مقدمة

The soundness of opinion protected me from error, and the adornment of virtue beautified me in times of idleness.

Ìjínṣe èrò-ọkàn ṣe mí nínú ìṣìnà, ọ̀ṣọ́ ìwà rere sì ṣe mí lọ́ṣọ̀ọ́ ní àwọn àkókò àìṣiṣẹ́.

My glory, both later and earlier, is a lawful path—and the sun at mid-morning is like the sun in its early rise.

Ọlá mi, lẹ́yìn àti ṣáájú, jẹ́ ọ̀nà tí ó bófin mu—oorùn ní àárín òwúrọ̀ jẹ́ bí oòrùn ní ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ rẹ̀.

Why this stay in al-Zawrāʾ (Baghdad)? I have no dwelling there, nor my she-camel, nor my male camel.

Kí ni ìdí tí mo fi ń gbé ní al-Zawrāʾ (Baghdad)? Kò sí ilé mi níbẹ̀, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni ràkúnmí mi àti akọ ràkúnmí mi kò sí níbẹ̀.

Far from family, empty-handed, alone—like a sword whose blade has been stripped of defects.

Jìnnà sí ẹbí, òfó ọwọ́, ní ìyàdà—bí idà tí a ti bọ́ kúrò nínú àbùkù.

So there is no friend to whom I can complain of my sorrow, nor any companion to whom I can express the fullness of my joy.

Nítorí náà, kò sí ọ̀rẹ́ tí mo lè sọ ìbànújẹ́ mi fún, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kò sí alábàágbé tí mo lè fi òkè ayọ̀ mi hàn.

My estrangement has grown so long that even my riding camel and its saddle yearn, and the provisions of the slender journeyers.

Ìjìnnà mi ti gùn tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí ràkúnmí mi àti gàárì rẹ̀ fi ń kẹ́dùn, àti oúnjẹ àwọn arìnrìn-àjò tín-ínrín.

And my lean camel groaned from exhaustion, and cried out at what my mounts encounter, while the caravan persisted in blaming me.

Ràkúnmí mi tí ó rẹ̀ ń ké pẹ̀lú kún-ún ká, ó sì pariwo nítorí ohun tí ẹṣin mi ń bá, nígbà tí àwọn arìnrìn-àjò ń bá mi wí.