إِن كُنتِ عَن وَجدِكِ لَم تَقصُري

أَو كُنتِ في الأُسوَةِ لَم تُعذَري

If you were not remiss in your love,

Or if you were blameless in your virtue,

فَإِنَّ في العُقدَةِ مِن يَلبَنٍ

عُبرَ السُرى في القُلُصِ الضُمَّرِ

Then indeed in difficulty is sweetness -

Cross over the plains in your shrouded soul.

وَصاحِبٍ قُلتُ لَهُ خائِفٍ

إِنَّكَ لِلخَيلِ بِمُستَنظِرِ

And I said to a companion in fear -

Indeed, you look out for the horses.

إِنَّكَ داعٍ بِكَبيرٍ إِذا

وافَيتَ أَعلى مَرقَبٍ فَاِنظُرِ

Indeed you call out when facing

The highest outlook - so look!

فَآنِسَن مِن ساعَةٍ فارِساً

يَخُبُّ أَدنى بُقَعِ المَنظَرِ

Let us be cheered for an hour by a knight

Who makes the lowest places beautiful to behold.

فَأَولِجِ السَوطَ عَلى حَوشَبٍ

أَجرَدَ مِثلِ الصَدَعِ الأَعفَرِ

So drive the whip against the lively one

Bare as the crack in a yellow rock,

تُنبِطُهُ الساقُ بِشَدٍّ كَما

مالَ هَجيرُ الرَجُلِ الأَعسَرِ

His foreleg beating strongly as

The lame man’s staff leans to the left.