Yajūru ... wa-yahtadī contains two imperfect verbs, suggesting repeated adjustments: the sailor sometimes veers and sometimes finds his course. Ṭawran means 'at one time' or 'on an occasion.'
This contrast animates the initial simile. The litters were first described as large vessels; now the vessels have motion, changes of direction, and steering. The audience can imagine a caravan’s progress through an analogy to sailing.
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Ṭarafah ibn al-ʿAbd: Ruins, Ships, Gazelle, and Beauty (Verses 1–10)
Yajūru ... wa-yahtadī contains two imperfect verbs, suggesting repeated adjustments: the sailor sometimes veers and sometimes finds his course. Ṭawran means 'at one time' or 'on an occasion.'
This contrast animates the initial simile. The litters were first described as large vessels; now the vessels have motion, changes of direction, and steering. The audience can imagine a caravan’s progress through an analogy to sailing.