Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Tbirving
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I swear by [this] countryside
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
you are a native settled on this land
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
as well as any parent and whatever he may father
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
We have created man under stress
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he reckon that no one can do anything against him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says: I have used up piles of money
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he consider that no one sees him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not granted him both eyes
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
a tongue and two lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
and guided him along both highroads
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Yet he does not tackle the Obstacle
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
What will make you realize what the Obstacle is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
[It means] redeeming the captive
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
or feeding
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
some orphaned relative on a day of famine
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
or some needy person in distress
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Then he will act like someone who believes, recommends patience and encourages mercifulness
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Those will be the companions on the right-hand side
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
while the ones who disbelieve in Our signs will be companions on the sinister side
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
above them a fire will hem them in
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20