Ingrams divided his biographical discussion into three parts. The connection between the poetry of ted hughes and abu nuwas. If anyone should be interested in expanding their horizons, i could supply the names of. 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. High in favor with the caliphs harun arrashid and amin, he lived a courtiers life.
Seventeen poems by abu nuwas translated by jaafar abu tarab. 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. 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 love mudhakkarat. Still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams, annabel lee. Author philip kennedy provides the narrative of abu nuwas s fascinating life, which was full of intrigue and debauched adventure, in parallel with the presentation of his greatest poems, across all genres, in easy and. The vast body of abu nuwas s work remains untranslated from arabic. Biographies differ on the date of abu nuwas birth, ranging from 747 to 762. The name alisraili denotes that he was bom of a jewish family, and later officially converted to islam.
The wit that made abu nuwas into a legend is demonstrated to good advantage throughout this collection. If anyone should be interested in expanding their horizons, i could supply the names of some authors who have been translated. Reprint of the first edition 2003 by dar alfarabi abu nuwas alhasan ben hani alhakami 750810, known as abu nuwas, was one of the greatest of classical arabic poets. In english the only major work about abu nuwas, which also contains many of his poems, is w. Abu nuwas was born in ahwaz on the karun river in western persia. Abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami was born in alahwaz. Reading widely through his poetry one might come to sense that genius shows itself in amazingly similar ways in different cultures. 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 diwan of abu nuwasthe litrary work the collected poems of abu nuwas set in iraq in the late eighth century c. Riding the shecamel into the desert swarthmore college. 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.
His freedom of expression especially on matters forbidden by traditional islamic norms continue to excite the animus of censors. 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. 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. Reprint of the first edition 2003 by dar alfarabi abunuwas alhasan ben hani alhakami 750810, known as abunuwas, was one of the greatest of classical arabic poets. Abu nuwas simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. His full name was abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami. Uvadare digital academic repository humerous approach. But there is more than the great rochester in abu nuwas. Abu nuwas abu ali alhasan ibn hani alhakami was born around 760 in southwestern persia, now a borderland between iran and iraq. Ibn sahl was called in full abu ishaq ibrahim ibn sahl alisraili alishbili. Abu nuwas depended on familiar proper rhyming words, simple poetic structure, and understandable concepts.
Abunawas hassanlbnhaunikhuzestani 750 8 was an early arabic language poet, probably born at ahwaz in persia. Thus, abu nuwas was called to appear before, and after facing king harun alrashid, abu nuwas was given lengthy instructions. 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. Abu nuwas translated wine poetry collection will be published. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page information. Wagner says that a great deal of his poetry was written while imprisoned. 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.
However, his poems on wine khamriyyat, homosexual love mudhakkarat and ribaldry majouniyyat are his best known and have earned him his notoriety. A translation of two classical arabic poets pdf swarthmore. 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. But forcing the king and abu nuwas can not refused. 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. In kufa, he fell under the sway of the reprobate poet walibah ibn alhubab, who taught him poetry and with whom he had a sexual relationship. 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. Kilito certainly thinks these translations are something of a sacrilege. 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. The poet in question was abu nuwas, whose historical exploits were later transformed into the.
One of the most famous arabic language poets in history was a man named abu nuwas. 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. Speak, for shame, the loved ones name, let vain disguises fall. Abu nuwas was one of the most important poets of 8thcentury islamic world. Curst and poor is every hour that sober i must go, but rich am i wheneer well drunk i stagger to and fro. Manhdj alsalikft alkalam aid alfiyat ibn malik, ed. The vast body of abu nuwass work remains untranslated from arabic.
In addition to his literary talent, he was particularly know for the rowdy content of his writings. 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. In addition to his literary talent, he was particularly known for the rowdy content of his writings. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. Abu nuwas, the first and foremost islamic gay poet. This rather short introduction 8 pages, to abu nuwas poetry gives a general idea of his work, with a scholarly critical approach. His first teacher was the poet waliba ibn alhubab died 786, a master who. Abu nuwas article about abu nuwas by the free dictionary. O allah, if my sins become abundant then indeed i know your forgiveness is greater than my sins. Each member of the session will be provided in advance with a pdf of the. Yet there is also a modern and uptodate feel about his poetry that makes it ideal for presentation to an englishspeaking readership, some twelve centuries after his death. Synopsis source for information on the diwan of abu nuwas.
