الْمَقَامَةُ الْمَرَاغِيَّةُ

Or compose a virgin epistle

Tàbí kọ ìwé àkọ́kọ́ tí kò tí ì sí rí

And that the most eloquent of writers of this time

Àti pé àwọn onímọ̀ akọ̀wé àsìkò yìí

Those who mastered the reins of expression

Àwọn tó mọ ìdí ọ̀rọ̀ sísọ dáadáa

Are like dependents upon the ancients

Wọ́n dàbí ẹni tó ń gbẹ́kẹ̀lé àwọn àtijọ́

Even if they possessed the eloquence of Sahban Wa'il

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

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

Nínú ìpàdé náà, ọkùnrin àgbàlagbà kan jókòó ní ẹ̀gbẹ́

At the standing place of the entourage

Níbi tí àwọn ẹrú jókòó sí

And whenever the people went too far in their discourse

Nígbàkúgbà tí àwọn ènìyàn bá ti kọjá àlà nínú ọ̀rọ̀ wọn

And spread out their dates and elevated talks from their strings

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

The squinting of his eyes would indicate

Ìfojúsọ́nà rẹ̀ á máa fihàn