Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Said [the King]: "This is a mercy from my Sustainer! Yet when the time appointed by my Sustainer shall come, He will make this [rampart] level with the ground: and my Sustainer's promise always comes true!"
M. M. Pickthall
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord cometh to pass, He will lay it low, for the promise of my Lord is true
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
He declared, “This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it to the ground. And my Lord’s promise is ever true.”
Safi Kaskas
He said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will crush it [the barrier]. The promise of my Lord is surely true."
Wahiduddin Khan
and he said, This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it to dust. My Lords promise is ever true
Shakir
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord. So when the promise of my Lord drew near, He will made it powder. And the promise of my Lord had been true.
T.B.Irving
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. Whenever my Lord´s promise comes, he will make it crumble. My Lord´s promise is true!"
Abdul Hye
(Dhul-Qarnain) said: “This is a Mercy from my Lord. But when the Promise of my Lord will come, He shall make it flat (leveled). Promise of my Lord is true.”
The Study Quran
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord. And when the Promise of my Lord comes, He will crumble it to dust. And the Promise of my Lord is true.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
He declared, “This is a mercy from my Lord. However, when my Lord’s promise is fulfilled, He will reduce it to rubble. The promise of my Lord is always true.”
Talal Itani (2012)
He said, 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes true, He will turn it into rubble, and the promise of my Lord is always true.'
Dr. Kamal Omar
He said: “This is a mercy from my Nourisher-Sustainer, but when the Promise of Nourisher-Sustainer approached, He simultaneously made it reduce to plain earth. And the Promise of my Nourisher-Sustainer is ever true.”
He said: "This is a blessing from my Lord. But you should know that when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, He will level it to the ground, for the promise of my Lord is ever true."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
He said, "This is a mercy from my Lord. Then when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it pounded (into dust); and the promise of my Lord has (always) been true."
Muhammad Sarwar
Dhu l-Qarnayn said, "This barrier is a blessing from my Lord but when His promise comes to pass He will level it to the ground; His promise always comes true."
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
He said, .This is a mercy from my Lord. Then, when the promise of my Lord will come, He will make it leveled to the ground. The promise of my Lord is true
Shabbir Ahmed
Said the King, "This is a mercy from my Lord. Yet when the time appointed by my Lord shall come, He will make this barrier level with the ground. And my Lord's Promise always comes true. (This barrier will stay in place and crumble according to the Divine Laws in the Universe)
Dr. Munir Munshey
Said, "This is my Lord´s mercy upon you! (However) when the time comes for (the fulfillment of) my Lord´s promise, He will demolish it! My Lord´s promise is absolutely true!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will bring it (the wall) into dust on the ground; And the Promise of my Lord is true."
[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it rubble. And the promise of my Lord is truth."
Abdel Haleem
and he said, ‘This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord’s promise is fulfilled, He will raze this barrier to the ground: my Lord’s promise always comes true.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
He said: this is a mercy from my Lord; then when the promise of my Lord cometh, He shall make it powder, and the promise of my Lord is ever true
Ahmed Ali
"This is the benevolence of my Lord," he said; "but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will reduce it to a mound of dust; and the promise of my Lord is true."
Aisha Bewley
He said, ´This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord´s promise comes about, He will crush it flat. The promise of my Lord is surely true.´
Ali Ünal
Dhu’l-Qarnayn said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. Yet when the time of my Lord’s promise comes, He will level it down to the ground; and my Lord’s promise is ever true."
Ali Quli Qara'i
He said, ‘This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord is fulfilled, He will level it; and my Lord’s promise is true.’
Hamid S. Aziz
Said he, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it as dust, for the promise of my Lord is true."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
He said: “This is a mercy from my Lord, then when the promise of my Lord comes, He will level it to the ground, and my Lord’s promise is true.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust, and the promise of my Lord is true.
Musharraf Hussain
He told them, “This is my Lord’s kindness, so when My Lord’s promise comes the wall will crumble to dust, and my Lord’s promise is true.
Maududi
Dhu al-Qarnayn said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: but when the time of my Lord´s promise shall come, He will level the rampart with the ground. My Lord´s promise always comes true."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it rubble. And thepromise of my Lord is truth."
Mohammad Shafi
He said, "This (construction of the barrier/gate) is a mercy from my Lord. But when the prophecy of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it to the ground, and the prophecy of my Lord has ever to come true."
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
He said, 'this is a mercy from my Lord, 'then when the promise of my Lord will come, He will break it into pieces, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.
He said, "This is mercy from my Lord. When the prophecy of my Lord comes to pass, He will cause the dam to crumble. The prophecy of my Lord is truth."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will crumble it, and the promise of my Lord is ever true
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
He said: "That (is) mercy from my Lord, so if my Lord's promise came, he made it flattened/leveled off and my Lord's promise was truthfully (truthful) ."
Bijan Moeinian
Then he worshipped the Lord saying: “See how merciful is my lord. This wall will be leveled on the Day of Resurrection which will surely happen as promised by the Lord.”
Faridul Haque
He said, "This is the mercy of my Lord; then when the promise of my Lord arrives, He will blow it to bits; and my Lord’s promise is true."
Sher Ali
Thereupon he said, `This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, HE will break it into pieces. And the promise of my Lord is certainly true.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(Dhu al-Qarnayn) said: ‘This is mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord’s promise (of the Last Hour) comes (near), He will (demolish this wall and) level it with the ground (i.e., it will be reduced to dust particles). And the promise of my Lord is bound to come true.
Amatul Rahman Omar
He said (thereupon), `This (rampart signifies) a great mercy of my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord (about the spread of the tentacles of Gog and Magog all over the world) shall come to pass, He will raze it to the ground (crumbling it to pieces), and the promise of my Lord is certainly true.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Dhul-Qarnain) said: "This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true."
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord but when the promise of my Lord comes to term, He will make it [the barrier] levelled with the earth and truly the promise of my Lord is true.”
Munir Mezyed
Dhū’l-Qarnayn said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level with the ground. The Promise of my Lord is ever true."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
He said: this is of the mercy of my Lord, but when my Lord´s promise comes to pass He will make it crumble, and my Lord´s promise is true.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will raze it. The promise of my Lord is true.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes true, He will turn it into a flat surface. And the promise of my Lord has always been true.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord. Whenever my Lord's promise comes, he will make it crumble. My Lord's promise is true!"
Samy Mahdy
He said, “This is a mercy from my Lord. So, when my Lord's promise comes, He will set it up into rubble, and my Lord’s promise is ever a true.”
Sayyid Qutb
He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. Yet when the time appointed by my Lord shall come, He will make this [rampart] level with the ground. My Lord's promise always comes true.'
Ahmed Hulusi
(Dhul-Qarnayn) said, “This is a grace from my Rabb... So, when the promise of my Rabb comes, He will make it level... The promise of my Rabb is true.”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
He said: 'This is mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level (with the ground), and the promise of my Lord is ever true'.
"At the end", Zul-Qarnain said thankfully: "This is a mercy graciously vouchsafed by Allah, my Creator, and when Allah's predetermined point of time comes to pass, He shall turn it to dust. The promise of Allah, my Creator, has always been the truth personified"
Mir Aneesuddin
He said, “This is a mercy from my Fosterer but when the promise of my Fosterer comes to pass, He will make it crumble to pieces and the promise of my Fosterer is true."