وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ ٢٠

He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?

وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ

He inspected the birds,

فَقَالَ

and said:

مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ

What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe?

أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ

Or is he among the absentees?

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ٢١

"I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason."

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا

I will surely punish him with a severe torment

أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ

or slaughter him

أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

unless he brings me a clear reason

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ ٢٢

But the hoopoe stayed not long, he (came up and) said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba) with true news.

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ

But the hoopoe stayed not long

فَقَالَ

he (came up and) said:

أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ

I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped

وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ

and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba)

بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ

with true news.

إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ ٢٣

"I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne.

إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ

I found

امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ

a woman ruling over them

وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

and she has been given all things

وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ

that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth

and she has a great throne

وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ ٢٤

"I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Shaitan (Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from (Allah's) Way, so they have no guidance,"

وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا

I found her and her people

يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ

worshipping the sun instead of Allah

وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ

and Shaitan (Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them

فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ

and has barred them from (Allah's) Way

فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ

so they have no guidance

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ٢٥

Al-La (this word has two interpretations) (A) [As Shaitan (Satan) has barred them from Allah's Way] so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, or (B) So that they may worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 19, Page 149]

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ

so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah,

الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth,

وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ

and knows what you conceal and what you reveal.

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ۩‏ ٢٦

Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!

اللَّهُ

Allah

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

none has the right to be worshipped but He

رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ۩‏

the Lord of the Supreme Throne

۞ قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ٢٧

[Sulaiman (Solomon)] said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.

۞ قَالَ

said

سَنَنظُرُ

We shall see

أَصَدَقْتَ

whether you speak the truth

أَمْ

or

كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

you are (one) of the liars

اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي هَٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ ٢٨

"Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what (answer) they return."

اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي هَٰذَا

Go you with this letter of mine

فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ

and deliver it to them

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ

then draw back from them

فَانظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ

and see what (answer) they return