A. J. Arberry - XLI Distinguished lyrics

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compa**ionate 41:1 Ha Mim A sending down from the Merciful; the Compa**ionate. A Book whose signs have been distinguished as an Arabic Koran for a people having knowledge, good tidings to bear, and warning, but most of them have turned away, and do not give ear. They say, 'Our hearts are veiled from what thou callest us to, and in our ears is a heaviness, and between us and thee there is a veil; so act; we are acting!' 41:5 Say: 'I am only a mortal, like you are. To me it has been revealed that your God is One God; so go straight with Him, and ask for His forgiveness; and woe to the idolaters who pay not the alms, and disbelieve in the world to come. Surely those who believe, and do righteous deeds shall have a wage unfailing.' Say: 'What, do you disbelieve in Him who created the earth in two days, and do you set up compeers to Him? That is the Lord of all Being. 'And He set therein firm mountains over it, and He blessed it, and He ordained therein its diverse sustenance in four days, equal to those who ask.' 41:10 Then He lifted Himself to heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, "Come willingly, or unwillingly!" They said, "We come willingly." So He determined them as seven heavens in two days, and revealed its commandment in every heaven.' And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and to reserve; that is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing. But if they turn away, then say, 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like to the thunderbolt of Ad and Thamood.' When the Messengers came unto them from before them and from behind them, saying, 'Serve none but God,' they said, 'Had our Lord willed, surely He would have sent down angels; so we disbelieve in the Message you were sent with.' As for Ad, they waxed proud in the earth without right, and they said, 'Who is stronger than we in might?' What, did they not see that God, who created them, was stronger than they in might? And they denied Our signs. 41:15 Then We loosed against them a wind clamorous in days of ill fortune, that We might let them taste the chastisement of degradation in the present life; and the chastisement of the world to come is even more degrading, and they shall not be helped. As for Thamood, We guided them, but they preferred blindness above guidance, so the thunderbolt of the chastisement of humiliation seized them for that they were earning. And We delivered those who believed and were godfearing. Upon the day when God's enemies are mustered to the Fire, duly disposed, till when they are come to it, their hearing, their eyes and their skins bear witness against them concerning what they have been doing, 41:20 and they will say to their skins, 'Why bore you witness against us?' They shall say, 'God gave us speech, as He gave everything speech. He created you the first time, and unto Him you shall be returned. Not so did you cover yourselves, that your hearing, your eyes and your skins should not bear witness against you; but you thought that God would never know much of the things that you were working. That then, the thought you thought about your Lord, has destroyed you, and therefore you find yourselves this morning among the losers.' Then if they persist, the Fire shall be a lodging for them; and if they ask amends yet no amends shall be made to them. We have allotted them comrades, and they have decked out fair to them that which is before them and behind them. So against them has been realized the Word concerning nations that pa**ed away before them, men and jinn alike; surely they were losers. 41:25 The unbelievers say, 'Do not give ear to this Koran, and talk idly about it; haply you will overcome. So We shall let the unbelievers taste a terrible chastisement, and shall recompense them with the worst of what they were working. That is the recompense of God's enemies -- the Fire, wherein they shall have the Abode of Eternity as a recompense, for that they denied Our signs. And the unbelievers shall say, 'Our Lord, show us those that led us astray, both jinn and men, and we shall set them underneath our feet, that they may be among the lower ones. 41:30 Those who have said, 'Our Lord is God.' then have gone straight, upon them the angels descend, saying, 'Fear not, neither sorrow; rejoice in Paradise that you were promised. We are your friends in the present life and in the world to come; therein you shall have all that your souls desire, all that you call for, as hospitality from One All-forgiving, One All-compa**ionate.' And who speaks fairer than he who calls unto God and does righteousness and says, 'Surely I am of them that surrender'? Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend. 41:35 Yet none shall receive it, except the steadfast; none shall receive it, except a man of mighty fortune. If a provocation from Satan should provoke thee, seek refuge in God; He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing. And of His signs are the night and the day, the sun and the moon. Bow not yourselves to the sun and moon, but bow yourselves to God who created them, if Him you serve. And if they wax proud, yet those who are with thy Lord do glorify Him by night and day, and grow not weary. And of His signs is that thou seest the earth humble; then, when We send down water upon it, it quivers, and swells. Surely He who quickens it is He who quickens the dead; surely He is powerful over everything. 41:40 Those who blaspheme Our signs are not hidden from Us. What, is he who shall be cast into the Fire better, or he who comes on the Day of Resurrection in security? Do what you will; surely He sees the things you do. Those who disbelieve in the Remembrance when it comes to them -- and surely it is a Book Sublime; falsehood comes not to it from before it nor from behind it; a sending down from One All-wise, All-laudable. Naught is said to thee but what already was said to the Messengers before thee. Surely thy Lord is a Lord of forgiveness and of painful retribution. If We had made it a barbarous Koran, they would have said, 'Why are its signs not distinguished? What, barbarous and Arabic?' Say: 'To the believers it is a guidance, and a healing; but those who believe not, in their ears is a heaviness, and to them it is a blindness; those -- they are called from a far place.' 41:45 And We gave Moses the Book; and there was difference concerning it, and but for a Word that preceded from thy Lord, it had been decided between them; and they are in doubt of it disquieting. Whoso does righteousness, it is to his own gain, and whoso does evil, it is to his own loss. Thy Lord wrongs not His servants. To Him is referred the knowledge of the Hour. Not a fruit comes forth from its sheath, no female bears or brings forth, save with His knowledge. Upon the day when He shall call to them, 'Where now are My a**ociates?' they shall say, 'We proclaim to Thee, there is not a witness among us. Then that they called upon before will go astray from them and they will think that they have no asylum. Man wearies not of praying for good; but when evil visits him, then he is cast down and desperate. 41:50 And if We let him taste mercy from Us after hardship that has visited him, he surely says, 'This is mine; I think not the Hour is coming. If I am returned to my Lord, surely the reward most fair with Him will be mine.' Then We shall tell the unbelievers the things they have done, and a**uredly We shall let them taste a harsh chastisement. And when We bless man, he turns away and withdraws aside; but when evil visits him, he is full of endless prayers. Say: 'What think you? If it is from God, then you disbelieve in it, who is further astray than he who is in wide schism?' We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves, till it is clear to them that it is the truth. Suffices it not as to thy Lord, that He is witness over everything? Are they not in doubt touching the encounter with their Lord? Does He not encompa** everything?