Abu Nuwas Poem
There is an old saying:
‘كلامُ الليلِ يَمحُوهُ النَّهارُ’
‘𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 [𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀] 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.’
It is also mentioned in a poem of Abu Nuwas, the drunk poet:
وَخُودٍ أَقبلَتْ في القَصرِ سَكرى
ولكن زَيَّنَ السُّكرَ الوَقارُ
وقد سَقَطَ الرِّدا عن منكبيها
من التَّجميشِ وانْحَلَّ الإِزارُ
وهزت الريح أردافاً ثقالا
وغصناً فيه رمان صغار
هممت بها وكان الليل ستراً
فقام لها على المعنى اعتذار
وقالت في غد فمضيت حتى
أتى الوقت الذي فيه المزار
وقلتُ الوَعدَ سيدتي فقالت
كلامُ الليلِ يَمحُوهُ النَّهارُ.
‘𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱,
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.
𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁,
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲.
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, “𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸
𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱.
“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘆!”, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱!
“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 [𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀] 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.”, 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱!’
Man lost the plot…but his poetry is still studied for its eloquence. He was taken to court to be punished by the Caliph for his eloquent, but dangerous poetry.
When the Caliph questioned him, he replied using a Qur’anic verse about poets: ‘وأنهم يقولون ما لا يفعلون’ [they say what they don’t do] [26:226]. Meaning: it’s just talk, we don’t mean it, we don’t act on it.
It is reported that he repented before he died and the scholars prayed his funeral….
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