كَثُرَ الحَميرُ وَقَد أَرى في صُحبَتي

مِنهُنَّ أَقمَرَ مُنعِجاً بِالراكِبِ

Donkeys have multiplied, and among my company I see

one of them, moon-gray, making a ewe of his rider.

يَعدو فَيَضرُطُ مِن نَشاطٍ عارِمٍ

سَبعينَ أَو مِئَةً حِسابَ الحاسِبِ

He runs and farts from rampant high spirits—

seventy times, or a hundred, by the reckoner’s count.

وَإِذا تَمَرَّغَ عَدَّ أَلفاً كامِلاً

يَدَعُ المَراغَةَ مِثلَ أَمسِ الذاهِبِ

And when he wallows, he brings the count to a full thousand,

leaving the wallowing-ground behind like yesterday gone.

أَشِرٌ بِبِطنَتِهِ يُرامِحُ مَن دَنا

ضَخمُ المَقَدِّ شَديدُ شَغبِ الشاغِبِ

Wanton with his full belly, he spars with anyone who draws near,

huge of frame, fierce with a troublemaker’s mischief.

يَلقاكَ إِن لَقِيَ اللِجامَ بِسُحرَةٍ

يَكفيكَ مِن حُزَمِ الأَجيرِ الحاطِبِ

He will meet you—if he meets the bridle at daybreak—

enough to spare you the hired woodcutter’s bundles.

إِن قامَ يُسرِجُهُ الغُلامُ زَجَرتُهُ

لِزِيادَةٍ مِنهُ وَحَقٍّ واجِبِ

If the boy gets up to saddle him, I rebuke him,

for all the beast does besides, and for a right that must be honored.

خَلَّيتُ مَركَبَهُ وَرُحتُ لِحاجَتي

مَشياً يُكَلِّفُني لُغوبَ اللاغِبِ

I leave his back unmounted and go about my business

on foot, bearing the weariness of one worn out.

وَأَرى الصَحابَةَ شيعَتَينِ فَمِنهُما

أُنسٌ وَبَعضُهُمُ غُبورَةُ حالِبِ

I see companions divided into two camps; among them

some are congenial company, while some are what a milker leaves behind.

وَلَقَد مَشَيتُ عَنِ الحِمارِ تَكَرُّماً

وَالمَشيُ أَكرَمُ مِن رُكوبِ الصاحِبِ

Indeed, out of pride, I have gone on foot rather than ride the donkey:

walking is nobler than riding one’s companion.