Abu nuwas 65 achievements in the western muslim world 69 decline of the arabic language 73 middle period. Abu nuwas alhasan ibn hani alhakami 756814 love and wine ho. Biographies differ on the date of abu nuwas birth, ranging from 747 to. For those who cannot read the poems in the original arabic, a translation is the only. His style was extravagant and his compositions reflected the licentious manners of the upper classes of his day. 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. It contains useful explanations the author likes sometimes to use instead, the word exegesis, to the complex world of. Abu nawas has hints that have fulfilled all terms of hunting poems. Abu hayyan addb alshdfii aghdnl aghdm 1927 ajsl akhbdr alquddt amdli ansdb askari, masun asrdr baihaqi bevan bga bughyah bukharl concordance dhahabi dinawari ei fddil fihrist abu hayyan muhammad ibn yusuf alandaliisi. This is the first book to present the life, times and poetry of one of the greatest poets in the arab tradition, abu nuwas. Uvadare digital academic repository the genitivemetaphor. He would praise the joys of getting drunk, describe in vivid detail his desire for women and men and all in all. In his khamriyyat, abu nuwas offers a glimpse of the hedonistic and dissipated world he inhabited.
Though abu nuwas wrote various kinds of verse, he is most famous for his wine poems, likely written to entertain the baghdad elite. One of the greatest of arabic poets indeed, the greatest in the opinion of some critics abu nuwas wrote accomplished verse that demonstrated his technical mastery of all the major genres. His first teacher was the poet waliba ibn alhubab died 786, a master who initiated him into the joys of pederasty as well as poetry. Showing passion to poetry, abu nuwas kept attending poetry lectures, and reciting numerous classic poems until he became capable of composing poetry. Nov 08, 2015 knowing abu nuwas and his character, people dismissed his repentance as merely for show and a ploy to gain his freedom.
Though the delay was only due to the executioner was not in place. The collected poems of abu nuwas set in iraq in the late eighth century c. However, our poet abu tam mam clung to the old qasida, the solemn ode. All who attend are sure abu nuwas definitely looking like the usual sense. He would praise the joys of getting drunk, describe in vivid detail his desire for women and men and all in all, lead an. 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. Born in the city of ahvaz in modernday iran, to an arab. 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.
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. 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. The last poem of abu nuwas poem by abu nuwas poem hunter. The two poets i have translated here, abu nuwas and almutanabbi, are representatives. It is important to preserve the format of the original in some way. It is only in the original language that the poem is. O allah if my sins become abundantthen indeed i know your forgiveness is greater than my sins. 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.
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. 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. Abu nuwas continued his educa tion in theology and grammar, after which. Profiles of notable literary works and the historic events that influenced them. And, despite the obscene content of his poems as judged against presentday islamic values, the name of abu nuwas is still familiar to most arabic speakers.
Abu nuwas call the executioner with a sword in hand. Nowadays, the works of abu nuwas are, like homosexuality, forbidden in most arab countries, but this general rule has an important nuancethe laws concern mostly male homosexuality. Abu nawas hassanlbnhaunikhuzestani 750 8 was an early arabic language poet, probably born at ahwaz in persia. With a scholarly biographical essay on abu nuwas, largely taken from ewald wagners biographical entry in the encyclopedia of islam. I provide here a translation of two poems by two classical arabic poets.
Abunuwas alhasan ben hani alhakami 750810, or abunuwas, was a classical arabic poet. 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. Abu nuwas not ruled on that day but postpone until the next day. Author philip kennedy provides the narrative of abu nuwass fascinating life, which was full of intrigue and debauched adventure, in parallel with the presentation of his greatest poems, across all genres, in easy and accessible translations, giving commentary where needed. Whilst the abunuwasi tales are available in english translations from the arabic originals, these translations into english from an early swahili edition add a. His persian mother, named jullaban, worked as a weaver. Recite this poem upload your own video or voice file new. Carousing with gazelles, homoerotic songs of old baghdad. The significance of this study lies in stating the power of abi nawas poetry of hunting. Homosexual poetry abu nuwas famous gay islamic poet.
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