ИСТИНА

The boon-companion or nadim emerges as an important character in Medieval Arabic culture of carousal. It designated both a prominent talented figure in the entourage of the ruler and a pleasant reliable person during the drinking parties of like-minded friends. The available material on the virtues and behavior of nadim shape an ideal person, nearly the most diverse, talented and attractive member of the society. The purpose of the present paper is to consider the qualities ascribed to nadim in prose and poetry, distinguishing between their different ways of dealing with the matter.