[XeTeX] extra line with RTL languages in parcolumns

[Adam Bremer-McCollum]

Hi,

I'm trying to make a document with parallel columns having a source text in
a RTL (right-to-left) language on the left and a translation in English on
the right. I'm using parcolumns for this, which works for LTR languages,
but with RTL languages there's an extra line before the text starts.
Minimal example below, with two different RTL languages, Arabic and Syriac.
Any ideas to fix this?

Very many thanks,

Adam Bremer-McCollum

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\usepackage{polyglossia}
\usepackage{parcolumns}

\setmainlanguage{english}
\setotherlanguages{arabic, syriac}

\newfontfamily\arabicfont[Script=Arabic, Scale=1.6]{Arial}

\newfontfamily\syriacfont[Script=Syriac, Scale=1.6]{Serto Mardin}


\begin{document}

\begin{parcolumns}[nofirstindent, sloppy]{2}

\colchunk{
\begin{RTL}
\begin{Arabic}
في حقيبتي رسالة هي عندي انفس ما وهبنيه الناس حتی اليوم. تسلمتها في اوائل
ايار ١٩٢٢ فتلوتها ولم اقع فيها علی اقل اثر استدل منه علی مرسلها ومحل اقامته.
\end{Arabic}
\end{RTL}
}

\colchunk{There's a letter in my bag that's the most precious thing to me
that anyone has ever given me. I got it at the beginning of May 1922, and I
read it, but I didn't come across the slightest indication of the sender or
their address.}

\end{parcolumns}

\begin{parcolumns}[nofirstindent, sloppyspaces]{2}

\colchunk{
\begin{RTL}
\begin{syriac}
ܠܟܠܒܐ ܕܝܢ ܟܕ ܐܦ ܗ̣ܘ ܡܢ ܚܝ̈ܘܬܐ ܗܠܝܢ ܐܟ̈ܠܬ ܒܣܪܐ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܟܠܗ ܗܢܐ ܫܥܒܕܗ ܐܠܗܐ
ܥܒܘܕܗ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ܉ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܐܦ ܝܬܝܪ ܡܢ ܒܢܝܢ̈ܫܐ ܠܘܬ ܒܢܝܢ̈ܫܐ܇ ܢܗܘܐ ܐܝܬ ܠܗ ܚܘܒܐ
ܘܐܘܝܘ̣ܬܐ ܡܫ̣ܝܢܬܐ ܠܘܬ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܩܢ̇ܝܗ.
\end{syriac}
\end{RTL}
}

\colchunk{Even though dogs belong to the group of meat-eating animals, God,
their maker, has subjected them completely to people, so that they have
even more affection and tranquil harmony toward their owners than people
have toward each other.}
\end{parcolumns}

\end{document}
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