«فَلَمَّا لَاحَ ابْنُ ذَكَاءَ»
When the sun appeared.
Ibn Dhakāʾ is an uncommon literary expression for the sun. Rather than simply saying “morning came,” the narration gives daylight a memorable poetic name. Lāḥa means to appear or become visible.
The change of time also changes what the narrator can do: he can examine faces, locate the sound he heard, and resolve the mystery. Dawn advances the action, not merely the clock.
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The Dimyāṭī Maqāmah: Abū Zayd Unmasked and His Parting Message
«فَلَمَّا لَاحَ ابْنُ ذَكَاءَ»
When the sun appeared.
Ibn Dhakāʾ is an uncommon literary expression for the sun. Rather than simply saying “morning came,” the narration gives daylight a memorable poetic name. Lāḥa means to appear or become visible.
The change of time also changes what the narrator can do: he can examine faces, locate the sound he heard, and resolve the mystery. Dawn advances the action, not merely the clock.