Caxton's translation (1484)
Of the hors / of the hunter and of the hert /
None ought to put hym self in subiection for to auenge hym on other / For better is not to submytte hym self / than after to be submytted / as reherced to vs this fable / Of an hors whiche had enuye ouer an herte / by cause the herte was fayrer than he / and the hors by enuye went vnto an hunter / to whome he sayd in this manere / yf thow wylt byleue me / we shalle this day take a good proye / Lepe vpon my bak / and take thy swerd / and we shalle chace the herte / and thow shalt hytte hym with thy swerd / and kylle hym / and shalt take hym / and thenne his flesshe thow mayst ete / and his skynne thow mayst selle / And thenne the hunter moued by auaryce / demaunded of the hors / thynkest thow by thy feythe that we maye take the herte / of whom thow spekest to me of / And the hors answerd thus / Suffyse the / For ther to I shalle put al my dylygence and alle my strengthe / lepe vpon me / and doo after my counceylle / And thenne the Hunter lepte forthwith vpon the hors backe / And the hors beganne to renne after the herte / And whanne the herte sawe / hym come he fled / And by cause that the hert ranne faster / than the hors dyd / he scaped fro them / and saued hym / And thenne when the hors sawe and felte hym moche wery / and that he myght no more renne / he sayd to the hunter in this maner / alyght fro my back / For I may bere the no more and haue myst of my proye / Thenne said the hunter to the hors Syth thow arte entryd in to my handes / yet shalt not thow escape thus fro me / thow hast the brydel in thy mouthe wherby thow mayst be kepte stylle and arrested / And thow wylt lepe / the sadell shalle saue me / And yf thow wylt caste thy feet fro the / I haue good spores for to constrayne and make the goo whether thow wylt or not where as I wylle haue the / And therfore kepe the wel / that thow shewest not thy self rebelle vnto me /
Therfore it is not good to put and submytte hym self vnder the hand of other wenynge therby to be auenged of hym / ageynste whome men haue enuye / For who submytteth hym self vnder the myght of other / he byndeth hym self to hym
L'Estrange's translation (1692)
A STAG AND A HORSE
Upon a Dispute betwixt a Stag and a Horse about a Piece of Pasture, the Stag got the better on’t, and beat the other out of the Field. The Horse, upon this Affront, advis’d with a Man what Course to take; who told him, that if he would submit to be bridled and saddled, and take a Man upon his Back with a Lance in his Hand, he would undertake to give him the Satisfaction of a Revenge. The Horse came to his Terms and for the gratifying of a present Passion, made himself a Slave all the Days of his Life. Stesichorus made use of this Fable to divert the Himerenses from chusing Phalaris the Tyrant for their General. This horse’s Case, says he, will be yours, if you go on with your Proposals. ‘Tis true, you’ll have your Revenge, but you’ll lose your Liberties: Upon which Words the Motion fell.
THE MORAL OF THE TWO FABLES ABOVE. Let every Man make a true Measure of himself, what he is able to do, and what not, before he comes to any peremptory Resolution how to proceed. He is a Madman, that to avoid a present and less Evil, runs blindfold into a greater; and for the gratifying of a froward Humour, makes himself a Slave all the Days of his Life.
Townsend's translation (1887)
The Horse and the Stag
At one time the Horse had the plain entirely to himself. Then a Stag intruded into his domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to revenge himself on the stranger, asked a man if he were willing to help him in punishing the Stag. The man replied that if the Horse would receive a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him, he would contrive effective weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented and allowed the man to mount him. From that hour he found that instead of obtaining revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man.
Jacobs' translation (1894)
The Horse, Hunter, and Stag
A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as we follow after the enemy." The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and said to the Hunter: "Now, get off, and remove those things from my mouth and back."
"Not so fast, friend," said the Hunter. "I have now got you under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present."
If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs.
