الْمَقَامَةُ الشِّعرية

And know that its calamities come suddenly, even if time stretches long and the march of fate slows.

Kí o sì mọ̀ pé àwọn ìpọ́njú rẹ̀ á dé lójijì, bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé ìgbà gùn tí ìrìn àwọn ìpinnu Ọlọ́run ṣàárẹ.

The governor said to him: "Then what did this one do?"

Gómìnà sọ fún un pé: "Nígbà náà kí ni èyí ṣe?"

He said: "He dared, in his baseness of reward, to approach my verses of six parts."

Ó sọ pé: "Ó gbìyànjú, nínú ìwà búburú rẹ̀, láti mú àwọn ẹsẹ mi tó ní apá mẹ́fà."

He deleted two parts from them and reduced two of their meters.

Ó yọ apá méjì kúrò nínú wọn, ó sì dín méjì kúrò nínú ìwọ̀n wọn.

Until the loss in them became two losses.

Títí tí àdánù nínú wọn fi di àdánù méjì.

He said to him: "Clarify what he took and from where he cut?"

Ó sọ fún un pé: "Ṣàlàyé ohun tó mú àti ibi tó ti gé é?"

He said: "Lend me your ear and clear your mind to understand me."

Ó sọ pé: "Fi etí sílẹ̀ fún mi kí o sì ṣí ọkàn rẹ sílẹ̀ láti gbọ́ mi yé."

"Until you see how he attacked me and can estimate the extent of his crime against me."

"Títí ìwọ yóò fi rí bí ó ṣe kọlù mí àti bí o ṣe lè wọn ìwọ̀n ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ rẹ̀ sí mi."

Then he recited, with his breaths rising:

Lẹ́yìn náà ó kà á, pẹ̀lú mímí rẹ̀ tí ń ga sókè:

O seeker of this baseless world, truly it is a trap of doom.

Ìwọ olùwá ayé àìní ìyì, lóòótọ́ ó jẹ́ ìkẹ́kùn ìparun.