Fa-taʿrukukum → wa-talqaḥ → thumma tuntaj → fa-tutʾim
The poem first depicts people being ground down, then pictures war as generating further calamities. Fa- commonly links action to consequence, while thumma marks a subsequent stage.
The two images work together: the mill crushes those present now, whereas the she-camel multiplies future troubles. The warning therefore includes both immediate damage and consequences that persist across time.
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Zuhayr ibn Abī Sulmā: War, the Grinding Mill, and the She-Camel Metaphors (Verses 28–32)
Fa-taʿrukukum → wa-talqaḥ → thumma tuntaj → fa-tutʾim
The poem first depicts people being ground down, then pictures war as generating further calamities. Fa- commonly links action to consequence, while thumma marks a subsequent stage.
The two images work together: the mill crushes those present now, whereas the she-camel multiplies future troubles. The warning therefore includes both immediate damage and consequences that persist across time.