Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Dr Laleh Bakhtiar
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I swear an oath by this land
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
thou art allowed in this land
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
and by ones who are your parents and what is procreated
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
truly, We created the human being in trouble
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Assumes he that none has power over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says: I have caused abundant wealth to perish
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Assumes he that none sees him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Make we not two eyes for him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
and a tongue and two lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
and guided him to the two open highways
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Yet he rushed not onto the steep ascent
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
What will cause thee to recognize what the steep ascent is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is the liberating of a bondsperson
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
or feeding on a day possessing famine
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
an orphan, possessor of kinship
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
or a needy, possessor of misery
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Again, it had been among those who believed and counseled one another to having patience and counseled one another to clemency
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Those will be the Companions of the Right
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
But they who were ungrateful for Our signs they will be the Companions of the Left
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
and over them will be fire, that which is closing in
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20