وَأَنزَلَني طولُ النَوى دارَ غُربَةٍ

وَأَنزَلَني طولُ النَوى دارَ غُربَةٍ

إِذا شِئتُ لاقَيتُ أَمراً لا أُشاكِلُه

إِذا شِئتُ لاقَيتُ أَمراً لا أُشاكِلُه

And prolonged separation has lodged me in a land of exile.

And the length of my yearning brought me down to the abode of exile,

Whenever I wish, I encounter a matter with which I have no affinity.

When I wish, I find something I do not resist,

أُحامِقُهُ حَتّى تُقالَ سَجِيَّةٌ

أُحامِقُهُ حَتّى تُقالَ سَجِيَّةٌ

وَلَو كانَ ذا عَقلٍ لَكُنتُ أُعاقِلُه

وَلَو كانَ ذا عَقلٍ لَكُنتُ أُعاقِلُه

I play the fool with it until this is called a natural disposition.

I act ignorant until it is said “he is foolish”,

And were it possessed of reason, I would reason with it.

And if he was reasonable, I would act reasonably towards him.