«فَلَبِثْنَا نَرْقُبُهُ رِقْبَةَ الْأَعْيَادِ»
We remained watching for him with the anticipation people feel for festivals.
Narqibuhu means to watch and wait for him; riqba reinforces the act of waiting. Al-aʿyād are festivals or feast days, awaited with eagerness.
The comparison conveys expectation and the seeming slowness of time. Instead of declaring the trick immediately, the narrative lets the reader experience the travellers’ prolonged wait.
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The Dimyāṭī Maqāmah: Abū Zayd Unmasked and His Parting Message
«فَلَبِثْنَا نَرْقُبُهُ رِقْبَةَ الْأَعْيَادِ»
We remained watching for him with the anticipation people feel for festivals.
Narqibuhu means to watch and wait for him; riqba reinforces the act of waiting. Al-aʿyād are festivals or feast days, awaited with eagerness.
The comparison conveys expectation and the seeming slowness of time. Instead of declaring the trick immediately, the narrative lets the reader experience the travellers’ prolonged wait.