Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
[Easy is it for Him to create likeness and variety:] thus, the two great bodies of water [on earth] are not alike the one sweet, thirst-allaying, pleasant to drink, and the other salty and bitter: and yet, from either of them do you eat fresh meat, and [from either] you take gems which you may wear; and on either thou canst see ships ploughing through the waves, so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful
Arthur John Arberry
Not equal are the two seas; this is sweet, grateful to taste, delicious to drink, and that is salt, bitter to the tongue. Yet of both you eat fresh flesh, and bring forth out of it ornaments for you to wear; and thou mayest see the ships cleaving through it, that you may seek of His bounty, and so haply you will be thankful
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Nor are the two bodies of flowing water alike,- the one palatable, sweet, and pleasant to drink, and the other, salt and bitter. Yet from each (kind of water) do ye eat flesh fresh and tender, and ye extract ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the Bounty of Allah that ye may be grateful
Arabic
وَمَا یَسۡتَوِی ٱلۡبَحۡرَانِ هَـٰذَا عَذۡبࣱ فُرَاتࣱ سَاۤىِٕغࣱ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَـٰذَا مِلۡحٌ أُجَاجࣱۖ وَمِن كُلࣲّ تَأۡكُلُونَ لَحۡمࣰا طَرِیࣰّا وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُونَ حِلۡیَةࣰ تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى ٱلۡفُلۡكَ فِیهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبۡتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ١٢
Transliteration (2021)
wamā yastawī l-baḥrāni hādhā ʿadhbun furātun sāighun sharābuhu wahādhā mil'ḥun ujājun wamin kullin takulūna laḥman ṭariyyan watastakhrijūna ḥil'yatan talbasūnahā watarā l-ful'ka fīhi mawākhira litabtaghū min faḍlihi walaʿallakum tashkurūn