The stranger responds with an emphatic appeal to truth and sincerity, then suggests that the maker of the verse is among the people present that very day.
The claim changes the mood: the shabby visitor has shown considerable verbal skill and is now making a striking statement about the verse’s authorship.
Important distinction: Confidence and verbal eloquence make a claim impressive; they do not, on their own, verify authorship.
Opening interactive controls...
The Ḥulwān Maqāmah: A Literary Assembly and a Contest of Verse
The stranger responds with an emphatic appeal to truth and sincerity, then suggests that the maker of the verse is among the people present that very day.
The claim changes the mood: the shabby visitor has shown considerable verbal skill and is now making a striking statement about the verse’s authorship.
Important distinction: Confidence and verbal eloquence make a claim impressive; they do not, on their own, verify authorship.