لا يُرتَجَى سائرٌ يَوماً وَلا حارُ

لا يُرتَجَى سائرٌ يَوماً وَلا حارُ

وَلا بنانٌ فَهُم للجور أَنصارُ

وَلا بنانٌ فَهُم للجور أَنصارُ

No hope can ever be placed in Sa'ir, nor in Har,

No righteous man hopes for an ally, nor does an ally exist,

Nor in Banan, for they are supporters of injustice.

For they assist in injustice, not in equity.

وَأَوّل القَوم خُلف الوَعد ديدنه

وَأَوّل القَوم خُلف الوَعد ديدنه

لَو ساعَدته عَلى الإنجاز أَقدار

لَو ساعَدته عَلى الإنجاز أَقدار

The first of the group habitually breaks his promise,

The leader of the people was the first to break his promise.

Even if fate helps him fulfill it.

Had fate aided him, he would have fulfilled it.

فَلا تَسَل حاجة مِنهُم فَإِنَّهُمُ

فَلا تَسَل حاجة مِنهُم فَإِنَّهُمُ

بِالنَص طابَت لَهم في المطل أَعذار

بِالنَص طابَت لَهم في المطل أَعذار

So ask no favor of them, for they

So do not ask a need of them, for with good words

Find, in the text itself, welcome excuses for delay.

Excuses seem fair to them when fulfilling hopes.

وَلا تَكُن بِالوَفا مِنهُم عَلى ثقة

وَلا تَكُن بِالوَفا مِنهُم عَلى ثقة

وَلا تَقل عدلوا في الحكم إِن جاروا

وَلا تَقل عدلوا في الحكم إِن جاروا

Nor place any trust in their faithfulness,

Do not trust them in loyalty,

Nor say they judged justly if they acted unjustly.

Nor say they judge with justice when they wrong you.

فَسائرٌ ضيّع الودّ القَديم وَلم

فَسائرٌ ضيّع الودّ القَديم وَلم

يَحفظ إخاءً بِهِ تَمتاز أَخيار

يَحفظ إخاءً بِهِ تَمتاز أَخيار

For Sa'ir squandered the old affection and did not

For the righteous man neglected a long friendship

Preserve the brotherhood that distinguishes good men.

And did not preserve a brotherhood distinguishing the virtuous.

وَكاد يَغترُّ مِن طَيش بمسنده

وَكاد يَغترُّ مِن طَيش بمسنده

لَولا مَخافة أَن تَجفوه نظّار

لَولا مَخافة أَن تَجفوه نظّار

And, in rashness, he nearly grew conceited about his seat,

He nearly fooled himself with his authority,

Were it not for fear that overseers might shun him,

Had he no fear that critics would spurn him

أَو تَنزَوي عَنهُ زُهداً فيهِ أَربعةٌ

أَو تَنزَوي عَنهُ زُهداً فيهِ أَربعةٌ

عمٌّ وَخال وَأَحباب وَأَخيار

عمٌّ وَخال وَأَحباب وَأَخيار

Or that four would withdraw, disdaining him:

Or four would turn from him in disdain -

A paternal uncle, a maternal uncle, loved ones, and good men.

An uncle, a nephew, loved ones and the righteous.

وَكَيفَ لا وَعلى أَبوابه وَقفت

وَكَيفَ لا وَعلى أَبوابه وَقفت

حُجّابُه ليصدّوا عَنهُ مَن زاروا

حُجّابُه ليصدّوا عَنهُ مَن زاروا

And how could it be otherwise, when at his doors stood

For at his gates stood his guards

His doorkeepers, to keep from him those who came to visit?

Who barred the way from those who visited.

وَقابَلوهم بِمَنع عَن مَوارده

وَقابَلوهم بِمَنع عَن مَوارده

عِندَ الصُدور وَهُم لا شَك أَغمار

عِندَ الصُدور وَهُم لا شَك أَغمار

And they met them by denying access to his watering places;

They met them with refusal at his resources

In the eyes of the eminent, they are doubtless greenhorns.

When they were in utmost need.

وَكُل مَن كانَ قَبل الآن يَعرفه

وَكُل مَن كانَ قَبل الآن يَعرفه

بَدا له مِنهُ فيما بَعد إِنكار

بَدا له مِنهُ فيما بَعد إِنكار

And everyone who had known him before now

And all who knew him before

Later encountered disavowal from him,

Now see in him something to deny.

وَقال يا وَيح مَغرور بِمنصبه

وَقال يا وَيح مَغرور بِمنصبه

أَما له في قبيل العَزل إِنذار

أَما له في قبيل العَزل إِنذار

And said, “Alas for a man deluded by his office!

And say: "Woe to the man deluded by his office!

Has he no warning just before dismissal?

Does he not see that dismissal is near?

أَما دَرى أَن أَيام الوَرى دول

أَما دَرى أَن أَيام الوَرى دول

وَهَكَذا الدَهر إِقبال وَادبار

وَهَكَذا الدَهر إِقبال وَادبار

Did he not know that people's days are turns of fortune,

Does he not know that the days of life pass,

And time is thus prosperity and decline,

And thus is the fate of glory and decline?"

وَأنَّ ما اندثرت

وَأنَّ ما اندثرت

لِحُسن صنعهما بِالمَوت آثار

لِحُسن صنعهما بِالمَوت آثار

And that there have not vanished

"That which the best two did has passed away with their death

With death, the traces of the good they both did?”

