الْمَقَامَةُ الْبَغْدَادِيَّةُ

Then he raised the voice of the singers.

Lẹ́yìn náà, ó gbé ohùn àwọn tó ń kọrin ga.

And he began to recite:

Ati pe ó bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í kọrin:

Oh, if only my poetry encompassed the knowledge of my fate.

Ì bá ṣe tí ìgbà mi bá mọ ìmọ̀ ìparí ayé mi.

And whether it knew the depth of my deception.

Ati pé ṣé ó mọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀ ẹtan mi.

Or does he not know how many of his sons I have deceived with my tricks and cunning?

Tabi kò mọ̀ iye àwọn ọmọ rẹ̀ tí mo ti tan pẹ̀lú ẹ̀tan àti ọgbọ́n mi?

And how often I have appeared to them with kindness.

Ati iye igba tí mo ti fara hàn fún wọn pẹ̀lú ìfẹ́.

And with contradiction, I have caught some with sermons and others with poetry.

Ati pẹ̀lú àtakò, mo ti mú àwọn kan pẹ̀lú ìwàásù àti àwọn mìíràn pẹ̀lú ewì.

I provoke a mind with vinegar and another mind with wine.

Mo ń fa ọkàn kan pẹ̀lú gẹdẹgẹdẹ ọti àti ọkàn mìíràn pẹ̀lú wáìnì.

Sometimes I am Sakhr, and sometimes I am the sister of Sakhr.

Ìgbà kan mo jẹ́ Sakara, ìgbà mìíràn mo jẹ́ ọmọyábìnrin Sakara.

If I had followed a familiar path all my life.

Bí mo bá ti tẹ̀lé ọ̀nà tí mo mọ̀ ní gbogbo ìgbà ayé mi.