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Persian poet Ibn Waliba and his pupil Abu Nuwas, the arabian poet
“I saw the boy in the darkness and embraced him –
O would that this kissing could last!“
Abu Nuwas al-Hasan ibn Hani al-Hakami (756–814), known as Abu Nuwas whose name means (“He of the Dangling Locks”). Abu Nuwas is considered one of the greatest poets of classical Arabic literature. He influenced many later great writers, to mention only Omar Khayyám, and Hafiz — both of them Persian poets. Abu Nuwas not only studied but also taught religious traditions, and among his own pupils were said to be the great prose writer and polymath al-Jahiz (d. 869).
Abu Nuwas’ father was an arab, his mother persian. Nuwas was born in city Ahwaz, Persia.
He mostly wrote homoerotic poetry, being himself a gay man he expressed his preference towards men, and in a strange way a dislike and fear of opposite sex, since most of his sexual writings about women were directed to wealthy families, in order to mock them. “When my penis will not even stand for nubile maidens” He wrote ironically.
In other ways in his panegyrics he addressed “wine” in female gender, calling a bottle of wine a “bride to kiss” and etc. were mostly humorous and satirical. Generally he expressed a lot of adoration and sexual desire to beautiful youths. In tales 1001 nights Abu Nuwas appears as a gay character who is always enamored of beautiful young men and spends time drinking wine with three youths.
The only one woman he has ever romantically attached for a short while was a slave-girl Janan, who didn’t trust him, and when she asked him to renounce his love of boys, he refused and left without any wishes to have relationships with her. Nuwas never married nor had any children. All the references to marriages and children in his works are fictional.
When Abu Nuwas was young, his good looks and charisma attracted the attention of the persian poet, Abu Usama Waliba ibn al-Hubab al-Asadi (d. 170/786). Waliba was a tall handsome and blond blue-eyed man, known for his charming attractive appearance, he became a lover to his pupil, Walibah was enamored by Abu Nuwas.
After that, Nuwas writes a fictional story of being seduced by his teacher, but the actual story was quite humorous and is told by a medieval historian fom Egypt, Ibn Manzur (1232 –1311):
“Abu Nuwas walked with him. When they arrived at his house, after they drank and ate, Walibah wanted him. When he disrobed him and saw the beauty of his body, he could not but kiss him on the ass. Abu Nuwas broke wind in his face. So he (Walibah) said to him: ‘What is this, sly boy?” He (Nuwas) answered: “I did not want the known proverb to be lost and not to come true, namely: "The penalty for he who kisses the ass is its farts.” His admiration and love for him grew further … When Abu Nuwas hardened and grew older and understood his own value and favor, he said: “Oh, what wonder! A brilliant poet whom Walibah ibn al-Hubab fucks.”
Nuwas’ patron was caliph Al-Amin, the son of legendary Harun Ar-Rashid who was also a boy-lover. They both became companians, even though Nuwas was imprisoned few times for his freedom of expression was often too strong.
The love poetry of Abu Nuwas ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous means, from obscenely sexual to purely chaste, loving, sincere, and intensely emotional.
“I fast at your anger and
Breakfast at your pleasure”(D.iv,152)
“When my eyes roamed his cheeks as if grazing
In the Gardens of Eternity,he said to me,
‘Your gaze is fornicating with me!’I replied:
‘Then my tears will give it the lash above
and beyond the legal prescription.’”(D.iv,196)
“I have exhausted the expression of a lover’s grievance …
I have turned the horizons of speech inside out …”(D.iv,144)
Our two night-spirits meet up when we sleep
And union is established as before.
Sweet balm of my eyes! Why are we wretched
While our spirits experience rapture?
Kind to me in sleep,if you wished
You could complete the kindness when awake;
We are two lovers who enjoy narcotic bliss
Yet who are always angry come morning!
Dreams are deceptive in this way
…But they do sometimes tell the truth.(D.iv,347)
I saw the boy in the darkness and embraced him –
O would that this kissing could last!
I kissed him while asleep, if only the true interpretation (ta’wil)
Of this had emerged when I was awake! …(D.iv,240)
(translation from: Abu Nuwas: A Genius of Poetry Philip F. Kennedy )

