Yaḍīqu l-bābu ʿanhā exaggerates a doorway’s narrowness, while junintu bihi junūnan describes emotional intensity through the language of madness. Neither requires a literal, verifiable measurement.
The first magnifies an external object; the second magnifies an inward state. Recognizing the two types of exaggeration prevents a literary image from being mistaken for reportage.
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ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm: Uncertain Time, the Beloved and Grief (Verses 12–22)
Yaḍīqu l-bābu ʿanhā exaggerates a doorway’s narrowness, while junintu bihi junūnan describes emotional intensity through the language of madness. Neither requires a literal, verifiable measurement.
The first magnifies an external object; the second magnifies an inward state. Recognizing the two types of exaggeration prevents a literary image from being mistaken for reportage.