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that her husband is physically tall and well-built (high and mighty),
but he is also arrogant, haughty, and self-conceited. The sound
symbolism (onomatopoeia) also suggests that the woman's husband is
domineering, dictatorial, and uncompromising. Such deep-seated
meanings are left to the reader to explore through interpretation.
The fourth wife (TT) said: "My husband is a moderate person like
the night of 'Tihama' which is neither hot nor cold. I am neither
afraid of him, nor am I discontented with him". Here there is allusion
to the climatic conditions of a specific geographical locality unknown
to none except the local inhabitants of the region. She assimilises
the husband to the night in Tihama which is neither hot nor cold. Her
even-tempered husband is neither feared nor discontented with.
"Neither hot nor cold" corresponds to "la-harr wa la-oarr", which is a
paradigmatic expression of moderateness literally untransplantable in
English. Besides, the rhythmic patterning of the Arabic paradigm
consolidates the notion of even-temperedness. On the other hand,
morphological resemblance between "la-makla fat wa la-sa mat" (neither
feared nor discontented with) intensifies the rhetorical effect of the
ST statement.
The fifth wife (TT) said: "My husband, when entering (the house) is
a leopard, and when going out, is a lion. He does not ask about
whatever is in the house." The 'leopard' simile implies that her
husband is a loving, caring family man. He does not exaggerate, and
very often ignore, trivial household problems nor does he interfere in
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