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43 43 A Lampooning Epigram (Hijāʾ) by Abū Nuwās ْ ‫ه‬� ُ ‫ب‬ ��‫�ا‬ ‫ي‬ �‫ث‬ �� ٍ ‫ر‬‫و‬� ‫ب‬ �‫ن‬ �� ‫�ز‬ ‫د‬‫ص�ا‬� � ‫�م‬ ‫�ف‬ � � ‫ه‬ ُ ‫د‬‫ص�ا‬� � َ ‫م‬� ‫ه‬�‫ن‬ �‫ع‬ � ‫أ‬ �� ْ‫ن‬ �‫ي‬ �� ‫ن‬ �‫م‬� ْ ‫ه‬� ُ ‫ب‬ ��‫ا‬‫ر‬ ِ‫ح‬ � ٍ ‫ق‬ � � َ ‫ل‬�� َ ‫ع‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫م‬� ّ ‫ل‬� ُ ‫�ع‬ �‫ت‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � ٌ ‫ة‬ �‫ر‬ ‫�ظ‬ �� �‫ن‬ �� ‫�ا‬‫ه‬ �‫ي‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ه‬�‫ي‬ � ‫�ف‬ �‫ك‬ � � �‫ت‬ � man yanʾa ʿanhu maṣāduhū fa-maṣādu Zunbūrin thiyābuh takfīhi fīhā naẓratun fa-taʿullu min ʿalaqin ḥirābuh149 Meter (al-kāmil, shortened): SSLSL SSLSL / SSLSL SSLSL L (SS may be replaced by L). This mocking poem on a “lousy” person called Zunbūr (“Wasp”) ibn Abī Ḥammād is relatively innocent. Hijāʾ can be extraordinarily coarse and obscene , such as other lines by Abū Nuwās on the same person.150 Other people’s hunting grounds may be far away, but Zunbūr’s hunting grounds are his clothes. One glance at them will suffice: his lance drinks blood of lice (not once but twice). Ah, many a creature lurking in the seams’ folds, flanked by its nits, Spreading its mischief without being seen when it creeps along— Ah, many a jumping-jack was not saved by his jumping! He was killed by the sharp sword-edges sheathed in his finger. Bravo, you hunter whose hounds are his nails! ...

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