الْمَقَامَةُ الْمَرَاغِيَّةُ

English: If distress were destructive, I would have perished from my enduring anguish

Yoruba: Tí ìpọ́njú bá jẹ́ aláparun, ìbá ti parun nítorí ìrora mi tí ó dúró

English: Or if a past life could be ransomed

Yoruba: Tàbí tí a bá lè ra ìgbé ayé ti o ti kọjá padà

English: My noble soul would have ransomed it

Yoruba: Ọkàn ọlọ́lá mi ìbá ti rà á padà

English: For death is better for the youth than living the life of a beast

Yoruba: Nítorí ikú sàn fún ọ̀dọ́ ju gbígbé ayé ẹranko lọ

English: The righteousness of the small leads him to greatness and humility

Yoruba: Òdodo àwọn kékeré ń darí rẹ̀ sí ńlá àti ìrẹ̀lẹ̀

English: And he sees the predators being snatched by the hands of the oppressed hyenas

Yoruba: Ó sì rí àwọn ẹranko apanirun tí àwọn ọwọ́ ikokò tí a ni lára ń gbá mú

English: And the wolf of the days, if not for its ill omen, would not have changed its nature

Yoruba: Àti ìkookò ọjọ́, bí kò bá ṣe fún àìsí rẹ̀, kò ní yí ìwà rẹ̀ padà

English: And if it had been upright, the conditions therein would have been upright

Yoruba: Bi o bá dúró déédé, àwọn ipò nínú rẹ̀ ìbá jẹ́ déédé

English: Then indeed his news grew to the governor

Yoruba: Lẹ́yìn náà, ìròyìn rẹ̀ dàgbà dé ọ̀dọ̀ gómìnà

English: So he filled his mouth with pearls

Yoruba: Ó sì fi aluulu kún ẹnu rẹ̀