الْمَقَامَةُ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ

English: Al-Harith ibn Hammam said:

Yoruba: Hárìsù ọmọ Hammām sọ pé:

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

Yoruba: Ìgbádùn ọ̀dọ́ àti ìfẹ́ fún ẹ̀kọ́ jẹ́ mí ní ìgbàgbé,

English: Until I traversed the lands between Farghana and Ghanah .

Yoruba: Títí mo fi rìn kọjà láàrin Fargana àti Gana

English: Plunging into depths to reap the fruits,

Yoruba: Mo wọ inú omi jìjìn láti kórè èso,

English: And braving dangers to attain my desires.

Yoruba: Mo sì kojú ewu láti lè rí ìfẹ́ ọkàn mi.

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

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

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

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

English: To win over its judge and extract his goodwill,

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

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

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

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

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