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By the break of Day
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By the Nights twice five;
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By the even and odd (contrasted);
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And by the Night when it passeth away;-
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Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?
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Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the ´Ad (people),-
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Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars,
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The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?
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And with the Thamud (people), who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley?-
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And with Pharaoh, lord of stakes?
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(All) these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands,
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And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
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Therefore did thy Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisements:
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For thy Lord is (as a Guardian) on a watch-tower.
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Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), "My Lord hath honoured me."
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But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!"
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Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans!
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Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor!-
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And ye devour inheritance - all with greed,
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And ye love wealth with inordinate love!
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Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder,
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And thy Lord cometh, and His angels, rank upon rank,
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And Hell, that Day, is brought (face to face),- on that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him?
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He will say: "Ah! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my (Future) Life!"
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For, that Day, His Chastisement will be such as none (else) can inflict,
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And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.
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(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
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"Come back thou to thy Lord,- well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him!
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"Enter thou, then, among My devotees!
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"Yea, enter thou My Heaven!