The word taḍram evokes fire, although the verse does not literally say “war is like a fire.” It is better read as a metaphorical image. The language of awakening in tabʿathūhā is followed by the imagery of a blaze.
Together they establish a distinction: the decision to start fighting is deliberate, but the ensuing escalation may outrun the initial decision. That prepares the reader for the mill and multiplying-offspring images in the next verses.
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Zuhayr ibn Abī Sulmā: War, the Grinding Mill, and the She-Camel Metaphors (Verses 28–32)
The word taḍram evokes fire, although the verse does not literally say “war is like a fire.” It is better read as a metaphorical image. The language of awakening in tabʿathūhā is followed by the imagery of a blaze.
Together they establish a distinction: the decision to start fighting is deliberate, but the ensuing escalation may outrun the initial decision. That prepares the reader for the mill and multiplying-offspring images in the next verses.