Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

“Oh, that armlets of gold had but been cast upon him! Or angels had but come with him in conjunction!”

فَلَوْلَٓا اُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ اَسْوِرَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ اَوْ جَٓاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِن۪ينَ
Falawla olqiya AAalayhi aswiratun minthahabin aw jaa maAAahu almala-ikatumuqtarineen
#wordmeaningroot
1falawlāThen why not
2ul'qiyaare placedلقي
3ʿalayhion him
4aswiratunbraceletsسور
5minof
6dhahabingoldذهب
7awor
8jāacomeجيا
9maʿahuwith him
10l-malāikatuthe Angelsملك
11muq'tarinīnaaccompanying (him)قرن
  • Aisha Bewley

    Why have gold bracelets not been put upon his arms and why is there not a train of angels accompanying him?’

  • Progressive Muslims

    "Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or the Angels are accompanying him"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And then, why have no golden armlets been bestowed on him? Or why have no angels come along escorting him?" ('Aswirah' = Armlets of gold, which were considered a sign of honor, stature and royalty in many civilizations).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    “Oh, that armlets of gold had but been cast upon him! Or angels had but come with him in conjunction!”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    "Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or the angels are accompanying him?"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    "Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or the controllers accompanying him?"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    "How come he does not possess a treasure of gold; how come the angels do not accompany him?"

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Why were then no bracelets of gold shed upon him from above, or angels sent down as a retinue with him?"

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

    Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"

  • Muhammad Asad

    "And then - why have no golden armlets been bestowed on him? or why have no angels come together with him?"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Why, then, have armlets of gold not been set upon him, or angels sent along with him?

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Why were bracelets of gold not bestowed upon him? Why did a retinue of angels not accompany him as attendants?"*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    " If only a bracelet of gold from heaven's realm has ornamented his arm to betoken authority or he has been companioned with the angels to confer on him dignity in an order of prophet hood!"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    "How come he does not own the golden bracelet of nobility or an army of angles as his bodyguards?"

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    "Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or angels sent along with him?"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    "Then why are not gold bracelets bestowed on him, or (why) come (not) with him angels accompanying him in procession?"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Why then have no golden bracelets ˹of kingship˺ been granted to him or angels come with him as escorts!"

  • Taqi Usmani

    So why were the bracelets of gold not sent down to him, or (why) did the angels not come along with him as companions?"

  • Abdul Haleem

    Why has he not been given any gold bracelets? Why have no angels come to accompany him?’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Why then have bracelets of gold not been cast on him, or angels not come with him conjoined?'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Unless then bracelets of gold be cast upon him, or there come with him angels as his mates... !'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    "But why have not bracelets of gold been put upon him, or why have there not come with him angels as companions?"

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So, had armlets of gold been cast (i. e., bestoned on him) on him, or Angels had come with him in comradeship!"

  • George Sale

    Have bracelets of gold, therefore, been put upon him; or do the angels attend him in orderly procession?

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    "Then why are not gold bracelets given to him, or (why do the) angels (not) come with him in procession (and groups)?"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    `(If he be a specially favoured one of God) why have not then bracelets of gold been bestowed on him (and thus a chiefdom conferred on him), or (rather why have no) angels accompanied him following him in procession formed in serried ranks?'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Why have no bracelets of gold been cast upon him, nor have the angels come with him as escorts?’