يَزِلُّ الْغُلَامُ الْخِفُّ عَنْ صَهَوَاتِهِ
وَيُلْوِي بِأَثْوَابِ الْعَنِيفِ الْمُثَقَّلِ
“A light young rider slips from the elevations of its back, while its vigorous motion tugs at the clothes of a heavy, rough rider.”
Al-ghulām al-khiff portrays a light-bodied boy; al-ʿanīf al-muthaqqal presents the contrasting heavy, forceful rider. They differ in both weight and manner, yet the horse's energetic movements disturb each in a different way.
The poet does not provide an abstract measure of speed. He shows the horse's effects on a rider's balance and clothing, turning force into an observable physical consequence.