Three Translations of The Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side Part 198

P: (Solomon) said: We shall see whether thou speakest truth or whether thou art of the liars.

S: He said: We will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars:

027.028 Y: "Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return"...

P: Go with this my letter and throw it down unto them; then turn away and see what (answer) they return,

S: Take this my letter and hand it over to them, then turn away from them and see what (answer) they return.

027.029 Y: (The queen) said: "Ye chiefs! here is delivered to me - a letter worthy of respect."

P: (The Queen of Sheba) said (when she received the letter): O chieftains! Lo! there hath been thrown unto me a n.o.ble letter.

S: She said: O chief! surely an honorable letter has been delivered to me

027.030 Y: "It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:'"

P: Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful;

S: Surely it is from Sulaiman, and surely it is in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful;

027.031 Y: "'Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission (to the true Religion).'"

P: Exalt not yourselves against me, but come unto me as those who surrender.

S: Saying: exalt not yourselves against me and come to me in submission.

027.032 Y: She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence."

P: She said: O chieftains! p.r.o.nounce for me in my case. I decide no case till ye are present with me.

S: She said: O chiefs! give me advice respecting my affair: I never decide an affair until you are in my presence.

027.033 Y: They said: "We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war: but the command is with thee; so consider what thou wilt command."

P: They said: We are lords of might and lords of great prowess, but it is for thee to command; so consider what thou wilt command.

S: They said: We are possessors of strength and possessors of mighty prowess, and the command is yours, therefore see what you will command.

027.034 Y: She said: "Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the n.o.blest of its people its meanest thus do they behave."

P: She said: Lo! kings, when they enter a towns.h.i.+p, ruin it and make the honour of its people shame. Thus will they do.

S: She said: Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it and make the n.o.blest of its people to be low, and thus they (always) do;

027.035 Y: "But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) amba.s.sadors."

P: But lo! I am going to send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the messengers return.

S: And surely I am going to send a present to them, and shall wait to see what (answer) do the messengers bring back.

027.036 Y: Now when (the emba.s.sy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift!"

P: So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.

S: So when he came to Sulaiman, he said: What! will you help me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, you are exultant because of your present;

027.037 Y: "Go back to them, and be sure we shall come to them with such hosts as they will never be able to meet: We shall expel them from there in disgrace, and they will feel humbled (indeed)."

P: Return unto them. We verily shall come unto them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from thence with shame, and they will be abased.

S: Go back to them, so we will most certainly come to them with hosts which they shall have no power to oppose, and we will most certainly expel them therefrom in abas.e.m.e.nt, and they shall be in a state of ignominy.

027.038 Y: He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?"

P: He said: O chiefs! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come unto me, surrendering?

S: He said: O chiefs! which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?

027.039 Y: Said an 'Ifrit, of the jinns: "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted."

P: A stalwart of the jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such work.

S: One audacious among the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely I am strong (and) trusty for it.

027.040 Y: Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his grat.i.tude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !"

P: One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.

S: One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye. Then when he saw it settled beside him, he said: This is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, he is grateful only for his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is Self-sufficient, Honored.

027.041 Y: He said: "Transform her throne out of all recognition by her: let us see whether she is guided (to the truth) or is one of those who receive no guidance."

P: He said: Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will go aright or be of those not rightly guided.

S: He said: Alter her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or is of those who do not go aright.

027.042 Y: So when she arrived, she was asked, "Is this thy throne?" She said, "It was just like this; and knowledge was bestowed on us in advance of this, and we have submitted to Allah (in Islam)."

P: So, when she came, it was said (unto her): Is thy throne like this?

She said: (It is) as though it were the very one. And (Solomon said): We were given the knowledge before her and we had surrendered (to Allah).

S: So when she came, it was said: Is your throne like this? She said: It is as it were the same, and we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submissive.

027.043 Y: And he diverted her from the wors.h.i.+p of others besides Allah: for she was (sprung) of a people that had no faith.

P: And (all) that she was wont to wors.h.i.+p instead of Allah hindered her, for she came of disbelieving folk.