In lam yaʿfu rasmuhā, lam introduces negation and governs the jussive, yaʿfu is the jussive imperfect, and rasmuhā is its subject. ʿAfā–yaʿfū means for a trace to be effaced or worn away.
The verb is final-weak with wāw. Jussive marking removes the final weak letter, producing lam yaʿfu from yaʿfū.
The pronoun -hā refers to the former dwelling or its site. The sense is that recognizable remains still exist: the verse denies total erasure, not the passage of time.
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Imruʾ al-Qays: The Deserted Campsite and the First Six Verses
In lam yaʿfu rasmuhā, lam introduces negation and governs the jussive, yaʿfu is the jussive imperfect, and rasmuhā is its subject. ʿAfā–yaʿfū means for a trace to be effaced or worn away.
The verb is final-weak with wāw. Jussive marking removes the final weak letter, producing lam yaʿfu from yaʿfū.
The pronoun -hā refers to the former dwelling or its site. The sense is that recognizable remains still exist: the verse denies total erasure, not the passage of time.