The youth’s reply overturns Abū Zayd’s expectation. A man asking for help discovers that the person behind the door is also needy. The irony arises directly from the two characters’ circumstances.
«وَلَكِنْ يَا فَتَى! مَا اسْمُكَ فَقَدْ فَتَنَنِي فَهْمُكَ؟»
But young man, what is your name? Your understanding has captivated me.
Abū Zayd admires the youth’s intelligence and quick verbal response despite his poverty. The youth has not yet answered the question about his name; that response begins the next section of the story.