LessonsLabīd ibn Rabīʿah: The Bereaved Wild Cow, Rain and the Hunting Dogs (Verses 36–53)Quiz

أَفَتِلْكَ أَمْ وَحْشِيَّةٌ مَسْبُوعَةٌ خَذَلَتْ وَهَادِيَةَ الصِّوَارِ قِوَامُهَا
Is the she-camel like a wild cow whose calf was taken by a beast, now separated from the herd though her bearing was that of its leader?

Masbūʿah describes an animal whose young has been taken by a predator; ṣiwār is a herd of wild cattle. Hādiyat al-ṣiwār is the cow that leads the herd.

The question with am shifts to a second comparison for the camel’s energy. It also introduces loss and danger, which drive the subsequent action.

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A wild cow with a leader’s bearing

Labīd ibn Rabīʿah: The Bereaved Wild Cow, Rain and the Hunting Dogs (Verses 36–53)

أَفَتِلْكَ أَمْ وَحْشِيَّةٌ مَسْبُوعَةٌ خَذَلَتْ وَهَادِيَةَ الصِّوَارِ قِوَامُهَا
Is the she-camel like a wild cow whose calf was taken by a beast, now separated from the herd though her bearing was that of its leader?

Masbūʿah describes an animal whose young has been taken by a predator; ṣiwār is a herd of wild cattle. Hādiyat al-ṣiwār is the cow that leads the herd.

The question with am shifts to a second comparison for the camel’s energy. It also introduces loss and danger, which drive the subsequent action.