is not the speech of a poet:-little is it ye believe!

And it is not the speech of a soothsayer,-little is it that ye mind!-a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. Why if he had invented against us any sayings, we would have seized him by the right hand, then we would have cut his jugular vein; nor could any one of you have kept us off from him.

Verily, it is a memorial to the pious; and, verily, we know that there are amongst you those who say it is a lie; and, verily, it is a source of sighing to the misbelievers; and, verily, it is certain truth!

Therefore celebrate the name of thy mighty Lord!

THE CHAPTER OF THE MOUNT

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God. By the mount! by the Book inscribed upon an outstretched vellum! by the frequented house'! by the elevated roof! by the swelling sea! verily, the torment of thy Lord will come to pass; there is none to avert it!

The day when the heavens shall reel about, and the mountains shall move about, then woe upon that day to those who call (the apostles) liars, who plunge into discussion for a sport!

On the day when they shall be thrust away into the fire of hell,— This is the fire, the which ye used to call a lie!— Is it magic, this? or can ye not see?-broil ye therein, and be patient thereof or be not patient, it is the same to you: ye are but rewarded for that which ye did do!'

Verily, the pious (shall be) in gardens and pleasure, enjoying what their Lord has given them; for their Lord will save them from the torment of hell.

Eat and drink with good digestion, for that which ye have done!'

1 I. e. either the Kaabah itself or the model of it, said to exist in the heavens and to be frequented by the angels.

2 I. e. of heaven.

Reclining on couches in rows; and we will wed them to large-eyed maids.

And those who believe and whose seed follows them in the faith, we will unite their seed with them; and we will not cheat them of their work at all;-every man is pledged for what he earns.*

And we will extend to them fruit and flesh such as they like. They shall pass to and fro therein a cup in which is neither folly nor sin.

And round them shall go boys of theirs, as though they were hidden pearls.

And they shall accost each other and ask questions, and shall say, 'Verily, we were before amidst our families shrinking with terror, but God has been gracious to us and saved us from the torment of the hot blast.

'Verily, we used to call on Him before; verily, He is the righteous, the compassionate!'

Wherefore do thou remind them: for thou art, by the favour of thy Lord, neither a soothsayer nor mad!

Will they say, 'A poet; we wait for him the sad accidents of fate?'

Say, 'Wait ye then; for I too am of those who wait!' Do their dreams bid them this? or are they an outrageous people?

Or will they say, 'He has invented it?'-nay, but they

do not believe!

But let them bring a discourse like it, if they tell the truth!

Or were they created of nothing, or were they the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth?-nay, but they are not sure!

Or have they the treasures of thy Lord? or are they the governors supreme?

Or have they a ladder whereon they can listen®?—then let their listener bring obvious authority.

Has He daughters, while ye have sons?

Every man is pledged to God for his conduct, and, if he does well, redeems himself.

At the thought of the next life.

Addressed to Mohammed.

I. e. a ladder reaching to the gates of heaven, upon which they may stand and listen to the angels discoursing, as the devils do.

Or dost thou ask them a hire, while they are borne down by debt?

Or have they the unseen, so that they write it down?

Or do they desire a plot?-but those who misbelieve it is who are plotted against!

Or have they a god beside God? celebrated be God's praises above what they join with Him!

But if they should see a fragment of the sky falling down, they would say, 'Clouds in masses!'

But leave them till they meet that day of theirs whereon they shall swoon'; the day when their plotting shall avail them naught, and they shall not be helped!

And, verily, there is a torment beside that for those who do wrong; but most of them do not know!

But wait thou patiently for the judgment of thy Lord, for thou art in our eyes. And celebrate the praises of thy Lord what time thou risest, and in the night, and at the fading of the stars!

THE CHAPTER OF THE INEVITABLE

In the name of the merciful and compassionate God. When the inevitable' happens; none shall call its happening a lie!-abasing-exalting!

When the earth shall quake, quaking! and the mountains shall crumble, crumbling, and become like motes dispersed! And ye shall be three sorts;

And the fellows of the right hand-what right lucky fellows!

And the fellows of the left hand-what unlucky fellows!

And the foremost foremost2!

These are they who are brought nigh,

In gardens of pleasure!

A crowd of those of yore,

And a few of those of the latter day!

And gold-weft couches, reclining on them face to face.

At the sound of the last trumpet.

I. e. beside the torment of the judgment day they shall be punished with defeat and loss here.

I. e. the day of judgment.

2 I. e. the foremost in professing the faith on earth shall be the foremost then.

Around them shall go eternal youths, with goblets and ewers and a cup of flowing wine; no headache shall they feel therefrom, nor shall their wits be dimmed!

And fruits such as they deem the best;

And flesh of fowl as they desire;

And bright and large-eyed maids like hidden pearls;
A reward for that which they have done!

They shall hear no folly there and no sin;

Only the speech, 'Peace, Peace!'

And the fellows of the right-what right lucky fellows!
Amid thornless lote trees.

And tal'h3 trees with piles of fruit;

And outspread shade,

And water out-poured;

And fruit in abundance, neither failing nor forbidden;
And beds upraised!

Verily, we have produced them* a production.

And made them virgins, darlings of equal age (with their spouses) for the fellows of the right!

A crowd of those of yore, and a crowd of those of the latter day!

And the fellows of the left-what unlucky fellows!

In hot blasts and boiling water;

And a shade of pitchy smoke,

Neither cool nor generous!

Verily, they were affluent ere this, and did persist in mighty crime; and used to say, 'What, when we die and have become dust and bones, shall we then indeed be raised? or our fathers of yore?'

Say, 'Verily, those of yore and those of the latter day shall surely be gathered together unto the tryst of the wellknown day.'

Then ye, Ό ye

who err! who say it is a lie! shall eat of the Zaqqûm tree! and fill your bellies with it! and drink thereon of boiling water! and drink as drinks the thirsty camel.

This is their entertainment on the judgment day!

We created you, then why do ye not credit?

The mimosa gummifera is generally so called in Arabia; but the banana is said to be meant in this passage. The celestial damsels.

Have ye considered what ye emit?

Do we create it, or are we the creators?

We have decreed amongst you death; but we are not forestalled from making the likes of you in exchange, or producing you as ye know not of.

Ye do know the first production-why then do ye not mind?

Have ye considered what ye till?

Do ye make it bear seed, or do we make it bear seed?

If we pleased we could make it mere grit, so that ye would pause to marvel:

'Verily, we have got into debt and we are excluded."

Have ye considered the water which ye drink?

Do ye make it come down from the clouds, or do we make it come down?

If we pleased we could make it pungent-why then do ye not give thanks?

Have ye considered the fire which ye strike?

Do ye produce the tree that gives it, or do we produce it? We have made it a memorial and a chattel for the traveller of the waste?

Then celebrate the grand name of thy Lord!

So I will not swear by the positions of the stars; and, verily, it is a grand oath if ye did but know—that, verily, this is the honourable Qur'ân-in the laid-up Book!

Let none touch it but the purified!

A revelation from the Lord of the worlds.

What! this new discourse will ye despise?

And make for your provision, that you call it a lie?

Why then-when it comes up to the throat, and ye at that time look on, though we are nearer to him than you are, but ye cannot see,-why, if ye are not to be judged, do ye not send it back, if ye do tell the truth?

But either, if he be of those brought nigh to God,-then rest and fragrance and the garden of pleasure!

Or, if he be of the fellows of the right! then 'Peace to thee!' from the fellows of the right!

5 I. e. for seed and labour.

From reaping the fruits of it.

The ancient Arabs produced fire by the friction of a stick in a hollow piece of wood.

8 The soul of a dying man.