طِرفٌ إِذا اِستَقبَلتَهُ قُلتُ حَبا

طِرفٌ إِذا اِستَقبَلتَهُ قُلتُ حَبا

حَتّى إِذا اِستَدبَرتَهُ قُلتُ كَبا

حَتّى إِذا اِستَدبَرتَهُ قُلتُ كَبا

A noble steed: when you face him, I say, 'He crawls.'

A curl, when you face it, you say "aha!"

Then, when you view him from behind, I say, 'He stumbles.'

Until you turn from it, you say "bah!"

ذو أَربَعٍ يَلقى الصَفا بِمِثلِها

ذو أَربَعٍ يَلقى الصَفا بِمِثلِها

وَلِلحَصى مِن خَلفِهِ وَثبُ دَبا

وَلِلحَصى مِن خَلفِهِ وَثبُ دَبا

Four-legged, he strikes smooth rock with rock-like hooves;

With four legs meeting cliffs alike

Behind him, the pebbles leap like young locusts.

And rocks behind it hopping like

إِذا تَرامَينَ بِهِ في سَيرِهِ

إِذا تَرامَينَ بِهِ في سَيرِهِ

تَحسَبُهُ مِنها عَلى أَنفِ الصِبا

تَحسَبُهُ مِنها عَلى أَنفِ الصِبا

When they spring forward with him as he goes,

When it walks stately in its pace

You think him, borne by them, upon the nose of the east wind.

You'd think it was the wind's embrace