Khabṭ means a blow made without accurate direction, and ʿashwāʾ denotes a female camel that does not see properly, especially in dimness. Zuhayr transforms an abstract subject—death—into a vivid scene: a blow strikes one person and misses another.
The main force of the simile is uncertainty of outcome from the observer’s perspective. Paired verbs, “tuṣib / tukhṭiʾ” and “tumithu / yuʿammar,” intensify the contrast.
Opening interactive controls...
Zuhayr ibn Abī Sulmā: Age, Mortality, Honor, and Keeping Promises (Verses 43–52)
Khabṭ means a blow made without accurate direction, and ʿashwāʾ denotes a female camel that does not see properly, especially in dimness. Zuhayr transforms an abstract subject—death—into a vivid scene: a blow strikes one person and misses another.
The main force of the simile is uncertainty of outcome from the observer’s perspective. Paired verbs, “tuṣib / tukhṭiʾ” and “tumithu / yuʿammar,” intensify the contrast.