وَلَقَدْ And certainly walaqad We had established them makkannāhum in what fīmā not in We have established you makkannākum in it fīhi and We made wajaʿalnā for them lahum hearing samʿan and vision wa-abṣāran and hearts wa-afidatan But not famā availed aghnā them ʿanhum their hearing samʿuhum and not walā their vision abṣāruhum and not walā their hearts afidatuhum any min thing shayin when idh they were kānū rejecting yajḥadūna (the) Signs biāyāti (of) Allah l-lahi and enveloped waḥāqa them bihim what mā they used to kānū [at it] bihi ridicule yastahziūna
And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allāh; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
وَلَقَدْ And certainly walaqad We destroyed ahlaknā what mā surrounds you ḥawlakum of mina the towns l-qurā and We have diversified waṣarrafnā the Signs l-āyāti that they may laʿallahum return yarjiʿūna
And We have already destroyed what surrounds you of [those] cities, and We have diversified the signs [or verses] that perhaps they might return [from disbelief].
فَلَوْلَا Then why (did) not falawlā help them naṣarahumu those whom alladhīna they had taken ittakhadhū besides min besides dūni Allah l-lahi gods as a way of approach qur'bānan gods as a way of approach ālihatan Nay bal they were lost ḍallū from them ʿanhum And that wadhālika (was) their falsehood if'kuhum and what wamā they were kānū inventing yaftarūna
Then why did those they took besides Allāh as deities by which to approach [Him] not aid them? But they had strayed [i.e., departed] from them. And that was their falsehood and what they were inventing.