The Quran: Sūra XXVI.: Shu‘arāa, or The Poets.: Section 2 (10-33)
The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934]
10. Wa-ith nada rabbuka moosa ani i/ti alqawma alththalimeena
10. Behold, thy Lord called
Moses: "Go to the people
Of iniquity,—
11. Qawma firAAawna ala yattaqoona
11. "The people of Pharaoh:
Will they not fear God?"
12. Qala rabbi innee akhafu an yukaththibooni
12. He said: "O my Lord!
I do fear that they
Will charge me with falsehood:
13. Wayadeequ sadree wala yantaliqu lisanee faarsil ila haroona
13. "My breast will be straitened?'
And my speech may not go
(Smoothly): so send unto Aaron.
14. Walahum AAalayya thanbun faakhafu an yaqtulooni
14. "And (further), they have
A charge of crime against me;
And I fear they may
Slay me."
15. Qala kalla faithhaba bi-ayatina inna maAAakum mustamiAAoona
15. God said: "By no means!
Proceed then, both of you,
With Our Signs; We
Are with you, and will
Listen (to your call).
16. Fa/tiya firAAawna faqoola inna rasoolu rabbi alAAalameena
16. "So go forth, both of you,
To Pharaoh, and say:
'We have been sent
By the Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds;
17. An arsil maAAana banee isra-eela
17. "'Send thou with us
The Children of Israel.'"
18. Qala alam nurabbika feena waleedan walabithta feena min AAumurika sineena
18. (Pharaoh) said: "Did we not
Cherish thee as a child
Among us, and didst thou not
Stay in our midst
Many years of thy life?
19. WafaAAalta faAAlataka allatee faAAalta waanta mina alkafireena
19. "And thou didst a deed
Of thine which (thou knowest)
Thou didst, and thou art
An ungrateful (wretch)!"
20. Qala faAAaltuha ithan waana mina alddalleena
20. Moses said: "I did it
Then, when I was
In error.
21. Fafarartu minkum lamma khiftukum fawahaba lee rabbee hukman wajaAAalanee mina almursaleena
21. "So I fled from you (all)
When I feared you;
But my Lord has (since)
Invested me with judgment
(And wisdom) and appointed me
As one of the apostles.
22. Watilka niAAmatun tamunnuha AAalayya an AAabbadta banee isra-eela
22. "And this is the favour
With which thou dost
Reproach me,—that thou
Hast enslaved the Children
Of Israel!"
23. Qala firAAawnu wama rabbu alAAalameena
23. Pharaoh said: "And what
Is the 'Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds'?
24. Qala rabbu alssamawati waal-ardi wama baynahuma in kuntum mooqineena
24. (Moses) said: "The Lord
And Cherisher of the heavens
And the earth, and all between,
If ye want to be
Quite sure."
25. Qala liman hawlahu ala tastamiAAoona
25. (Pharaoh) said to those
Around: "Do ye not listen
(To what he says)?
26. Qala rabbukum warabbu aba-ikumu al-awwaleena
26. (Moses) said: "Your Lord
And the Lord of your fathers
From the beginning!"
27. Qala inna rasoolakumu allathee orsila ilaykum lamajnoonun
27. (Pharaoh) said: "Truly
Your apostle who has been
Sent to you is
A veritable madman!"
28. Qala rabbu almashriqi waalmaghribi wama baynahuma in kuntum taAAqiloona
28. (Moses) said: "Lord of the East
And the West, and all between!
If ye only had sense!"
29. Qala la-ini ittakhathta ilahan ghayree laajAAalannaka mina almasjooneena
29. (Pharaoh) said: "If thou
Dost put forward any god
Other than me, I will
Certainly put thee in prison!"
30. Qala awa law ji/tuka bishay-in mubeenin
30. (Moses) said: "Even if I
Showed you something
Clear (and) convincing?"
31. Qala fa/ti bihi in kunta mina alssadiqeena
31. (Pharaoh) said: "Show it then,
If thou tellest the truth!"
32. Faalqa AAasahu fa-itha hiya thuAAbanun mubeenun
32. So (Moses) threw his rod,
And behold, it was
A serpent, plain (for all to see)!
33. WanazaAAa yadahu fa-itha hiya baydao lilnnathireena
33. And he drew out his hand,
And behold, it was white
To all beholders!