Abu Nawas: A Decolonial Poetic Force For Gender & Sexuality

Image credited to Lydia Ortiz at Teen Vogue

Abu Nuwas is considered to be one of the greatest and most versatile classical Arabic poets. Born in 757 CE, he not only exhibited unparalleled poetic genius but is, to date, well-known for the iconoclastic nature of his poetry. Nuwas’s work — at its heart — always challenged norms and was characterized by subversion, whether that be political, cultural, or theological.

In his ghazal, “On A Boy Called ‘Ali,” renowned poet Abu Nuwas explores not only homoeroticism but also considers gender in a very fluid sense. Nuwas’ lover is ascribed — through standard motifs of classical Arabic poetry, such as the moon and a gazelle — both characteristically feminine and masculine traits. It’s interesting to see homoeroticism and this playful, liberal treatment of gender in Nuwas’ work — particularly in the temporal and cultural context of the early Abbasid period. In fact, Nuwas is credited with the creation of the genre of ghazal mudhakkar — love poetry for boys.

The verses below sufficiently exhibit this:

This playful treatment of gender and sexuality is characteristic of Nuwas’s work. That said, this ghazal remains distinctive from the rest of Nuwas’ homoerotic poetry. It is markedly less licentious, does not contain graphic sexual imagery, and does not proudly recount instances of nonconsensual sexual violence. Despite Nuwas’ refreshingly progressive treatment of sexuality, for the reasons identified above, it becomes difficult for us to accept his corpus of works as a whole. However, despite well-founded hesitations, it is clear that Nuwas’s work and his genre of ghazal mudhakkar have plenty to offer to our readers in the twenty-first century.

Here, it is interesting to note that in the early Abbasid period, homosexuality was common and was understood to exist within the confines of societal norms. In fact, much of our conservative understanding of sexuality and gender is far from archaic in nature — instead, it is a modern-day postcolonial byproduct.

With this in mind, we invite our readers to consider: How can our reading of Nuwas’ homoerotic ghazals shape our understanding of — a largely Eurocentric — queer culture today? What effect does Nuwas’ work have on non-Orientalist representation? Can the Nuwasi corpus be a tool to decolonize and destabilize hegemonic and colonial ideas surrounding sexuality and gender?

For further reading, check out these resources below:

1. Spotify playlist of popular modern ghazals in Hindi

2. Find here a Youtube playlist for popular Arabic Ghazals.

3. Indigenous Sexualities: Resisting Conquest and Translation by Manuela L. Picq and Josi Tikuna — an essay on how non-conforming sexualities were a norm in various indigenous tribes and different parts of the world. Check out the references for more interesting reads on decolonizing sexuality!