Iv - University of Salford Institutional Repository

intrinsic, innate and fallible nature, is further extended in the
fourth line of the Arabic original poem.
The Arabian poet begins his fourth line with a conditional clause
which grammatically constitutes a logical climax in the whole argument.
The introduction of the verbal phrase "ra'awta" in the first half and
its noun derivative "Tai;" in the second half of the line makes the
impossible seem far more impossible beyond all expected or non-
expected bounds, thus emphasizing man's utter submission to his fate.
The meaning of the line can be summarized into this: that he who
aspires to attain the impossible is like one who builds a mansion on
the collapsible brink of a hill. The use of the conditional clause and
its subsequent resultant phrase strikes a final note to man's
submissiveness to the will of Fate despite his desperate effort to
adapt it to his short-lived worldly interests. It is hopeless to opt
for the impossible. The collapsable brink of the hill gets the
reader/hearer immersed in the culture-specific background of the
original poet's environment. The use of the past and present tense
forms enriches the linguistic potential of the source language, and
strikes a verbal balance unlikely to be found in many languages. The
poet has successfully activated the diverse grammatical components
within the line to bring into focus the ideational component which is
inextricably bound to the distinctive culture in which the text is
embedded.
186