kaana abuu al-ḥasani shaabban kariiman yadʿuu al-ghurabaa’a ilaa baytihi kulla laylatinAbu al-Hasan was a generous young man who invited strangers to his house every night.
dhaata laylatin kaana ḍayfuhu al-khaliifata haaruuna ar-rashiida mutanakkiranOne night his guest was the caliph Harun al-Rashid in disguise.
sa’alahu al-khaliifatu maadhaa tatamannaaThe caliph asked him, "What do you wish for?"
qaala atamannaa an akuuna khaliifatan yawman waaḥidan li’uʿallima jiiraanii al-muzʿijiina al-adabaHe said, "I wish to be caliph for one day so I can teach my annoying neighbours manners."
ḍaḥika al-khaliifatu wawaḍaʿa lahu dawaa’an munawwiman fii ash-sharaabi fanaamaThe caliph laughed and put a sleeping drug in his drink, and he fell asleep.
ḥamaluuhu ilaa al-qaṣri wafii aṣ-ṣabaaḥi astayqaẓa fawajada nafsahu ʿalaa sariiri al-khaliifatiThey carried him to the palace, and in the morning he woke up to find himself on the caliph's bed.
qaala al-khuddaamu ṣabaaḥu al-khayri yaa amiira al-mu’miniinaThe servants said, "Good morning, Commander of the Faithful!"
ḥakama abuu al-ḥasani yawman kaamilan wa’amara bitaʿliimi jiiraanihi al-adabaAbu al-Hasan ruled for a whole day and ordered that his neighbours be taught manners.
fii al-masaa’i naama min jadiidin warajaʿuu bihi ilaa baytihiIn the evening he fell asleep again and they took him back to his house.
ḥiina astayqaẓa ẓanna annahu kaana yaḥlumu waḍaḥika al-khaliifatu kathiiranWhen he woke up he thought he had been dreaming, and the caliph laughed a great deal.