عُنيتُ بِمَركَبِ البِرذَونِ حَتّى

أَضَرَّ الكيسَ إِغلاءُ الشَعيرِ

I relied on riding my mule until

I kept a saddle-horse with care sincere,

The high cost of barley hurt my purse

Till barley's price made savings disappear.

فَحُلتُ إِلى البِغالِ فَأَعوَزَتني

فَحُلتُ مِنَ البِغالِ إِلى الحَميرِ

So I switched to donkeys but they left me incapacitated

I turned to mules, but found them far too dear,

So I switched from donkeys to a horse

So from the mules, to donkeys I drew near.

فَأَعيَتني الحَميرُ فَصِرتُ أَمشي

أُزَجّي الرِجلَ كَالرَجُلِ الكَسيرِ

But the horse tired me out so I ended up walking

Then donkeys failed me too, so I walk here,

Dragging my legs like a weak old man

Dragging my leg like a broken man, I fear.

وَما بي وَالحَميدُ اللَهُ كَسرٌ

وَلَكِن فَقدُ حُملانِ الأَميرِ

But praise God, I have no disability

Yet—praise to God—no broken bone is here,

Just lost the transportation of the prince

My only break: no mount from the Emir.