An intrigue for one of any orientation
She lifts the carafe against the black night
Her face lit with brilliant radiation
Sending from the jug’s lip a stream so bright
That eyes, in its glare, close as in sedation
Wine so fine, so pure and delicate
To add water would be contamination
With light alone may it be mixed
Giving off dazzling illumination" - Meaning and context.">
From the poem Cease your reproach, as translated by Alex Rowell
“

Poured from the palm of a girl dressed as boy
An intrigue for one of any orientation
She lifts the carafe against the black night
Her face lit with brilliant radiation
Sending from the jug’s lip a stream so bright
That eyes, in its glare, close as in sedation
Wine so fine, so pure and delicate
To add water would be contamination
With light alone may it be mixed
Giving off dazzling illumination

— Abu Nuwas

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Poured from the palm of a girl dressed as boy
An intrigue for one of any orientation
She lifts the carafe against the black night
Her face lit with brilliant radiation
Sending from the jug’s lip a stream so bright
That eyes, in its glare, close as in sedation
Wine so fine, so pure and delicate
To add water would be contamination
With light alone may it be mixed
Giving off dazzling illumination" in the context of "From the poem Cease your reproach, as translated by Alex Rowell" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Abu Nuwas" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Abu Nuwas

About Abu Nuwas

Abu Nuwas (756–814) was an Arab poet who lived in Baghdad during the Abbasid era. He is known for composing poetry about love, sex and wine.