Diwan Abu Nawas, selection of poems by Abu Nuwas

His full name was Al-Hassan Ibn Hani Ibn Abdul-Awal Ibn Sabah Al-Hakami, nicknamed Abu Nawas (146 AH-198 AH); he was the poet of Iraq in his era. He is the first to approach poetry in its urban style, taking it out of the Bedouin dialect.

Al-Jahidh said: “I have not seen a man who was more eloquent and possessed more command of the language than Abu Nawas.”

Abu Ubaidah said: “The status of Abu Nawas [..] was similar to that of Imru'-ul-Qays with the early generation. He was praised in a poem whereby the poet said: This is the one who mastered the language terminology and chose the best of it.”

Kulthum Al-Atabi said: “Had Abu Nawas lived in the pre-Islamic era, no one would have been preferred over him.”

Imam Ash-Shafi’i said: “had it not been for the impudence of Abu Nawas, I would have taken knowledge from him.”