الْمَقَامَةُ الْمَرَاغِيَّةُ

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

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

Or if a past life could be ransomed

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

My noble soul would have ransomed it

Ọkàn ọlọ́lá mi ìbá ti rà á padà

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

Nítorí ikú sàn fún ọ̀dọ́ ju gbígbé ayé ẹranko lọ

The righteousness of the small leads him to greatness and humility

Òdodo àwọn kékeré ń darí rẹ̀ sí ńlá àti ìrẹ̀lẹ̀

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then indeed his news grew to the governor

Lẹ́yìn náà, ìròyìn rẹ̀ dàgbà dé ọ̀dọ̀ gómìnà

So he filled his mouth with pearls

Ó sì fi aluulu kún ẹnu rẹ̀