فَقَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ مُغْضِيًا وَأَثْنَى عَنْهُمْ مُثْنِيًا
He accepted their gift with his gaze lowered, then turned away while praising them.
Qabila and athnā are past-tense verbs. Mughḍiyan and muthniyan are circumstantial accusatives: the first describes how he receives the gift; the second says he is praising as he departs.
In this construction athnā ʿanhum means departing, not merely praising. The echo with muthniyan creates a subtle play on similar forms with distinct senses.
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The Ṣanʿāʾ Maqāmah: Worldly Attachment, the Audience’s Gifts, and a Secret Pursuit
فَقَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ مُغْضِيًا وَأَثْنَى عَنْهُمْ مُثْنِيًا
He accepted their gift with his gaze lowered, then turned away while praising them.
Qabila and athnā are past-tense verbs. Mughḍiyan and muthniyan are circumstantial accusatives: the first describes how he receives the gift; the second says he is praising as he departs.
In this construction athnā ʿanhum means departing, not merely praising. The echo with muthniyan creates a subtle play on similar forms with distinct senses.