Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And He it is that loosed the two seas: the one fresh and sweet, and the other salty and bitter, and made between them a barrier, and a complete partition.

وَهُوَ الَّذ۪ي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهٰذَا مِلْحٌ اُجَاجٌۚ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخاً وَحِجْراً مَحْجُوراً
Wahuwa allathee maraja albahraynihatha AAathbun furatun wahatha milhunojajun wajaAAala baynahuma barzakhan wahijranmahjoora
#wordmeaningroot
1wahuwaAnd He
2alladhī(is) the One Who
3maraja(has) releasedمرج
4l-baḥraynithe two seasبحر
5hādhā[this] (one)
6ʿadhbunpalatableعذب
7furātunand sweetفرت
8wahādhāand [this] (one)
9mil'ḥunsaltyملح
10ujājun(and) bitterاجج
11wajaʿalaand He has madeجعل
12baynahumābetween themبين
13barzakhana barrier
14waḥij'ranand a partitionحجر
15maḥjūranforbiddenحجر
  • Aisha Bewley

    It is He who has unloosed both seas – the one sweet and refreshing, the other salty and bitter – and put a dividing line between them, an uncrossable barrier.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And He is the One who merges the two bodies of water. This is fresh and palatable and this is salty and bitter. And He made between them a partition and an inviolable barrier.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And He it is Who has given freedom of movement to the two kinds of great bodies of water; one is palatable and fresh, the other salt and bitter. Yet, He has made a barrier between them, a partition that is not to be passed. (35:12). (Please see (18:60) for two streams in a different implication).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And He it is that loosed the two seas: the one fresh and sweet, and the other salty and bitter, and made between them a barrier, and a complete partition.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    AndHe is the One who merges the two seas; this is fresh and palatable and this is salty and bitter. And He made between them a partition and an inviolable enclosure.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He is the One who merges the two bodies of water. This is fresh and palatable and this is salty and bitter. He made between them a partition and an inviolable barrier.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He is the One who merges the two seas; one is fresh and palatable, while the other is salty and undrinkable. And He separated them with a formidable, inviolable barrier (evaporation).

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    It is He who made two bodies of water flow side by side, one fresh (and) sweet, the other brine (and) bitter, and has placed an interstice, a barrier between them.

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

    And it is He who has released the two seas, one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition.

  • Muhammad Asad

    AND HE it is who has given freedom of movement to the two great bodies of water – the one sweet and thirst-allaying, and the other salty and bitter - and yet has wrought between them a barrier and a forbidding ban.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And He it is Who hath given independence to the two seas (though they meet); one palatable, sweet, and the other saltish, bitter; and hath set a bar and a forbidding ban between them.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And He it is Who has joined the two seas: one sweet and palatable and the other saltish and bitter; and He has set a barrier and an insurmountable obstruction between the two that keeps them apart.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And He is it Who sent the waters of the two seas flowing together, one fresh and sweet and the other salty and bitter and between both He installed an invisible partition which serves as an impassable barrier (the fresh water floats above the salty and there are laws that govern the separation and the depth).

  • Bijan Moeinian

    He is the One who merges the two seas; one is fresh and drinkable, while the other is salty and not fit to drink. He has separated them with a formidable barrier ((like Golf Stream which flows for thousands of miles in the ocean without being mixed with it.).

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And it is He Who has let free the two seas (kinds of water): this is palatable and sweet, and that is salt and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And He is the One Who merges the two bodies of water: one fresh and palatable and the other salty and bitter, placing between them a barrier they cannot cross. 

  • Taqi Usmani

    He is the One who joined the two seas, so as this is sweet, very sweet, and this is bitter, very bitter, and made between them a buffer and an insurmountable barrier.

  • Abdul Haleem

    It is He who released the two bodies of flowing water, one sweet and fresh and the other salty and bitter, and put an insurmountable barrier between them.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And it is He who let forth the two seas, this one Sweet, grateful to taste, and this salt, bitter to the tongue, and He set between them a barrier, and a ban forbidden.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He it is who has let loose the two seas, this one sweet and fresh, that one bitter and pungent, and has made between them a rigorous prohibition.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against them herewith (with the Quran) with great endeavour.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And He is the One Who has merged the two seas, this one sweet, grateful (to taste), and this salt, bitter (to the tongue); and He has made between them an isthmus, and an utter- obstruction. (Literally: obstruction obstructed)

  • George Sale

    It is He who hath let loose the two seas; this fresh and sweet, and that salt and bitter: And hath placed between them a bar, and a bound which cannot be passed.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And it is He Who has released the two parts of flowing water; One (that is) drinkable and sweet, and the other (that is) salty and bitter; And He has set a barrier between them, a boundary forbidden to be crossed (by the waters).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    It is He Who has let the two spans of water loose to flow, one of them (- a river) sweet and thirst-quenching while the other (a sea) saltish (and) bitter, and He has set a barrier and an insurmountable partition between them; (still both exist side by side in the world and would continue).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    It is He who merged the two seas: this one sweet and agreeable, and that one briny and bitter, and between the two He set a barrier and a forbidding hindrance.