LessonsṬarafah ibn al-ʿAbd: Ruins, Ships, Gazelle, and Beauty (Verses 1–10)Quiz

Kaʾanna brings the subject of a simile into relation with its comparison. Ḥudūja is the accusative noun of kaʾanna, al-Mālikiyyati its genitive complement, and khalāyā its predicate. غُدْوَةً specifies the time, morning.

The poet does not casually equate a caravan with a ship. The comparison is between camel-litters and large vessels. One crosses desert and the other sea; both carry passengers and advance with a characteristic rocking motion.

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The syntax of kaʾanna and the ship simile

Ṭarafah ibn al-ʿAbd: Ruins, Ships, Gazelle, and Beauty (Verses 1–10)

Kaʾanna brings the subject of a simile into relation with its comparison. Ḥudūja is the accusative noun of kaʾanna, al-Mālikiyyati its genitive complement, and khalāyā its predicate. غُدْوَةً specifies the time, morning.

The poet does not casually equate a caravan with a ship. The comparison is between camel-litters and large vessels. One crosses desert and the other sea; both carry passengers and advance with a characteristic rocking motion.