The Poets

[LVI.]

Mecca.—228 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Ta. Sin. Mim.² These are the signs of the lucid Book.

Haply thou wearest thyself away with grief because they will not believe.

Were it our will we could send down to them a sign from Heaven, before which they would humbly bow.³

But from each fresh warning that cometh to them from the God of Mercy they have only turned aside,

And treated it as a lie: But tidings shall reach them which they shall not laugh to scorn.

Have they not beheld the earth—how we have caused every kind of noble plant to spring up therein?

Verily, in this is a sign: but most of them believe not.

And assuredly, thy Lord!—He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

And remember when thy Lord called to Moses, “Go to the wicked people,

The people of Pharaoh. What! will they not fear me?”

He said, “My Lord, in sooth I fear lest they treat me as a liar:

And my breast is straitened, and I am slow of speech:⁴ send therefore to Aaron to be my helpmate.

For they have a charge⁵ against me, and I fear lest they put me to death.”

He said, “Surely not. Go ye therefore with our signs: we will be with you and will hearken.

And go to Pharaoh and say: ‘Verily we are the messengers of the Lord of the worlds—

Send forth with us the children of Israel.”’

He said, “Did we not rear thee among us when a child? And hast thou not passed years of thy life among us?

And yet what a deed is that which thou hast done!⁶ Thou art one of the ungrateful.”

He said, “I did it indeed, and I was one of those who erred: And I fled from you because I feared you; but my Lord hath given me wisdom and hath made me one of his Apostles.

And is this the favour thou hast conferred on me, that thou hast enslaved the children of Israel?”

Said Pharaoh, “Who then is the Lord of the Worlds?”

He said, “The Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth and of all that is between them, if only ye believe it.”

Said Pharaoh to those around him, “Hear ye this?”

“Your Lord,” said Moses, “and the Lord of your sires of old.”

“In sooth, your Apostle whom He hath sent to you,” said Pharaoh, “is certainly possessed.”