MĀ RĀʿANĪ ILLĀ ḤAMŪLATU AHLIHĀ
Only the laden animals of her household startled me.
Mā ... illā singles out the cause by negation and exception. Wasaṭa al-diyār is a locative expression; tasaffu is an imperfect verb giving the scene ongoing movement.
No battle or formal announcement is needed. The small detail of animals feeding makes departure suddenly real. Such precision is an important strength of the imagery.
Opening interactive controls...
ʿAntarah ibn Shaddād: Ruins, Love for ʿAblah and Tribal Conflict (verses 1–11)
MĀ RĀʿANĪ ILLĀ ḤAMŪLATU AHLIHĀ
Only the laden animals of her household startled me.
Mā ... illā singles out the cause by negation and exception. Wasaṭa al-diyār is a locative expression; tasaffu is an imperfect verb giving the scene ongoing movement.
No battle or formal announcement is needed. The small detail of animals feeding makes departure suddenly real. Such precision is an important strength of the imagery.