وَكَأَنَّ فَارَةَ تَاجِرٍ بِقَسِيمَةٍ
As if a merchant’s musk pouch were associated with the beautiful woman.
Ka-anna overtly signals a comparison. Fārata is the accusative noun of ka-anna; the phrase bi-qasīmatin locates the image in relation to the woman.
The point is not commerce as such. It is the refinement of her breath, comparable to prized perfume. The previous image of teeth appealed to sight; this one predominantly appeals to the sense of smell.
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ʿAntarah ibn Shaddād: Fragrance, Rain-fed Meadow and Sensory Similes (verses 12–19)
وَكَأَنَّ فَارَةَ تَاجِرٍ بِقَسِيمَةٍ
As if a merchant’s musk pouch were associated with the beautiful woman.
Ka-anna overtly signals a comparison. Fārata is the accusative noun of ka-anna; the phrase bi-qasīmatin locates the image in relation to the woman.
The point is not commerce as such. It is the refinement of her breath, comparable to prized perfume. The previous image of teeth appealed to sight; this one predominantly appeals to the sense of smell.