«وَلَمَّا تَعَامَى الدَّهْرُ وَهُوَ أَبُو الْوَرَى»
When the age itself—figuratively the father of people—pretended blindness.
Taʿāmā suggests adopting or feigning blindness, while al-dahr is the abstract age or fortune. Calling it “father of mankind” is personification, not genealogy. A literal medical account of the age's eyesight would misread the image.
Abū Zayd uses this conceit to rationalize his own conduct. A faithful translation reports his explanation without endorsing it. The difference between what a character asserts and what the reader should accept remains essential.
Translation exercise
Explain why a “blind age” is a figure of speech, not a literal physical claim.