Abu Nuwas

Abu Nuwas al-Hasan ibn Hanı al-Hakami (756-814 CE) stands as one of the most influential and stylistically daring poets of the classical Arabic tradition. A key figure of the Abbasid era, his verse exemplifies the linguistic refinement, cultural dynamism, and literary experimentation of the Islamic Golden Age.
Born in Ahvaz and active in the vibrant intellectual milieu of 8th-century Baghdad, Abü Nuwas became renowned for his mastery of Arabic poetics across diverse genres-including love poetry (ghazal) and wine poetry (khamriyya). His works, shaped by a hedonistic sensibility and complex relationship with courtly life, both reflected and subverted the cultural norms of his time. Patronised by caliphs such as Harun al-Rashid and al-Amin, he wielded language with a wit and boldness that continue to provoke scholarly inquiry.
This selection presents a curated collection of his most representative poems in the original Arabic language together with my English translation, offering insight into themes of desire, indulgence, and the human condition. Accompanied by contextual commentary, Abü Nuwas: Selected Poems of Love, Wine and Life invites readers to engage critically with the legacy of a poet whose voice resonates far beyond the confines of his era.

Joyce Åkesson is the author of Love Poetry from the Desert: Majnun Leyla and many books on Arabic linguistics.