قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ ٢٩

She said: "O chiefs! Verily! Here is delivered to me a noble letter,

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي

She said: 'O chiefs!'

أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ

Verily! Here is delivered to me

كَرِيمٌ

a noble letter,

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ٣٠

"Verily! It is from Sulaiman (Solomon), and verily! It (reads): In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful;

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ

Verily! It is from Sulaiman (Solomon),

وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

and verily! It (reads): In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful;

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ٣١

"Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission)' "

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ

Be you not exalted against me

وَأْتُونِي

but come to me

مُسْلِمِينَ

as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission)

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ ٣٢

She said: "O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me."

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي

She said: 'O chiefs!'

فِي أَمْرِي مَا

Advise me in (this) case of mine.

كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ

I decide no case

تَشْهَدُونِ

till you are present with me.

قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ ٣٣

They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command."

قَالُوا

They said:

نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ

We have great strength,

وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ

and great ability for war,

وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ

but it is for you to command;

فَانظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ

so think over what you will command.

قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ٣٤

She said: "Verily! Kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it, and make the most honourable amongst its people low. And thus they do.

قَالَتْ إِنَّ

Verily! Kings,

الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا

when they enter a town (country),

قَرْيَةً

they despoil it,

أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا

and make the most honourable amongst its people low.

أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ

And thus they do.

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ٣٥

"But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return."

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ

But verily! I am going to send him a present,

فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

and see with what (answer) the messengers return.

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا آتَاكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ٣٦

So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaiman (Solomon), he said: "Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!"

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ

So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaiman (Solomon),

قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ

he said: 'Will you help me in wealth?

فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا آتَاكُم

What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!

بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ

Nay, you rejoice in your gift!

ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِّنْهَا أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ ٣٧

[Then Sulaiman (Solomon) said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present]: "Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased."

ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ

Go back to them.

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ

We verily shall come to them with hosts

لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا

that they cannot resist,

وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِّنْهَا

and we shall drive them out from there

أَذِلَّةً

in disgrace,

وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ

and they will be abased.