Due to their righteous deeds."

إِني عَزمت عَلى أَن لا أَسالمه

إِني عَزمت عَلى أَن لا أَسالمه

ما دُمت حَياً وَلَو شطّت بي الدار

ما دُمت حَياً وَلَو شطّت بي الدار

I have resolved not to make peace with him

I am determined not to greet him

As long as I live, even if my dwelling lies far away.

As long as I live, even if that angers me.

وَإِنَّني غَير راض عَنهُ ما بَرحت

وَإِنَّني غَير راض عَنهُ ما بَرحت

تَطوف مِن حَوله بِاللؤم أَشرار

تَطوف مِن حَوله بِاللؤم أَشرار

And I remain displeased with him as long as

And indeed, I am not pleased with him as long as

Evil men keep circling about him in their baseness.

The wicked keep circling around him.

فَلا تَلمني عَلى الإعراض عَنهُ وَقَد

فَلا تَلمني عَلى الإعراض عَنهُ وَقَد

تَغيرت مِنهُ أَحوال وَأَطوار

تَغيرت مِنهُ أَحوال وَأَطوار

So do not blame me for turning away from him, when

So do not blame me for turning away from him,

His circumstances and ways have changed.

When his state and circumstances have changed.

لا سيما حينَ أَضحى في مَصالحه

لا سيما حينَ أَضحى في مَصالحه

مميزاً وَلَهُ قَد زادَ مِقدار

مميزاً وَلَهُ قَد زادَ مِقدار

Especially since, in his affairs, he has become

Especially since in his affairs, he has become

Distinguished, and his standing has increased.

Distinguishing, and his station has increased.

وَقلدته يَدُ التَشريف ثالثةً

وَقلدته يَدُ التَشريف ثالثةً

مِن المجيدي لَها بِالصَدر أَنوار

مِن المجيدي لَها بِالصَدر أَنوار

And the hand of honor invested him with a third-class decoration

The hand of honor has given him three,

Of the Medjidi order, whose lights shine upon his breast.

Shining lights upon the chest.

فَما فَوائد تاريخٍ تنمِّقه

فَما فَوائد تاريخٍ تنمِّقه

لِمَن لِغَيرك في ناديهمُ اِختاروا

لِمَن لِغَيرك في ناديهمُ اِختاروا

What use, then, is a chronogram you embellish

Of what use is a decorated history

For those who chose someone other than you in their assembly,

To one whom they chose another over you in their circle?

وَآثروا مِن بَني الدُنيا عَليك أَخا

وَآثروا مِن بَني الدُنيا عَليك أَخا

تَملقٍ لَيسَ يَدري ما هُوَ العار

تَملقٍ لَيسَ يَدري ما هُوَ العار

And preferred to you, among the sons of this world, a brother of

And they preferred over you a flattering brother

Flattery, who does not know what shame is?

Who knows not what is disgrace.

وَما مُرادك فيهم بِالمَديح وَهُم

وَما مُرادك فيهم بِالمَديح وَهُم

نَسوا وَما عِندَهُم لِلخلِّ تِذكار

نَسوا وَما عِندَهُم لِلخلِّ تِذكار

And what do you seek by praising them, when they

What is your purpose in praising them, when they

Have forgotten, and keep no remembrance of a friend?

Have forgotten and have no thoughts of friendship?

فَاِقطَع عَلائقهم ما دامَ سَيرهم

فَاِقطَع عَلائقهم ما دامَ سَيرهم

قَد أَنكرته مَواليهم وَأَحرار

قَد أَنكرته مَواليهم وَأَحرار

So sever your ties with them, so long as their conduct

So sever ties with them as long as their path

Has been condemned by their retainers and by free men.

Has been denied by their allies and the free.

وَاقبل نَصيحة شَهم لا تُغيِّره

وَاقبل نَصيحة شَهم لا تُغيِّره

عَن الصَداقة طُولَ الدَهر أَغيار

عَن الصَداقة طُولَ الدَهر أَغيار

And accept the counsel of a noble man never turned

And accept the advice of one whose friendship

From friendship, through all time, by life's changes.

Many strangers have not changed over time.

لا زلت تُطرب مِن سحر تسير بِهِ

لا زلت تُطرب مِن سحر تسير بِهِ

في كُل واد مع الرُكبان أَشعار

في كُل واد مع الرُكبان أَشعار

May you never cease to delight with magic borne

You continue to be enchanted by the magic

Through every valley in poems traveling with the riders,

With which poetry flows in every valley with travelers.

ما أَشرَقت شَمسُ نظمٍ في سَما أَدَبٍ

ما أَشرَقت شَمسُ نظمٍ في سَما أَدَبٍ

أَو أَزهَرَت في بُروج النَثر أَقمار

أَو أَزهَرَت في بُروج النَثر أَقمار

As long as the sun of verse shines in the sky of letters,

No sun of verse in the sky of literature has dawned,

Or moons gleam in the constellations of prose,

No moons have blossomed in the constellations of prose,

أَو قُلت في حسن تَنديدي بمطلعه

أَو قُلت في حسن تَنديدي بمطلعه

لا يُرتجَى سائرٌ يَوماً وَلا حار

لا يُرتجَى سائرٌ يَوماً وَلا حار

Or you speak of my denunciation's beauty in its opening:

Nor have I said in praising your excellent beginning:

“No hope can ever be placed in Sa'ir, nor in Har.”

"No righteous man hopes for an ally, nor does an ally exist."