Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
[Whereupon] He will say: “You have spent there but a short while: had you but known [how short it was to be]
M. M. Pickthall
He will say: Ye tarried but a little if ye only knew
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
He will say, “You only remained for a little while, if only you knew.
Safi Kaskas
He would say, “You stayed but a little if only you had known.
Wahiduddin Khan
He will say, You only stayed for a little while, if only you knew
Shakir
He will say: You did tarry but a little-- had you but known (it)
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
He said: You lingered in expectation not but a little. If you had but been knowing.
T.B.Irving
He will say: "You only lasted a little while, if you only realized it.
Abdul Hye
(Allah) will say: “You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!
The Study Quran
He will say, “You tarried but a little, if you but knew.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
He will say, “In fact, you stayed only a little—if only you had known.
Talal Itani (2012)
He will say, 'You remained only for a little while, if you only knew
Dr. Kamal Omar
(Allah) said: “You stayed not but very little — if that you, you had been knowing
It will be said: "Well, now you know that your stay was just a little while - what a pity, you did not believe it then!"
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
He will say, "You have decidedly lingered (nothing) except a little, if (only) you knew
Muhammad Sarwar
God will say, "You have indeed remained there for a short time. Would that you knew it during your life time
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
He will say, .You did not stay but for a little. Would that you had understood (this at that time)
Shabbir Ahmed
He will say, "You stayed only a little, if you had only realized then!"
Dr. Munir Munshey
Allah will say, "You stayed for just a short while! If you had only realized!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed
He will say: "You stayed only for a little (while)— If you had only known
He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
He said: "You have remained for very little, if you knew."
Abdel Haleem
He will say, ‘You stayed but a little, if you had only known
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
He will say: ye tarried a little indeed; would that ye had known that
Ahmed Ali
He will say: "You stayed there only a moment, if you knew
Aisha Bewley
He will say, ´You only tarried there for a little while if you did but know!
Ali Ünal
Says He: "You stayed but for a short while, if only you had known (how short it was to be and acted accordingly)
Ali Quli Qara'i
He will say, ‘You only remained a little; if only you had known
Hamid S. Aziz
He will say, "You have only tarried a little, if you but knew
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
He will say: “You only stayed a little while, if only you knew.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
He will say, “You stayed not even close to that, if you only knew
Musharraf Hussain
Allah will say, “You spent but a short while, if only you knew.
Maududi
He will say: "You stayed only for a while, if you only knew that
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
He said: "You have remained for very little, if only you knew.
Mohammad Shafi
The Lord would say, "You did stay but a little — had you but known it."
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Allah said, 'you stayed not but little, if you would have knowledge'.
He said, "In fact, you stayed but a brief interim, if you only knew.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
He will say: 'You have tarried a little, did you know
Maulana Muhammad Ali
He will say: You tarried but a little -- if you only knew
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
He said: "That truly that you stayed/remained except little , if that you were knowing."
Bijan Moeinian
The Lord will say: “So, you realize that it was only a short stay (and was not worth it to exchange it for the eternity.)”
Faridul Haque
He will say, "You stayed but only a little, if you knew."
Sher Ali
HE will say, `You tarried but a little, if only you knew !
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(Allah) will say: ‘You stayed there but very little. Would that you knew (it there)!
Amatul Rahman Omar
(God) will say, `You tarried but a little while, if only you knew (what loss you have incurred by missing doing good)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
He (Allah) will say: "You stayed not but a little, if you had only known
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
He will say, “You stayed only a little only if you did know.
Munir Mezyed
Allâh will say: "You tarried but a little, if you had only known!
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
He will say: you stayed only a little while if you had known.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
He will say, “You stayed only a little, if you only realized it.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
He said, “Youpl remained but for a little while, if you only knew.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
He will say: "You only lasted a little while, if you only realized it.
Samy Mahdy
He said, “Surely you were not tarried except a little, if you were knowing.
Sayyid Qutb
He will say: 'Brief indeed was your sojourn, if you but knew it.
Ahmed Hulusi
He said, “You remained there only a short while, if only you knew!”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
He will say: 'You tarried but a little if you had only known'
"You only sojourned for a short while if you had only known!"
Mir Aneesuddin
They will say, "We stayed for a day or part of a day but ask those who keep the account."
The Wise Quran
He said, 'You tarried not except a little, did you know.