Abu-Nawas

Abu-Nawas Hassan-lbn-Hauni-Khuzestani ( 750 - 813 ) was an early Arabic language poet , probably born at Ahwaz in Persia . He was of Persian descent. (see "The Golden Age of Persia", by Richard Nelson Frye , p123, ISBN 0-06-492288-x)

His given name was Hasin ibn Hani al-Hakami , Abu Nuwas being an honorific and pen name . Abu Nuwas is also written as Abu Nowas , Abu Nu'as and Abu Nuwaz , and the poet was nicknamed "Father of Curls" because of his long flowing hair. Due to the protection of powerful patrons, among whom the Barmaki family, enlightened advisors to caliph Harun al-Rashid , Abu Nuwas was able to celebrate wine and the love of youths, pleasures tolerated in Islamic society only when tasted quietly. This tolerance is often presented as an example of the tolerance of the Islamic religion. However, Nuwas was also severely persecuted, had to go into exile for a period of time after the fall of the Barmakis, and allegedly died a violent death in prison.

His commissioned work, the 'mu'annathat', includes poems on the topic of hunting, the love of women, and panegyric s to his patrons. The majority of his work is referred to as 'mudhakkarat' and 'mujuniyyat', and it is addressed to males. There are also two distinct sub-categories of poems: the first about young girls who disguise themeselves as boys, the 'ghulamiyyat'; and the second wine & drinking songs, the 'khamriyyat'.

He is generally regarded as one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets , if not the very best. Abu Nuwas has entered the folkloric tradition, and he appears several times in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights .

His freedom of rhetorical expression, and his celebration of transgressive love, continues to excite the animus of censors. In January 2001 the Egyptian Ministry of Culture burned 6,000 books of poetry by Abu Nuwas, after pressure from Islamic fundamentalists.


Abu Nuwas born to an Arab father, a soldier from Damascus whom Nuwas never knew, and a Persian mother, Golban, who worked as a weaver. Biographies differ on the date of Abu Nuwas' birth, ranging from 746 to 760 .

When Abu Nuwas was still a young boy, his mother sold him to an apothecarist from Yemen , Sa’ad al-Yashira, and the young Nawas worked for al-Yashira in his shop at Basra , Iraq . In time Nawas's youthful beauty and intelligence caught the attention of Walibah ibn al-Hubab , a poet noted for his blond hair. al-Hubab bought Nawas's freedom and took him under his wing, mentoring him in studies of theology and grammar, as well as being his lover. Later, Nuwas continued his studies under Khalaf al-Ahmar . Tradition holds he also lived for a year among the Bedouin s to study their linguistics, but found their rugged life too arduous.

Abu Nuwas settled in Baghdad and soon became renowned for his witty and humorous poetry, which dealt not with the traditional desert themes, but with urban life and the joys of wine ( khamriyyat ), loving adolescent boys and young men ( mudhakkarat ), and ribald humor ( mujuniyyat ). "For young boys, the girls I’ve left behind, and for old wine set clear water out of mind," is a typical verse of his. "I delight in what the Book forbids, and flee what is allowed," was another, showing how unashamed Nuwas was about his indulgences. Despite his celebration of the joys of love between males, he was less than sympathetic towards lesbianism , and often mocked what he perceived as its inanity.

Nuwas was forced to flee to Egypt for a time, after he wrote an elegic poem praising the Barmakis , a once politically powerful family which had been crushed and massacred by the caliph, Harun al-Rashid . He returned to the city in 809 upon the death of al-Rashid and the ascension of Muhammad al-Amin , Rashid's twenty-two year old son and a former student of Nuwas. For a time Nuwas enjoyed the patronage of the caliph, but was imprisoned when his drunken exploits tested even al-Amin's patience. Amin was overthrown and killed by his brother, who had even less patience with Nuwas than either Amin or his father. Some accounts claim that fear of prison made Nuwas repent his old ways and become deeply religious, while others believe his later, penitant poems were simply written in hopes of winning the caliph's pardon. Depending on which biography is consulted, Nuwas either died in prison or was poisoned.


Abu Nuwas is considered one of the greats of classic Arabic literature, and his style and subject matter is comparable to the Greek Anacreon . Linguisticlly, Nuwas is noteworthy for being among the first Arab poets to use both Persian and Arabic vernacular in a literary form traditionally used for only classical language. Among later writers he influenced were Omar Khayyám , Hafiz , and Hakim Bey . A hedonistic caricature of Nuwas appears in several of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights tales. Among his best known works are " Wine of Paradise ," " A boy is worth more than a girl ," " Wa-Khaiymati Naturin ," and " O Tribe That Loves Boys ."
  
Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani Al-Hakami (756–814),a known as Abu-Nuwas[1] (Arabic: ????????; Persian: ???????, Abu Novas), was one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets, who also composed in Persian on occasion. Born in the city of Ahvaz in Persia, of an Arab father and a Persian mother,[1] he became a master of all the contemporary genres of Arabic poetry, although his fame rests principally on his poems in praise of pederasty. Abu Nuwas has entered the folkloric tradition, and he appears several times in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
Contents
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    * 1 Early life and work
    * 2 Exile and imprisonment
    * 3 Legacy
          o 3.1 Baghdad
    * 4 Swahili culture
    * 5 Translations
    * 6 Further reading
    * 7 Notes
    * 8 References
    * 9 External links

[edit] Early life and work

Abu Nuwas was born to an Arab father whom he never knew, Hani, who was a soldier in the army of Marwan II. His Persian mother, named Golban, worked as a weaver. Biographies differ on the date of Abu Nuwas' birth, ranging from 747 to 762. Some say he was born at Basra[1] others in Damascus, Busra, or at Ahwaz.[citation needed] His given name was al-Hasan ibn Hani al-Hakami, 'Abu Nuwas' being a nickname: 'Father of the Lock of Hair' referred to the two long sidelocks which hung down to his shoulders.

When Abu Nuwas was still a boy, his mother sold him to a grocer from Basra, Sa’ad al-Yashira. Abu Nuwas migrated to Baghdad, possibly in the company of Walibah ibn al-Hubab, and soon became renowned for his witty and humorous poetry, which dealt not with the traditional desert themes, but with urban life and the joys of wine and drinking (khamriyyat), and ribald humor (mujuniyyat). His commissioned work includes poems on hunting, the sexual objectification of women and boys, and panegyrics to his patrons. He was infamous for his mockery and satire, two of his favorite themes being the sexual passivity of men and the sexual intemperance of women. Despite his celebration of boy "love," he was less than sympathetic towards lesbianism, and often mocked what he perceived as its inanity. He liked to shock society by openly writing about things which Islam forbade. He may have been the first Arab poet to write about masturbation.[citation needed]

Ismail bin Nubakht said of Abu Nuwas: "I never saw a man of more extensive learning than Abu Nuwas, nor one who, with a memory so richly furnished, possessed so few books. After his decease we searched his house, and could only find one book-cover containing a quire of paper, in which was a collection of rare expressions and grammatical observations."[citation needed]
[edit] Exile and imprisonment

Abu Nuwas was forced to flee to Egypt for a time, after he wrote an elegiac poem praising the elite Persian political family of the Barmakis, the powerful family which had been toppled and massacred by the caliph, Harun al-Rashid. He returned to Baghdad in 809 upon the death of Harun al-Rashid. The subsequent ascension of Muhammad al-Amin, Harun al-Rashid's twenty-two-year-old libertine son (and former student of Abu Nuwas) was a mighty stroke of luck for Abu Nuwas. In fact, most scholars believe that Abu Nuwas wrote most of his poems during the reign of Al-Amin. His most famous royal commission was a poem (a 'Kasida') which he composed in praise of al-Amin.

"According to the critics of his time, he was the greatest poet in Islam." wrote F.F. Arbuthnot in Arabic Authors. His contemporary Abu Hatim al Mekki often said that the deepest meanings of thoughts were concealed underground until Abu Nuwas dug them out.

Nevertheless, Abu Nuwas was imprisoned when his drunken, libidinous exploits tested even al-Amin's patience. Amin was finally overthrown by his puritanical brother, Al-Ma'mun, who had no tolerance for Abu Nuwas.

Some later accounts claim that fear of prison made Abu Nuwas repent his old ways and become deeply religious, while others believe his later, penitent poems were simply written in hopes of winning the caliph's pardon. It was said that al-Ma'mun's secretary Zonbor tricked Abu Nuwas into writing a satire against Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet, while Nuwas was drunk. Zonbor then deliberately read the poem aloud in public, and ensured Nuwas's continuing imprisonment. Depending on which biography is consulted, Abu Nuwas either died in prison or was poisoned by Ismail bin Abu Sehl, or both.
[edit] Legacy

Abu Nuwas is considered one of the greats of classical Arabic literature. He influenced many later writers, to mention only Omar Khayyám, and Hafiz — both of them Persian poets. A hedonistic caricature of Abu Nuwas appears in several of the Thousand and One Nights tales. Among his best known poems are the ones ridiculing the "Olde Arabia" nostalgia for the life of the Bedouin, and enthusiastically praising the up-to-date life in Baghdad as a vivid contrast.

His freedom of expression especially on matters forbidden by Islamic norms continue to excite the animus of censors. While his works were freely in circulation until the early years of the twentieth century, in 1932 the first modern censored edition of his works appeared in Cairo. In 1976, a crater on the planet Mercury was named in honor of Abu Nuwas.[2]
[edit] Baghdad

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, the author of the History of Baghdad, wrote that Abu Nuwas buried in Shunizi cemetery in Baghdad.[3]

The city has several places named for the poet. Abu Nuwas Street runs along the east bank of the Tigris that was once the city’s showpiece.[4] Abu Nuwas Park is also located there on the 2.5-kilometer stretch between the Jumhouriya Bridge and a park that extends out to the river in Karada near the 14th of July Bridge.[5]
[edit] Swahili culture

In East Africa's Swahili culture the Name of Abu Nuwas is quite popular as Abunuwasi. Here it is connected to a number of stories which otherwise go by names like Nasreddin, Guba or "the Mullah" in folktale and literature of Islamic societies. In the tales Abunuwasi tricks greedy, wealthy men and avenges the poor people.

The Tanzanian artist Godfrey Mwampembwa (Gado) created a Swahili comic book called Abunuwasi, which has adaptations of three of the Abunuwasi stories.[6] The book was published by Sasa Sema Publications in 1996.[7]