Abu Nawas?

Goodness me...I don't expect this kind of discovery as I learn Malay Language. Abu Nawas is one of those "surprises".

Malay language and Abu Nawas

B.Malaysia	English
Abu Nawas membilang bintang di langit	Abu Nawas counts the stars in the heavens
Abu Nawas mencari lembu pandai berkata-kata	Abu Nawas searches for a talking cow
Abu Nawas mengangkat masjid	Abu Nawas lifts a mosque
Abu Nawas menunjuk pusat bumi	Abu Nawas points to the centre of the earth

The table above are some popular tales depicting Abu Nawas "humorous wit" in solving problems, most students who learn Malay have read some of them. I wonder how much are taken from the wall monuments in Baghdad and the Arabian 1001 nights?

Anyways, there are two versions of Abu Nawas stories in the Malay language world:

• Islam-Indian origin- A book entitled "Hikayat Abu Nawas" published in Singapore in 1917. Pustaka Antara Kuala Lumpur published another book using the same title in 1966 by Wan Shamsuddin.
• Persian-Arabic origin- "Cerita Abu Nawas" published in series in Majalah Seri Pustaka by Balai Pustaka, Jakarta in 1922. Dozens of reprints are produced subsequently.

Arabic Language and Abu Nawas
Abu Nawas is a nickname. Rather, it was Abu Nuwas or "father of lock of hair" given to well known Arab classical poet al-Hasan ibn Hani al-Hakami because of his long hair. Abu Nuwas was indeed witty and humorous, not in solving problems, but in writing poems extolling wine and sexual intercourse with boys. You will find him listed in a number of homosexual references...

Unlike the Malay version Abu Nawas, the original Abu Nuwas was not too good in getting out of trouble. For instance, he went into exile for incurring the wrath of his royal patron Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Harun's successor, al-Amin who favoured Abu Nuwas also had him imprisoned. During the reign of Amin's successor, al-Ma'mun, he was imprisoned again and it is said finally poisoned. Most of Abu Nuwas' legacy of poetries remained untranslated.

"For young boys, the girls I’ve left behind
And for old wine set clear water out of mind.
Far from the straight road, I took without conceit
The winding way of sin, because [this horse]
Has cut the reins without remorse,
And carried away the bridle and the bit."--Abu Nuwas al-Hasan Hani al-Hakami.

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