Make thou thy boon-fellow of cupsbrimmed up as full as this，And eke to follow cup with cupI rede theedo not miss，Poured by a damask-lipped one's handa wonder-lovely fair，Whose mouth's sweet waterafter sleepas musk on apple is.
Drink not of wineexcept it be from the hand of a gazelle，Whose cheek is goodlier than itself and sweeter still his kiss.
Presentlythe wine crept to his headdrunkenness mastered him and he knew not hand from headso that he swayed about for mirthinclining anon to this oneto kiss himand anon to another. Then he fell to glorying in himself and his case and the goodliness of his entertainment and his companionsand recited these verses：
None knoweth perfection of pleasure but he Who drinkethwith fair ones to hearten him still.
This sings to himt'otherwhen cheer him would beRevives him forthright with the cups he doth fill；And whenever from one he hath need of a kissLong draughts from his lipsat his casehe doth swill.
God bless them！ Right sweet has my day with them beenAnd wonder delightsome and void of all ill！
We drank of the wine cupboth mingled and pureAnd agreed whoso sleptwe should touzle at will.
At this momentthere came a knocking at the door；so they bade him who knocked enterand beholdit was the Khalif Haroun er Reshid. When they saw himthey all rose to him and kissed the ground before him；and the fumes of the wine forsook Abou Nuwas's head for awe of the Khalifwho said to him'Hallo，Abou Nuwas！'At thy serviceO Commander of the Faithful，'answered he'may God preserve thee！'What state is this I find thee in？'asked the Khalif；and the poet replied'O Commander of the Faithfulmethinks my state dispenses with question.'Quoth the Khalif'O Abou NuwasI have sought direction of God the Most High and appoint thee Cadi of whoremasters.'Dost thou indeed invest me with that officeO Commander of the Faithful？'asked Abou Nuwas. 'I do，'replied the Khalif. 'ThenO Commander of the Faithful，'rejoined Abou Nuwas'hast thou any suit to prefer to me？'At this the Khalif was wroth and turned away and left themfull of rageand passed the nightsore angered against Abou Nuwaswhilst the latter spent the merriest and most easeful of nightstill the day dawned and the morning-star appeared and shonewhen he broke up the sitting and dismissing the boysdonned his court-dress and set out for the Khalif's palace.
Now it was the latter's customwhen the Divan broke upto withdraw to his sitting-chamber and summon thither his poets and minions and musicianseach having his own placewhich he might not overpass. Sothat dayhe retired to his saloonand the minions came and seated themselveseach in his place.
Presentlyin came Abou Nuwas and was about to take his usual seatwhen the Khalif cried out to Mesrour the headsman and bade him strip the poet of his clothes and clap an ass's pannel on his back. Moreoverhe charged him bind a halter about his head and a crupper under his rear and carry him round to all the lodgings of the slave-girls and the chambers of the harem，that the women might make mock of him；then cut off his head and bring it to him. 'I hear and obey，'replied Mesrour and accoutring Abou Nuwasas the Khalif had bidden himcarried him round to all the lodgings of the haremin number as the days of the year；but he made all the girls laugh with his buffooneries and each gave him somethingso that he returned with a pocketful of money.
Just thenJaafer the Barmecidewho had been absent on an important business for the Khalifentered and seeing the poet in this plightsaid to him'HalloAbou Nuwas！'At thy serviceO our lord，'answered he. 'What offence hast thou committed，'asked Jaafer'to bring this punishment on thee？'
'None whatever，'answered the other'except that I made our lord the Khalif a present of the best of my versesand he presented mein returnwith the best of his clothes.'When the Khalif heard thishe laughedfrom a heart full of wrath，and [not only] pardoned Abou Nuwasbut gave him a myriad of money.
