الْمَقَامَةُ الْمَعَرِّيَّةُ

Then the judge turned to the elder and said: Come on, without embellishment!

Nígbà náà ni adájọ́ yíjú sí àgbàlagbà náà ó sì wí pé:Tún alààyè tiẹ̀ náà ṣe, má ṣe fi àwọ̀n ọ̀rọ̀ dídùn kún un!

He said: I swear by the sacred shrine and by those devotees gathered in the valley of Mina.

Ó sọ pé: Mo búra pẹ̀lú ibi mímọ́ náà àti àwọn olùjọsìn tí wọ́n péjọ ní àfonífojì Mina.

If times had favored me, he would not have seen me holding his kohl stick as a pledge.

Bí àwọn ọjọ́ bá ti fàyè gba mi, kò ní rí mi tí mo di igi tìrò rẹ̀ mú gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀rí.

Nor would I have sought a replacement or price for a needle that perished.

Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni n kò ní máa wá ẹ̀rọ́ tàbí iye fún abẹ́rẹ́ kan tó ti parun.

But the bow of misfortunes shoots at me with deadly arrows from here and there.

Ṣùgbọ́n ọrun ìpọ́njú ń ta mí pẹ̀lú àwọn ọfà olóró láti ibí àti ìhín.

The news of my condition is like the news of his: harm, misery, estrangement, and exhaustion.

Ìròyìn ipò mi dàbí ìròyìn tirẹ̀: ìpalára, òṣì, àjèjì, àti àárẹ̀.

Time has equalized between us, so I am his counterpart in misery, and he is me.

Àkókò ti ṣe ìdájọ́ láàrin wa, nítorí náà mo jẹ́ ẹlẹgbẹ́ rẹ̀ nínú ìpọ́njú, òun sì ni èmi.

He cannot release his kohl applicator as it has become pledged in my hand.

Kò le tú igi tìrò rẹ̀ sílẹ̀ nítorí ó ti di ohun ìdógò ní ọwọ́ mi.

Nor do I have room, due to my poverty, for forgiveness when he transgressed.

Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni n kò ní ààyè, nítorí òṣì mi, láti dáríjì nígbà tí ó ṣẹ̀.

So this is my story and his story, look at us, between us, and for us.

Nítorí náà èyí ni ìtàn mi àti ìtàn rẹ̀, wo wá, láàrin wa, àti fún wa.