الْمَقَامَةُ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ

Al-Harith ibn Hammam said:

Hárìsù ọmọ Hammām sọ pé:

The exuberance of youth and the passion for acquisition drove me,

Ìgbádùn ọ̀dọ́ àti ìfẹ́ fún ẹ̀kọ́ jẹ́ mí ní ìgbàgbé,

Until I traversed the lands between Farghana and Ghanah .

Títí mo fi rìn kọjà láàrin Fargana àti Gana

Plunging into depths to reap the fruits,

Mo wọ inú omi jìjìn láti kórè èso,

And braving dangers to attain my desires.

Mo sì kojú ewu láti lè rí ìfẹ́ ọkàn mi.

I had learned from the mouths of scholars and absorbed from the counsel of the wise,

Mo ti kọ́ láti ẹnu àwọn ọlọ́gbọ́n, mo sì ti gba ìmọ̀ láti ọ̀rọ̀ àwọn amòye,

That it behooves the shrewd man of letters, when entering a foreign land,

Pé ó yẹ fún ọlọ́gbọ́n akọ̀wé, nígbà tí ó bá wọ ilẹ̀ àjèjì,

To win over its judge and extract his goodwill,

Kí ó fa ọkàn adájọ́ sí ara rẹ̀ kí ó sì gba ìfẹ́ rẹ̀,

So his back may be strengthened in disputes and he may be safe from the oppression of rulers in a foreign land.

Kí ẹ̀yìn rẹ̀ lè le nígbà ìjà, kí ó sì lè ní ìdánilójú lọ́wọ́ ìwà ipá àwọn aláṣẹ ní ilẹ̀ àjèjì.

So I adopted this etiquette as a guide and made it a rein for my interests.

Nítorí náà, mo mú ìwà yìí gẹ́gẹ́ bí amọ̀nà, mo sì ṣe é ní ìdí fún àwọn ohun tí ó jẹ́ mí lógún.