Tumblr post here elveo-art.tumblr.com/post/1510…

Description

Persian poet Ibn Waliba and his pupil Abu Nuwas, the arabian poet
“I saw the boy in the darkness and embraced him –
O would that this kissing could last!“
Abu Nuwas al-Hasan ibn Hani al-Hakami (756–814), known as Abu Nuwas whose name means (“He of the Dangling Locks”). Abu Nuwas is considered one of the greatest poets of classical Arabic literature. He influenced many later great writers, to mention only Omar Khayyám, and Hafiz — both of them Persian poets. Abu Nuwas not only studied but also taught religious traditions, and among his own pupils were said to be the great prose writer and polymath al-Jahiz (d. 869).
Abu Nuwas’ father was an arab, his mother persian. Nuwas was born in city Ahwaz, Persia.
He mostly wrote homoerotic poetry, being himself a gay man he expressed his preference towards men, and in a strange way a dislike and fear of opposite sex, since most of his sexual writings about women were directed to wealthy families, in order to mock them. “When my penis will not even stand for nubile maidens” He wrote ironically.
In other ways in his panegyrics he addressed “wine” in female gender, calling a bottle of wine a “bride to kiss” and etc. were mostly humorous and satirical. Generally he expressed a lot of adoration and sexual desire to beautiful youths. In tales 1001 nights Abu Nuwas appears as a gay character who is always enamored of beautiful young men and spends time drinking wine with three youths.
The only one woman he has ever romantically attached for a short while was a slave-girl Janan, who didn’t trust him, and when she asked him to renounce his love of boys, he refused and left without any wishes to have relationships with her. Nuwas never married nor had any children. All the references to marriages and children in his works are fictional.
When Abu Nuwas was young, his good looks and charisma attracted the attention of the persian poet, Abu Usama Waliba ibn al-Hubab al-Asadi (d. 170/786). Waliba was a tall handsome and blond blue-eyed man, known for his charming attractive appearance, he became a lover to his pupil, Walibah was enamored by Abu Nuwas.
After that, Nuwas writes a fictional story of being seduced by his teacher, but the actual story was quite humorous and is told by a medieval historian fom Egypt, Ibn Manzur (1232 –1311):
“Abu Nuwas walked with him. When they arrived at his house, after they drank and ate, Walibah wanted him. When he disrobed him and saw the beauty of his body, he could not but kiss him on the ass. Abu Nuwas broke wind in his face. So he (Walibah) said to him: ‘What is this, sly boy?” He (Nuwas) answered: “I did not want the known proverb to be lost and not to come true, namely: "The penalty for he who kisses the ass is its farts.” His admiration and love for him grew further … When Abu Nuwas hardened and grew older and understood his own value and favor, he said: “Oh, what wonder! A brilliant poet whom Walibah ibn al-Hubab fucks.”
Nuwas’ patron was caliph Al-Amin, the son of legendary Harun Ar-Rashid who was also a boy-lover. They both became companians, even though Nuwas was imprisoned few times for his freedom of expression was often too strong.
The love poetry of Abu Nuwas ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous means, from obscenely sexual to purely chaste, loving, sincere, and intensely emotional.
“I fast at your anger and
Breakfast at your pleasure”(D.iv,152)
“When my eyes roamed his cheeks as if grazing
In the Gardens of Eternity,he said to me,
‘Your gaze is fornicating with me!’I replied:
‘Then my tears will give it the lash above
and beyond the legal prescription.’”(D.iv,196)
“I have exhausted the expression of a lover’s grievance …
I have turned the horizons of speech inside out …”(D.iv,144)
Our two night-spirits meet up when we sleep
And union is established as before.
Sweet balm of my eyes! Why are we wretched
While our spirits experience rapture?
Kind to me in sleep,if you wished
You could complete the kindness when awake;
We are two lovers who enjoy narcotic bliss
Yet who are always angry come morning!
Dreams are deceptive in this way
…But they do sometimes tell the truth.(D.iv,347)
I saw the boy in the darkness and embraced him –
O would that this kissing could last!
I kissed him while asleep, if only the true interpretation (ta’wil)
Of this had emerged when I was awake! …(D.iv,240)
(translation from: Abu Nuwas: A Genius of Poetry Philip F. Kennedy )

Tumblr post here elveo-art.tumblr.com/post/1510…