Quran Ayah al-Qalam (The Pen) 68:15 - 70+ Translation Comparison

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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"
Arthur John Arberry   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says, 'Fairy-tales of the ancients!
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries

Listen: 

Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ ءَایَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِیرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ ۝١٥
Transliteration (2021)   
idhā tut'lā ʿalayhi āyātunā qāla asāṭīru l-awalīn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more   
When are recited to him Our Verses, he says, "Stories (of) the former (people)."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries
M. M. Pickthall   
That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
whenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”
Wahiduddin Khan   
when Our revelations are recited to him, he says, These are just ancient fables
Safi Kaskas   
when Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Myth of former people."
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
When Our signs are recounted to him, he said: Fables of the ancient ones!
T.B.Irving   
Whenever Our verses are recited to him, he says: "Legends by primitive people!"
Shakir   
When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore
Abdul Hye   
When Our Verses (of the Qur’an) are recited to him, he says: “Tales of the people of old!”
Saeed Malik   
When OUR verses are recited unto him, he says, "Fables of the ancients."
The Study Quran   
When Our signs are recited unto him he says, “Fables of those of old.
Talal Itani & AI (2025)   
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Ancient fables."
Talal Itani (2012)   
When Our Verses are recited to him, he says, 'Myths of the ancients!'
M. Farook Malik   
When Our revelations are recited to him , he says: "They are nothing but the tales of the ancients."
Dr. Kamal Omar   
When Our Verses are recited unto him, he said: “Writings of the initial people!”
Dr. Munir Munshey   
When Our verses are recited to him, he remarks, "(Legends)! Tales of the earlier folks!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
When Our Signs are rehearsed to him, he cries; "Tales of the men of old (ancient peoples),"
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
Muhammad Sarwar   
he says, "These are ancient legends"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, .(These are) the tales of the ancient
Shabbir Ahmed   
- Says, "Fables of ancient times", whenever Our Messages are conveyed to him
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
When Our ayat (Verses, signs) are recited to him, he says, "Myths of the earliest (people)."
Hamid S. Aziz   
When Our communications are recited to him, he says, "Stories of those of old"
Abdel Haleem   
when our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘These are just ancient fables.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
When Our revelations are rehearsed Unto him, he saith: fables of the ancients
Ahmed Ali   
When you recite Our revelations to him, he says: "These are fables of long ago."
Aisha Bewley   
When Our Signs are recited to him, he says, ´Just myths of previous peoples!´
Ali Ünal   
When Our Revelations are recited to him, he says: "Fables of the ancients."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’
[The Monotheist Group] (2017 Edition)   
When Our revelations are recited to him, he says: "Tales of old!"
Musharraf Hussain   
When Our verses are recited to him he says, “These are ancient stories.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
When Our signs are rehearsed to him, “Tales of the ancients,” he says
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
When Our verses are read to him, he says: “Stories of the earlier ones.”
Maududi   
and whenever Our verses are rehearsed to him, he says: "These are fairy- tales of times gone by."
Mohammad Shafi   
When Our Verses are recited to him, he says, "These are just ancient tales."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says 'stories of the ancients'.
Rashad Khalifa   
When our revelations are recited to him, he says, "Tales from the past!"
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
When Our verses are recited to him, he says: 'They are but fairytales of the ancients!
Faridul Haque   
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.”
Bijan Moeinian   
Anytime that his Lord’s revelations is recited to him, he says: “These are nothing but ancient time’s mythologies.”
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
When Our messages are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
If Our verses/evidences are read/recited on him, he said: "The first's/beginner's myths ."
Sher Ali   
When our Signs are recited unto him, he say, `Tales of the ancients.
Edip Yuksel   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says: "Tales from the past!"
Amatul Rahman Omar   
When Our Messages are recited to him he says, `(These are mere) stories of the ancients (so outdated rubbish).
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
When Our Verses are recited to him, he says: ‘These are the fictitious stories of the bygone people.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
When Our Verses (of the Quran) are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!"

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
N J Dawood (2014)   
when Our revelations are recited to him, he says: ‘Fables of the ancients.‘
Arthur John Arberry   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says, 'Fairy-tales of the ancients!
Edward Henry Palmer   
When our signs are recited to him he says, 'Old folks' tales!
George Sale   
When our signs are rehearsed unto him, he saith, they are fables of the ancients
John Medows Rodwell   
Who when our wondrous verses are recited to him saith - "Fables of the ancients."

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Shuaib Abdullahi   
when (Izaa) Our verses (Aayaatu-naa) are recited (Tut'laa) to him (Ålai'hi), he says (Qaala), "Tales (Asaatiiru) of the past (El'Awwaliin)."
Fode Drame   
When Our signs are related unto him he says, “The tales of the ancients.”
Munir Mezyed   
Whenever the Qur'ānic Verses are recited to him, he says: “Myths of the ancients."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
When Our signs are recited to him he says: stories of old.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
When he/she hears Our signs, he/she shouts, “Tales of old!”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
when Our signs are read to him, he says, “Legends of the ancients!”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Whenever Our verses are recited to him, he says: "Legends by primitive people!"
Samy Mahdy   
When Our verses are recited upon him, he said, "The former’s Legends."
Ali Quli Qarai   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’
Ahmed Hulusi   
When he was informed of Our verses he said, “Legends of the former people.”
Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri   
When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!"
A. S. Mohamed   
When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, "Tales of the previous ones."
Mir Aneesuddin   
When Our signs are recited to him, he says, “Stories of the ancient.”
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Whose response to Our Revelations when he applies his ears to them, is: "Tales fabled by those of old "
The Wise Quran Project   
When Our signs are recited to him he says, 'The legends of the former people.'

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
When Our revelations are recited to him, he says: "Fictional tales of old!"
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
When Our revelations are recited to him, he says: "Tales from the past!"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
When are recited to him Our Verses, he says, "Stories (of) the former (people).
OLD Transliteration   
Itha tutla AAalayhi ayatuna qala asateeru al-awwaleena