Abou Nuwas one day shut himself up and making ready a richly-furnished saloonset out therein a banquet of meats of all kinds and colours that lips and tongue can desire. Then he went forthto seek a minion who should befit the entertainment，saying'O my God and my Master and my LordI beseech Thee to send me one worthy of this banquet and apt to carouse with me this day！'Hardly had he made an end of speakingwhen he espied three handsome beardless youthsas they were of the children of Paradisediffering in complexion but equal in perfection of beauty；and all hearts yearned with desire to the graceful bending of their shapeseven to what saith the poet：
Two beardless youths I happened on one day And said 'I love you.'Hast thou pelf？'asked they.
'Yes，'answered I'and liberality.'Then is the matter easy，'
did they say.
Now Abou Nuwas was on this wise given and loved to sport and make merry with the fair and cull the rose from every fresh-flowered cheekeven as saith the poet：
Full many a graybeard is amorous and loves Fair faces and music and dalliance and glee：
From Mosulthe country of purenesshe comesYet nought but Aleppo remembereth he.
So he accosted them with the salutationand they returned his greeting with all honour and civility and would have gone their way；but he stayed themrepeating these verses：
To none but me your footsteps steer；For I have store of all good cheer；Wine that the heart of convent monk Would gladso bright it is and clear；And flesh of sheepto boothave I And birds of land and sea and mere.
Eat ye of these and drink old wineThat doth away chagrin and fear.
The boys were beguiled by his verses and consented to his wishessaying'We hear and obey.'So he carried them to his lodgingwhere they found all ready that he had set forth in his verses. They sat down and ate and drank and made merry awhileafter which they appealed to Abou Nuwas to decide which was the handsomest and most shapely of them. So he pointed to one of themafter having kissed him twiceand recited the following verses：
With my life I will ransom the moleon the cheek of the loveling that is；For how should I ransom it else with treasure or aught but my soul？
And blessed for ever be He who fashioned his cheek without hair And madeof His power and His mightall beauty to dwell in yon mole！
Then he pointed to another and kissing his lipsrepeated these verses：
There's a loveling hath a mole upon his cheekAs 'twere musk on virgin camphorso to speak.
My eyes marvel when they see it. Quoth the mole'Heaven's blessing on the Prophet look ye seek！'
Then he pointed to the third and repeated the following verses，after kissing him half a score times：
All in a silver cup he melted gold full fineA youth whose hands were dyed in ruby-coloured wine，And with the skinkers went and handed round one cup Of wine，whilst other two were proffered by his eyne.
Fairer than all the Turksan antelopewhose waist Together would attract the mountains of Hunain.
An if I were content with crooked womankindBetwixt attractions twain would be this heart of mine.
One love towards Diyarbeker drawing itand one That draws itotherguiseto the land of Jamiain.
Now each of the youths had drunk two cupsand when it came to Abou Nuwas's turnhe took the goblet and repeated these verses：
Drink not of wine except it be at the hands of a loveling slim，Who in brightness of soul resembles it and it resembles him.
The drinker of winein very truthhath no delight thereof，Except the cheek of the fair be purewho doth the goblet brim.
Then he drank off his cupand when it came round to Him again，joyance got the mastery of him and he repeated The following verses：
