Abū Nuwās-Verse als taḍmīn

Abstract

taḍmīn, the insertion of a former poet’s piece of poetry into one’s own poem, is a rhetorical means used by Arab poets which is highly esteemed by Arab literary critics. The taḍmīn, however, does not only show the artistic skills of the quoting poet, but is also a sign for the popularity of the quoted. The audience must recognize the taḍmīn, otherwise the rhetorical effect is not achieved. The present article is thus a part of my studies on the survival of Abū Nuwās’ work. 24 poets used verses of Abū Nuwās in their own poems, three of them more than once. Between the 9th and the 18th century there was no century without a taḍmīn from Abū Nuwās’ Dīwān, although at the time of the Ottoman conquest of the Arab world, the quotations became less. Not only Abū Nuwās’ famous wine-songs became the source of taḍmīn, but also some of his eulogies and love-poems.