Kalāl names accumulated exertion, while hibāb presents renewed speed. Read in isolation they may seem inconsistent; but a seasoned mount can bear visible marks of difficult travel and still move powerfully when called upon.
The poet first gives tangible signs of toil in straps and hump, then shifts to the cloud simile to show propulsion. Holding the two images together produces a more vivid, resilient travelling companion.
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Labīd ibn Rabīʿah: Severing Ties, Generosity and the Travel-Worn She-Camel (Verses 20–24)
Kalāl names accumulated exertion, while hibāb presents renewed speed. Read in isolation they may seem inconsistent; but a seasoned mount can bear visible marks of difficult travel and still move powerfully when called upon.
The poet first gives tangible signs of toil in straps and hump, then shifts to the cloud simile to show propulsion. Holding the two images together produces a more vivid, resilient travelling companion.