LessonsImruʾ al-Qays: Dialogue in ʿUnayzah’s Litter, Boasting, and an Oath (Verses 13–18)Quiz

In bi-shiqqin, bi- is a preposition and shiqq is its genitive complement, meaning one side or half of the body. Wa-taḥtī shiqquhā forms a nominal construction, with the locative phrase as an advanced predicate and shiqquhā as a delayed subject.

In lam yuḥawwal, lam negates and governs the jussive, while yuḥawwal is a passive imperfect of Form II, meaning that the body’s other part was not moved away. A final vowel may appear in poetic recitation for rhyme, without changing the underlying jussive relation.

The grammatical arrangement heightens the contrast between the two halves: movement toward the child versus remaining near the speaker.

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Bi-shiqq wa-taḥtī shiqquhā: syntactic contrast

Imruʾ al-Qays: Dialogue in ʿUnayzah’s Litter, Boasting, and an Oath (Verses 13–18)

In bi-shiqqin, bi- is a preposition and shiqq is its genitive complement, meaning one side or half of the body. Wa-taḥtī shiqquhā forms a nominal construction, with the locative phrase as an advanced predicate and shiqquhā as a delayed subject.

In lam yuḥawwal, lam negates and governs the jussive, while yuḥawwal is a passive imperfect of Form II, meaning that the body’s other part was not moved away. A final vowel may appear in poetic recitation for rhyme, without changing the underlying jussive relation.

The grammatical arrangement heightens the contrast between the two halves: movement toward the child versus remaining near the speaker.