مُقَدِّمَة

English: And apart from that, my mind is the father of its excuse and the originator of its sweetness and bitterness.

Yoruba: Yàtọ̀ sí èyí, èrò mi ni bàbá àwáwí rẹ̀ àti olùpilẹ̀ṣẹ̀ didùn àti kíkorò rẹ̀.

English: This is with my acknowledgment that al-Badi', may Allah have mercy on him, is a forerunner of goals and a master of verses.

Yoruba: Èyí jẹ́ pẹ̀lú ìjẹ́wọ́ mi pé Badi', kí Ọlọ́hun kẹ́ ẹ, jẹ́ aṣáájú nibi àwọn ipinnu àti ọ̀gá àwọn ami oro.

English: And that whoever undertakes after him to create a Maqama, even if given the eloquence of Qudama,

Yoruba: Àti pé ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó bá gbìyànjú lẹ́yìn rẹ̀ láti ṣẹ̀dá Makama, bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé a fún un ní ọ̀rọ̀ dídùn kudama,

English: Will not draw except from his remnants and will not travel that path except by his guidance.

Yoruba: Kò ní pọn omi àyàfi láti inú ìyọkù rẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kò ní rìn ọ̀nà náà àyàfi nípa ìtọ́sọ́nà rẹ̀.

English: And to Allah belongs the excellence of the one who said: "If I had wept from passion before her weeping,"

Yoruba: Ọlọ́hun ni ó ni ọlá ẹni tí ó sọ pé: "Tí mo bá ti sunkún fún ìfẹ́ ṣáájú ẹkún rẹ̀,"

English: By Su'da I would have healed my soul before regret

Yoruba: Nípa Su'da ni mo bá ti wo ọkàn mi san kí ìrònú tó dé

English: But she wept before me, so her weeping stirred my tears, and I said: "The merit belongs to the one who preceded."

Yoruba: Ṣùgbọ́n ó sunkún ṣáájú mi, nítorí náà ẹkún rẹ̀ ru ẹkún mi sókè, mo sì sọ pé: "Ẹ̀yìn ni ti ẹni tí ó kọ́kọ́ ṣe é."

English: And I hope that I am not, in this prattle that I have produced and the resource that I have frequented

Yoruba: Mo sì ní ìrètí pé èmi kò jẹ́, nínú ọ̀rọ̀ asán yìí tí mo ti pèsè àti orisun tí mo ti lò lọ́pọ̀lọpọ̀

English: Like one who seeks his death with his own hoof, or one who cuts off the tip of his nose with his own palm

Yoruba: Bí ẹni tí ń wá ikú ara rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú pátákò ẹsẹ̀ ara rẹ̀, tàbí ẹni tí ń gé orí imú ara rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú àtẹ́lẹwọ́ ara rẹ̀

English: So he joined those who are most astray in their deeds, whose efforts have been wasted in the life of this world while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds

Yoruba: Nítorí náà lo ba darapọ̀ mọ́ àwọn tí ó ṣìnà jùlọ nínú iṣẹ́ wọn, àwọn tí akitiyan wọn ti jẹ́ asán nínú ìgbési ayé yìí nígbà tí wọ́n rò pé àwọn ń ṣe rere nípa iṣẹ́ wọn