Abu Nuwas

The Arab poet (757-815) was probably of Persian descent. He was court poet and also friend of the caliph Al-Amin (787-913), son and successor of the famous caliph Harun al-Rashid (763-809). This epoch is considered the period of classical Arabic literature with Baghdad as its center. Abu Nuwas was one of the greatest poets in the Arab-Islamic cultural area. In order to learn the Bedouin Arabic, which is considered to be particularly pure, he even spent a year in the desert under Bedouins. He wrote wine, hunting, praise, mockery and predominantly frivolous homoerotic love poems. For example, he wrote: "I prefer boys to young girls, and old wine to clear cold water, far from the right path I chose sin, without circumstance and just as openly, I took the reins off my horse, the two stirrups and the bridle, and fell in love with a young Persian". Because of these poems he often got problems, was also imprisoned and finally atoned for it with death. Because of one of his numerous mocking poems, a noble Persian family had him mistreated in such a way that he died of the consequences.

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Abu Nuwas

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