At-Târiq

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ ١

By the (endless expanse and infinite space of) heaven and the Nightly (discernable) Visitant.

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ ٢

And what do you know what the Nightly (discernable) Visitant is?

النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ ٣

(It implies) every heavenly body (be it a star, a planet, or any of the heavenly spheres) which shines and brightens (the space).

إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ ٤

There is no human soul but with a protector (appointed) over it.

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ ٥

So man should ponder (and find out) from what substance he has been created.

خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ ٦

He has been created from the ejaculated fluid (i.e., virile and motile sperm).

يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ ٧

That proceeds from the middle of the sacrum (and pelvic girdle) and is ejected.

إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ ٨

Indeed, He has the power to bring it (life) back,

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ ٩

The Day when all secrets will be disclosed.

فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ ١٠

Then man will have neither any strength (himself) nor any helper.

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ ١١

By the heavenly universe which will regress to its primitive state,

وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ ١٢

And by the earth which will split asunder (and change into dust particles),

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ ١٣

This is indeed a decisive (i.e., absolute) commandment.

وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ ١٤

And it is no joke!

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا ١٥

Indeed, they (the disbelievers) are hatching plots.

وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا ١٦

And I am designing My own strategy.

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا ١٧

So give the disbelievers a respite (for a while, not much); let them relax a little (more).