LessonsImruʾ al-Qays: Movement, Mirror, Gaze, and Gazelle Imagery (Verses 30–34)Quiz

Idhā can introduce a recurrent or anticipated circumstance. Here idhā hiya naṣṣathu means “when she lifts it,” referring to her neck. Naṣṣat comes from the root n-ṣ-ṣ (ن ص ص) and conveys raising or making prominent; the object suffix -hu points back to the neck.

Hiya explicitly identifies the woman as the agent. Though naṣṣat is a perfect form, with idhā it can present a general or repeatable circumstance rather than only a single completed event.

Rhetorically, the phrase adds movement: instead of a static neck shape, we see the motion of lifting the neck.

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Idhā hiya naṣṣathu: temporal condition and movement

Imruʾ al-Qays: Movement, Mirror, Gaze, and Gazelle Imagery (Verses 30–34)

Idhā can introduce a recurrent or anticipated circumstance. Here idhā hiya naṣṣathu means “when she lifts it,” referring to her neck. Naṣṣat comes from the root n-ṣ-ṣ (ن ص ص) and conveys raising or making prominent; the object suffix -hu points back to the neck.

Hiya explicitly identifies the woman as the agent. Though naṣṣat is a perfect form, with idhā it can present a general or repeatable circumstance rather than only a single completed event.

Rhetorically, the phrase adds movement: instead of a static neck shape, we see the motion of lifting the neck.