Abunawas hassanlbnhaunikhuzestani 750 8 was an early arabic language poet, probably born at ahwaz in persia. At about the time when the germanic tribes were struggling against monsters and dragons and the anglosaxons were creating the heroic poem of england, the beowulf, an islamic poet in the court of the caliph of baghdad was composing clever poems celebrating the joys of pederasty. The diwan of abu nuwasthe litrary work the collected poems of abu. Abu nuwas abu nuwas 756758 8815 ce was a leading arabic poet who transformed arabic poetry about wine, love, the obscene. Since reading abdelfattah kilitos arabs and the art of storytelling, i cannot help but think of how ancient poets like abu nuwas would regard translations of their work. His full name was abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami. Homosexual poetry abu nuwas famous gay islamic poet. As the examples cited above should indicate, nuwaw is not mere verse, as boylove poetry sometimes is, but real poetry, poetry that is often sublime. But forcing the king and abu nuwas can not refused. Abu nuwas was a person who loved to drink and say obscene things, such that he would even make up verses of poetry and sing about inappropriate things. A lad whom all can see girt with sword and belt not like your whore who has to go veiled. Abu nuwas abu ali alhasan ibn hani alhakami was born around 760 in southwestern persia, now a borderland between iran and iraq. Abu nawas, the nickname of their author, lived in baghdad, iraq, during the reign of harun al rashid 763809 and was considered the most accomplished arab poet of his age.
Classical arabic poetry download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. The poet in question was abu nuwas, whose historical. The connection between the poetry of ted hughes and abu nuwas. For those who cannot read the poems in the original arabic, a translation is the only available option. Abunuwas alhasan ben hani alhakami 750810, or abunuwas, was a classical arabic poet. It is only in the original language that the poem is. Whilst the abunuwasi tales are available in english translations from the arabic originals, these translations into english from an early. Abu nuwas was one of the most important poets of 8thcentury islamic world.
Majnun qays ibn almulawwah 109, rabia of basra 116, bashshar 123, abu nuwas 126, abu. Biographies differ on the date of abu nuwas birth, ranging from 747 to 762. Abu nuwas, the first and foremost islamic gay poet. His remaining poetry, which contain many panegyrics to the barmakids of baghdad and alamin the son of harun alrashid, imbued a freshness into the genre of. Present knowledge of poetry in arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter. Take some coy lad with kisscurls twisting on his temple and ride as he stands like some gazelle standing to her mate. Abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami 756814 love and wine ho. Abu nuwas died in prison and when the people came to take away his body, they found a scrap of paper with this poem written on it. Abu nuwas father, hani, whom the poet never knew, was an arab, a descendant of the jizani tribe banu hakam, and a soldier in the army of marwan ii. Profiles of notable literary works and the historic events that influenced them. A genius of poetry rowell offers us a delightful and dazzling englishlanguage revival of abu nuwas s khamriyyat at an opportune moment, when the memory of the islamic.
Abu nuwas simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Abu nuwas who did understand correctly that the pitcher who brought his master was specific to honey, he can not do much. In addition to his literary talent, he was particularly know for the rowdy content of his writings. Abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami was born in alahwaz. With a scholarly biographical essay on abu nuwas, largely taken from ewald wagners biographical entry in the encyclopedia of islam. His tales spread far and wide in the arab countries around the mediterranean sea but also in turkey, uzbekistan and beyond. Synopsis source for information on the diwan of abu nuwas. But there is more than the great rochester in abu nuwas. At first, abu nuwas refused to contest because he knew that all this is the guile of abu jahil who want to oust him from the palace. Thus, abu nuwas was called to appear before, and after facing king harun alrashid, abu nuwas was given lengthy instructions. The poet in question was abu nuwas, whose historical exploits were later transformed into the. The connection between the poetry of ted hughes and abu nuwas james montgomery has translated three poems by abu nuwas for australias cordite magazine.
The wit that made abu nuwas into a legend is demonstrated to good advantage throughout this collection. Seventeen poems by abu nuwas translated by jaafar abu tarab. James montgomery has translated three poems by abu nuwas for australias cordite magazine since reading abdelfattah kilitos arabs and the art of storytelling, i cannot help but think of how ancient poets like abu nuwas would regard translations of their work. At that time, abu nuwas thought to be taking the honey without offending employer. They knew that this poet was just faking a repentance until he was released. Poet abu nuwas, his boys, and the caliph, pederasty.
