Waghā refers to the din of battle; maghnam is booty or the occasion of its acquisition. The first verb claims readiness to confront danger; the second asserts self-restraint.
Both verbs are first-person imperfects. Their parallel form presents these as habitual traits rather than isolated events. The moral opposition is therefore built into the grammar as well as the vocabulary.
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ʿAntarah ibn Shaddād: Cavalry Witnesses, Courage, Restraint and Duels (verses 43–56)
Waghā refers to the din of battle; maghnam is booty or the occasion of its acquisition. The first verb claims readiness to confront danger; the second asserts self-restraint.
Both verbs are first-person imperfects. Their parallel form presents these as habitual traits rather than isolated events. The moral opposition is therefore built into the grammar as well as the vocabulary.