الْمَقَامَةُ الْوَاسِطِيَّةُ

Al-Harith ibn Hammam narrated: The harsh decree of time forced me to seek the land of Wasit.

Hárìsù ọmọ Hammam sọ pé: Ìdájọ́ àkókò tí ó le mu mi lọ sí ilẹ̀ Wasitu.

So I headed there, knowing no dwelling and owning no residence.

Nítorí náà, mo lọ síbẹ̀, Èmi kò mọ̀ ibùgbé kankan, mo sì kò ní ilé kankan níbẹ̀.

And when I arrived, like a fish in the desert, or a white hair in black locks.

Nígbà tí mo dé, bí ẹja inu pápá, tàbí irun funfun ní àárín irun dúdú.

Fate led me, with its incomplete fortune and retreating luck, to an inn frequented by wanderers and mixed companions.

Ayé mú mi lọ, pẹ̀lú àyànmọ́ tí kò pé àti ọlá tí ń padà, sí ilé ìtura tí àwọn arìnrìn-àjò àti àwọn ọ̀rẹ́ onírúurú ń gbé.

For its cleanliness and the charm of its inhabitants, it made the stranger desire to settle and forget the love of his homeland.

Nítorí ìmọtoto àyè rẹ̀ àti ìfẹ́ àwọn olùgbé rẹ̀, ó jẹ́ kí àjèjì fẹ́ gbé íbẹ̀, yóò sì mú gbàgbé ìfẹ́ ìlú rẹ̀.

So I took a room for myself, without competing for an excess of rent.

Nítorí náà, mo gba yara kan fún ara mi, láì sán owó tàbùá fún gbígba yàrá náà.

It was but a blink of an eye or the stroke of a pen before I heard my neighbor in the next room say to his guest:

Kò ju bí ìṣẹ́jú kan tàbí kíkọ aleefabẹti kan lẹ́hìn tí mo gbọ́ aládùúgbò mi ní ilé tó wà lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ sọ fún alejo rẹ̀:

Rise, my son, may your fortune never sit, nor your adversary stand.

Dìde, ọmọ mi, kí ore rẹ̀ má ṣe jókòó, kí ọ̀tá rẹ̀ má sì dìde.

And accompany the one with the moon-like face, the radiant color, the pure origin, and the lean body.

Máa bá ẹni tí ó ní ojú bí oṣùpá, awọ̀ tí ń tàn, ìpìlẹ̀ tí ó mọ́, àti ara tí ó rọrùn lọ.

The one who was seized and released, imprisoned and made famous, fed and weaned, and entered the fire after being slapped.

Ẹni tí wọ́n mú tí wọ́n sì tú sílẹ̀, tí wọ́n fi sínú ẹ̀wọ̀n tí wọ́n sì jẹ kó gbajúmọ̀, tí wọ́n fún ní oúnjẹ tí wọ́n sì tún gbà á lẹ́nu rẹ, tí wọ́n sì fi wọ inú iná lẹ́yìn tí wọ́n gbá lójú.