Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allāh and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.
وَتَكَاثُرٞand competition in increasewatakāthurun
فِيoffī
ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِthe wealthl-amwāli
وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِۖand the childrenwal-awlādi
كَمَثَلِlike (the) examplekamathali
غَيۡثٍ(of) a rainghaythin
أَعۡجَبَpleasesaʿjaba
ٱلۡكُفَّارَthe tillersl-kufāra
نَبَاتُهُۥits growthnabātuhu
ثُمَّthenthumma
يَهِيجُit driesyahīju
فَتَرَىٰهُand you see itfatarāhu
مُصۡفَرّٗاturning yellowmuṣ'farran
ثُمَّthenthumma
يَكُونُbecomesyakūnu
حُطَٰمٗاۖdebrisḥuṭāman
وَفِيAnd inwafī
ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِthe Hereafterl-ākhirati
عَذَابٞ(is) a punishmentʿadhābun
شَدِيدٞsevereshadīdun
وَمَغۡفِرَةٞand forgivenesswamaghfiratun
مِّنَfrommina
ٱللَّهِAllahl-lahi
وَرِضۡوَٰنٞۚand Pleasurewariḍ'wānun
وَمَاBut notwamā
ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ(is) the lifel-ḥayatu
ٱلدُّنۡيَآ(of) the worldl-dun'yā
إِلَّاexceptillā
مَتَٰعُ(the) enjoymentmatāʿu
ٱلۡغُرُورِ(of) delusionl-ghurūri
Tafsir
Know that the life of the world is only a pastime that the bodies play with; futility that the hearts engage in; beauty that you adorn yourselves with; boasting with one another over possessions and power, and taking pride in abundance of wealth and offspring. It is just like rainfall that pleases the farmers with the growth it brings, but the green growth does not last long before it begins to dry. Then, O onlooker, you see it after its greenery having turned yellow. Allah then turns it into broken bits falling apart. And in theِ Afterlife there will be a severe punishment for the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and a special forgiveness from Allah for the sins of His believing servants.