جَادَ بِالْعَيْنِ حِينَ أَعْمَى هَوَاهُ عَيْنَهُ فَأَتَانِي بِلَا عَيْنَيْنِ
He gave away precious money when desire blinded his eye, and came to me as though bereft of both eyes.
The word al-ʿayn shifts between cash and sight. Through that polysemy, Abū Zayd turns a ruler’s generosity into criticism of discernment: giving money and understanding the situation are not the same act.
The verse is the character’s own satirical interpretation. It can be read as both wordplay and a moral jab, without treating it as conclusive evidence of the ruler’s inner motives. The closing effect combines laughter with a question about gifts, deception, and judgment.
ExpressionMeaningbi-l-ʿaynready moneyʿaynahueye or discernmentbilā ʿaynaynas though without eyes