الْمَقَامَةُ الْمَرَاغِيَّةُ

English: Or compose a virgin epistle

Yoruba: Tàbí kọ ìwé àkọ́kọ́ tí kò tí ì sí rí

English: And that the most eloquent of writers of this time

Yoruba: Àti pé àwọn onímọ̀ akọ̀wé àsìkò yìí

English: Those who mastered the reins of expression

Yoruba: Àwọn tó mọ ìdí ọ̀rọ̀ sísọ dáadáa

English: Are like dependents upon the ancients

Yoruba: Wọ́n dàbí ẹni tó ń gbẹ́kẹ̀lé àwọn àtijọ́

English: Even if they possessed the eloquence of Sahban Wa'il

Yoruba: Bí wọ́n tilẹ̀ ní ọgbọ́n ọ̀rọ̀ sísọ bí Sahban Wa'il

English: And in the assembly was a middle-aged man sitting on the edge

Yoruba: Nínú ìpàdé náà, ọkùnrin àgbàlagbà kan jókòó ní ẹ̀gbẹ́

English: At the standing place of the entourage

Yoruba: Níbi tí àwọn ẹrú jókòó sí

English: And whenever the people went too far in their discourse

Yoruba: Nígbàkúgbà tí àwọn ènìyàn bá ti kọjá àlà nínú ọ̀rọ̀ wọn

English: And spread out their dates and elevated talks from their strings

Yoruba: Tí wọ́n sì tàn ọ̀rọ̀ eyi tó wù yí àti èyí tí kó wù yí wọn jáde nínú ọpọlọ wọn

English: The squinting of his eyes would indicate

Yoruba: Ìfojúsọ́nà rẹ̀ á máa fihàn