Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

He will gulp it, but will scarcely swallow it; and death will come at him from every place, but he is not to die. And beyond him is a stern punishment.

يَتَجَرَّعُهُ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُس۪يغُهُ وَيَأْت۪يهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍۜ وَمِنْ وَرَٓائِه۪ عَذَابٌ غَل۪يظٌ
YatajarraAAuhu wala yakaduyuseeghuhu waya/teehi almawtu min kulli makanin wamahuwa bimayyitin wamin wara-ihi AAathabun ghaleeth
#wordmeaningroot
1yatajarraʿuhuHe will sip itجرع
2walābut not
3yakāduhe will be nearكود
4yusīghuhu(to) swallowing itسوغ
5wayatīhiAnd will come to himاتي
6l-mawtuthe deathموت
7minfrom
8kullieveryكلل
9makāninsideكون
10wamābut not
11huwahe
12bimayyitinwill dieموت
13waminAnd ahead of him
14warāihiAnd ahead of himوري
15ʿadhābun(is) a punishmentعذب
16ghalīẓunharshغلظ
  • Aisha Bewley

    He gulps at it but can hardly swallow it down. Death comes at him from every side but he does not die. And beyond him is relentless punishment.

  • Progressive Muslims

    He tries to drink it, but it cannot be swallowed, and death comes to him from everywhere, but he will not die; and from behind him is a powerful retribution.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    How difficult it is to swallow the bitterness of self-imposed failure! A life unlived, a mere survival, neither living nor dead (20:74), (87:13). What a heavy retribution!

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    He will gulp it, but will scarcely swallow it; and death will come at him from every place, but he is not to die. And beyond him is a stern punishment.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    He tries to drink it, but it cannot be swallowed, and death comes to him from everywhere, but he will not die; and from behind him is a powerful retribution.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He tries to drink it, but cannot swallow it, and death comes to him from everywhere, but he will not die; and after this is a powerful retribution.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He will gulp it down, though he cannot stand it, as death comes to him from every direction, but he will never die. Awaiting him is a terrible retribution.,

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    He will sip it, yet will not be able to gulp it down. Death will crowd in upon him from every side, but die he will not. A terrible torment trails him.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    He will gulp it but will hardly swallow it. And death will come to him from everywhere, but he is not to die. And before him is a massive punishment.

  • Muhammad Asad

    gulping it little by little, and yet hardly able to swallow it. And death will beset him from every quarter - but he shall not die: for severe suffering lies ahead of him.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Which he sippeth but can hardly swallow, and death cometh unto him from every side while yet he cannot die, and before him is a harsh doom.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    which he will gulp but will scarcely swallow, and death will come upon him from every quarter, and yet he will not be able to die. A terrible chastisement lies ahead in pursuit of him.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He drinks of it by sips he can hardly swallow but then he shall drink up the dregs of it forever, and over him triumphant death his dart shakes but never shall it strike, and the torment laid upon the damned shall be in his pursuit.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    He can not bear more than a sip. He will face the agony of the death which will approach him from every direction, yet he will not be terminated. He has to continue suffering.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    He will sip it unwillingly, and he will find a great difficulty to swallow it down his throat; and death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die and in front of him, will be a great torment.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    In gulps will he sip it, but never will he be near swallowing it down his throat: death will come to him from every quarter, yet will he not die: and in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    which they will sip with difficulty, and can hardly swallow. Death will overwhelm them from every side, yet they will not ˹be able to˺ die. Awaiting them still is harsher torment.

  • Taqi Usmani

    which he will arduously sip, and will not be able to swallow. Death will come upon him from every side, yet he will not die, and still a heavy chastisement will be ahead of him.

  • Abdul Haleem

    which he will try to gulp but scarcely be able to swallow; death will encroach on him from every side, but he will not die; more intense suffering will lie ahead of him.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    the which he gulps, and can scarce swallow, and death comes upon him from every side, yet he cannot die; and still beyond him is a harsh chastisement.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He shall try to swallow it, but cannot gulp it down; and death shall come upon him from every place, and yet he shall not die; and behind him shall be rigorous woe!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Which he sips but cannot swallow; and death comes upon him from every side, and yet he can not die; and before him is unrelenting woe!

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Which he gulps and almost cannot find it palatable; (i. e., He is barely able to drink it) and death comes up to him from every place, and in no way will he be dead; and beyond him is a harsh torment.

  • George Sale

    He shall sup it up by little and little, and he shall not easily let it pass his throat, because of its nauseousness; death also shall come upon him from every quarter, yet he shall not die; and before him shall there stand prepared a grievous torment.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    He will drink it unwillingly, by the mouthful, but he will never be near to swallowing it down his throat: And death will come to him from every direction, yet, he will not die: And for him will be an unending punishment.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    He will try to sip it but shall not be able to swallow it easily, and death shall come to him from every quarter; yet he shall not die. Moreover he shall see before him further harsh doom.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    gulping it down, but hardly swallowing it: death will assail him from every side, but he will not die, and there is a harsh punishment ahead of him.