S: He said: These are my daughters, if you will do (aught).

015.072 Y: Verily, by thy life (O Prophet), in their wild intoxication, they wander in distraction, to and fro.

P: By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death.

S: By your life! they were blindly wandering on in their intoxication.

015.073 Y: But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning,

P: Then the (Awful) Cry overtook them at the sunrise.

S: So the rumbling overtook them (while) entering upon the time of sunrise;

015.074 Y: And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay.

P: And We utterly confounded them, and We rained upon them stones of heated clay.

S: Thus did We turn it upside down, and rained down upon them stones of what had been decreed.

015.075 Y: Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.

P: Lo! therein verily are portents for those who read the signs.

S: Surely in this are signs for those who examine.

015.076 Y: And the (cities were) right on the high-road.

P: And lo! it is upon a road still uneffaced.

S: And surely it is on a road that still abides.

015.077 Y: Behold! in this is a sign for those who believed.

P: Lo! therein is indeed a portent for believers.

S: Most surely there is a sign in this for the believers.

015.078 Y: And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong-doers;

P: And the dwellers in the wood indeed were evil-doers.

S: And the dwellers of the thicket also were most surely unjust.

015.079 Y: So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.

P: So we took vengeance on them; and lo! they both are on a high-road plain to see.

S: So We inflicted retribution on them, and they are both, indeed, on an open road (still) pursued.

015.080 Y: The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers:

P: And the dwellers in Al-Hijr denied (Our) messengers.

S: And the dwellers of the Rock certainly rejected the messengers;

015.081 Y: We sent them Our Signs, but they persisted in turning away from them.

P: And we gave them Our revelations, but they were averse to them.

S: And We gave them Our communications, but they turned aside from them;

015.082 Y: Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.

P: And they used to hew out dwellings from the hills, (wherein they dwelt) secure.

S: And they hewed houses in the mountains in security.

015.083 Y: But the (mighty) Blast seized them of a morning,

P: But the (Awful) Cry overtook them at the morning hour,

S: So the rumbling overtook them in the morning;

015.084 Y: And of no avail to them was all that they did (with such art and care)!

P: And that which they were wont to count as gain availed them not.

S: And what they earned did not avail them.

015.085 Y: We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest).

So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.

P: We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them save with truth, and lo! the Hour is surely coming. So forgive, (O Muhammad), with a gracious forgiveness.

S: And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but in truth; and the hour is most surely coming, so turn away with kindly forgiveness.

015.086 Y: For verily it is thy Lord who is the Master-Creator, knowing all things.

P: Lo! Thy Lord! He is the All-Wise Creator.

S: Surely your Lord is the Creator of all things, the Knowing.

015.087 Y: And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an.

P: We have given thee seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur'an.

S: And certainly We have given you seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.

015.088 Y: Strain not thine eyes. (Wistfully) at what We have bestowed on certain cla.s.ses of them, nor grieve over them: but lower thy wing (in gentleness) to the believers.