Ash-Shuara
لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ السَّحَرَةَ إِنْ كَانُوا هُمُ الْغَالِبِينَ40
‘Are you all coming? We may follow the sorcerers if they win!’
فَلَمَّا جَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ قَالُوا لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ41
When the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, ‘Shall we be rewarded if we win?’
قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ42
and he said, ‘Yes, and you will join my inner court.’
قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَىٰ أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ43
Moses said to them, ‘Throw down whatever you will.’
فَأَلْقَوْا حِبَالَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ44
They threw their ropes and staffs, saying, ‘By Pharaoh’s might, we shall be victorious.’
فَأَلْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ45
But Moses threw his staff and- lo and behold!- it swallowed up their trickery
فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ46
and the sorcerers fell down on their knees
قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ47
exclaiming, ‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds
رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ48
the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ49
Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? He must be the master who taught you sorcery! Soon you will see: I will cut off your alternate hands and feet and then crucify the lot of you!’
قَالُوا لَا ضَيْرَ ۖ إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ50
‘That will do us no harm,’ they said, ‘for we are sure to return to our Lord
إِنَّا نَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَايَانَا أَنْ كُنَّا أَوَّلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ51
We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, as we were the first to believe.’
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي إِنَّكُمْ مُتَّبَعُونَ52
Then We revealed Our will to Moses, ‘Leave with My servants by night, for you will be pursued!’
فَأَرْسَلَ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ53
Pharaoh sent messengers into the cities, proclaiming
إِنَّ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ لَشِرْذِمَةٌ قَلِيلُونَ54
‘These people are a puny band––
وَإِنَّهُمْ لَنَا لَغَائِظُونَ55
they have enraged us
وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَاذِرُونَ56
and we are a large army, on the alert.’
فَأَخْرَجْنَاهُمْ مِنْ جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ57
So it was that We made them leave their gardens and their springs
وَكُنُوزٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ58
their treasures and their noble dwellings
كَذَٰلِكَ وَأَوْرَثْنَاهَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ59
We gave [such] things [later]to the Children of Israel
فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ60
Pharaoh and his people pursued them at sunrise