كَأَنَّ عَلَى الْمَتْنَيْنِ مِنْهُ إِذَا انْتَحَى
مَدَاكَ عَرُوسٍ أَوْ صَلَايَةَ حَنْظَلِ
“When it turns or leans to one side, the two surfaces of its back seem like a bride’s smooth grinding stone for perfume, or a polished slab used to grind colocynth.”
Al-matnayn denotes both sides of the horse’s back; idhā intaḥā means “when it inclines or directs itself.” The comparisons emphasize smoothness, firmness, and polished texture.
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Imruʾ al-Qays: The Horse’s Form, Similes, and Wild Quarry (Verses 59–64)
كَأَنَّ عَلَى الْمَتْنَيْنِ مِنْهُ إِذَا انْتَحَى
مَدَاكَ عَرُوسٍ أَوْ صَلَايَةَ حَنْظَلِ
“When it turns or leans to one side, the two surfaces of its back seem like a bride’s smooth grinding stone for perfume, or a polished slab used to grind colocynth.”
Al-matnayn denotes both sides of the horse’s back; idhā intaḥā means “when it inclines or directs itself.” The comparisons emphasize smoothness, firmness, and polished texture.