Two poems of abu nuwas, islamic poet of male love abunuwas alhasan ben hani alhakami 756814, best known simply as abunuwas, was one of the greatest of classical arabic poets, who also composed in persian on occasion. A genius of poetry rowell offers us a delightful and dazzling englishlanguage revival of abu nuwass khamriyyat at an opportune moment, when the memory of the islamic. One of the most famous arabic language poets in history was a man named abu nuwas. Full text of diwan des abu nuwas, des grossten lyrischen. Abu nuwas poems, quotations and biography on abu nuwas poet page. Abu nuwas and his friend, and fellow poet, the caliph haroun alrashid, might have tried to do the right thing, but they would scarcely be classified as religious poets. However, he underwent a change and repented to god. Abu nuwas, aa alhasan ibn hani, alhakami addimaschqi. Born in the city of ahvaz in modernday iran, to an arab. In literary history, he is remembered chiefly as the harddrinking and eloquent composer of dissolute wine poems, from which he emerges as one of the most charismatic figures in world literature. People were surprisedabu nuwas, who was a known drunkard. Abu nuwas article about abu nuwas by the free dictionary.
Curst and poor is every hour that sober i must go, but rich am i wheneer well drunk i stagger to and fro. The appearance of abu nuwas poetry in alfunun was very appropriate in that he has been regarded by later day critics as the representative of a modern school of poets during his day. May 01, 2005 this rather short introduction 8 pages, to abu nuwas poetry gives a general idea of his work, with a scholarly critical approach. His persian mother, named jullaban, worked as a weaver. His style was extravagant, and his compositions reflected well the licentious manners of the upper classes of his day. If anyone should be interested in expanding their horizons, i could supply the names of some authors who have been translated. He would praise the joys of getting drunk, describe in vivid detail his desire for women and men and all in all. Though abu nuwas wrote various kinds of verse, he is most famous for his wine poems, likely written to entertain the baghdad elite. Manual of style, and the american psychological association apa. It ruled from 750 to 1258 ad, making it one of the longest and most influential of the islamic dynasties. Philip kennedy, associate professor at new york university abu dhabi and author of the wine song in classical arabic poetry. Speak, for shame, the loved ones name, let vain disguises fall. Read all poems of abu nuwas and infos about abu nuwas. O allah if my sins become abundantthen indeed i know your forgiveness is greater than my sins.
His first teacher was the poet waliba ibn alhubab died 786, a master who. Carousing with gazelles, homoerotic songs of old baghdad. Born in the city of ahvaz in persia, he was of arab and persian descent he is generally regarded as one of the greatest of classical arabic poets. Tales of abunuwas and other stories are translations of hadithi za abunuwasi na hadithi nyingine, from swahili into english by john lewisbarned and retold here by his daughter suzi lewisbarned. High in favor with the caliphs harun arrashid and amin, he lived a courtiers life. The subsequent ascension of muhammad alamin, harun alrashids twentytwoyearold libertine son and former student of abu nuwas was a mighty stroke of luck for abu nuwas. It contains useful explanations the author likes sometimes to use instead, the word exegesis, to the complex world of arabic poetry and culture of the eighth century. Abu nuwas was the pen name of hasin ibn hani al hakami, born of persian parents around the middle of the eighth century in ahwaz. He studied in basra under the mentorship of the poets abu usama waliba ibn alhubab alasad and khalaf alahmar, and spent his adult life in baghdad. Nov 08, 2015 knowing abu nuwas and his character, people dismissed his repentance as merely for show and a ploy to gain his freedom. Samer traboulsi and omar mohammad for their readings. The diwan of abu nuwasthe litrary work the collected poems of abu nuwas set in iraq in the late eighth century c. As hakim bey points out in a legendary life of abu nuwas, the scholarly biographical essay that occupies the second half of this volume, abu nuwas made the transition from slave to streetboy to poet, playing the. Extracts from abu nuwas diwan collection of poetry when he, brought up in luxury, appeared, his face was naked, bare of blemish, while he was clad in clothes of seduction.
Credo wakhaiymati naturin wine of paradise a boy is worth more than a girl in the bathhouse the true jihad most poems cited here are the editors own adaptations, freely based on the quoted. Abu nawas hassanlbnhaunikhuzestani 750 8 was an early arabic language poet, probably born at ahwaz in persia. Abu nuwas, father of curls, so named for his long flowing hair that hung down to his shoulders, was the greatest arab poet of his time, or as some claim, the greatest arab poet of all time. The last poem of abu nuwas poem by abu nuwas poem hunter. The vast body of abu nuwas s work remains untranslated from arabic. One of the greatest of arabic poets indeed, the greatest in the opinion of some critics abu nuwas wrote accomplished verse that demonstrated arabic literature has a distinguished tradition of bacchanals but none are so consistently entertaining, explicit or iconoclastic as those of abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami c. Reading widely through his poetry one might come to sense that genius shows itself in amazingly similar ways in different cultures. Abu nuwas and the literary tradition and abu nuwas. He became a master of all the contemporary genres of arabic poetry, but his reputation rests on his wine songs khamriyyat, and his poems of boy. The collected poems of abu nuwas set in iraq in the late eighth century c. His style was extravagant and his compositions reflected the licentious manners of the upper classes of his day. In fact, most scholars believe that abu nuwas wrote most of his poems during the reign of alamin, a caliph who shared abu nuwas tastes for wine and boys. However, his poems on wine khamriyyat, homosexual love mudhakkarat and ribaldry majouniyyat are his best known and have earned him his notoriety.