We write, ایشان به ایران نرفته بودند.
Are you aware of any examples in literature where the auxiliary verb (بودن) is negated in the present perfect and past perfect? I can only think of the following where یافت I suppose is shortned version for یافته .
گفتند یافت نیست بسے جسته ایم ما
چیزے که یافت مے نشود آنم آرزوست
Only this:
فریدونِ فرخ فرشته نبود
ز مُشک و ز عنبر سرشته نبود
(فردوسی)
One might expect the line of verse to read ز مشک و ز عنبر نسرشته بود.
It seems the negative verb disintegrates under the weight of its own form, so that سرشته becomes an attribute and stands independently of the verb, which in turn changes tense.
فریدونِ فرخ فرشته نبود
ز مُشک و ز عنبر سرشته نبود
(فردوسی)
One might expect the line of verse to read ز مشک و ز عنبر نسرشته بود.
It seems the negative verb disintegrates under the weight of its own form, so that سرشته becomes an attribute and stands independently of the verb, which in turn changes tense.
Thank you. I too take the meaning of سرشته as an adjective in the same way as نهفته in the Sa'di line.
تا مرد سخن نگفته باشد
عیب و هنرش نهفته باشد
Not quite in literature, I am sure I have heard خورده نی‌ام for نخورده‌ام in an Iranian regional accent, but that may be subject to debate.