I. EJaa had- d ii hu-lo ... 10 I should like to begin this study by expressing my
gratitude to Dr. .... See Andr~ejew~ki, he Art. of the Mniature i n Somali Poetry, f1
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[~ditor's Rote: ??lease note t h a t most of this a r M c l e i s drawn from two chapters of t h e writer's book e n t i t l e d Heellooy Heelleellooy: The Develop ment o f the Genre Heello i n ~ o d e r nS o m a l i - m e t r y . - The book i s being publ i s h e d by the Reses;rcb GenCer f a r . t h e Language. Sciences i n Bloomington and i s t o appearby late sumlder (lm).]
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John W i l l i a m Johnson Folklme -Ins-t;itute Indiana. .University .
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Much has been written &bout. t h e oral poetry of the Somalism2 -One group of poems, however, has. not received much attention,3 because it i r t not considered by S o d i s themselves t o be of high s t a t u r e In their system of o r a l art. The modern poem i n SbmdLia, called the heello; however, >developed t o a large extent from this family of miniature genres and i s of pri.mary.importmce t o modern Somali poetry* Moreover, t h e lack of any detaJled treetment. of all these genres together w i l l , f t would be hoped, be f i l l e d by t h e pTesent study. 4
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There are many forms of miniature poetry i n the Somali system of oral . expression, but the present study i s limited t o four genre8 whieh are a l l connected t o each other historically. These four genres are t h e wiglo -' the dhaanto, the hirwo, and the belwo. The names of the specific genres are Somali. The term miniature i s borrowed from Andrze jewski (1967),5 but the grouping of the four i n t o one "farn9lyU is my own invention; Three characteristics lend credence t o t h i s grouping.
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First of all, Somalis themaelves claim that each miniature poem gave rzse t o the next one h i s t o r i c a l l y . Second, the structure of the poems i n these genres not only serves t o d i f f e r e n t i a t e each genre from the.next and &om other types of Somali poetry, but it also serves -group-the four together. And third, their similar use i n society gives f u r t h e r evidence t h a t tog@#er they constitute a larger d i r i s i o n of Somali poetry. Let us consider these three points i n more d e t a f l )
Origins of the Genres
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There are qo documents of jndigenous orhgin t o . a i d the ~ c h o l a ri n uncovering the ori,gins:of these four genres; f o r Somalia i s an o r a l society. Moreover, l i t t l e reference hae been made t o them i n works by foreign scholars who have.concentrated'mCst:of their labor, on genres with more prestige in Somali society- The conclusions here are based, therefore, on the oral . history o f poetic -4; believed t o - b e i t r u e in.'Somal$ culmt;ure and obtained by personal interviews,t~.ithprominent Ssmrtli poets and c r i e c s . 6 .
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The belwo i s t h e only genre the origin.of which is both known aild agreed upon by most Somalia. Of the remaining; three.genres, only t h e - o r i g i n of the hirwo can be accounted, for., . and. not all Somalis :agree.on t h i e . Some b e l i b e it,t o have arisen during the Ethio-Itallan. War of 1935/36, while others b e l i e v e i t t o be much older'. , The origins of the wiglo and dhasnto are not known a t a l l , but i n t h e midst of t h i s confusion, claim and c o u n t e r
claim,-%he most ~eascnableorder of chronological development appears t o be thus:
wiglo, dhaanto,
hirwo, belwo. -
An important h i s t o r i c a l characteristic of these genres i s t h e i r use during periods of s o c i a l s t r e s s . Although i t s origin i s not known, the most recent revival of the wiglo, f o r example, was during the early years of the Dervish War of the Sayyid Mahhammed Cabdilla ~kasan,7who led a &raggle against foreign intrusion on the Horn of Africa from 1900 t o 1920. The dhaanto, with i t s origin a l s o i n the unknown past, was revived during the l a t e r years of t h i s Dervish Movement. And the hirwo, i f it d i d not actually a r i s e during the I t a l i a n conquest of Ethiopia i n which some Somali participated, was a t l e a s t revived during this period. The belwo, a r i s i n g and spreading i n the s o c i a l upheaval a f t e r World War 11, a l s o represents a period of storm and s t r e s s .
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The belwo ( a l s o called balwo) was the innovation of the Somali poet named Cabdi Deeqsi, nicknamed "Sinimo" (cinema). Cabdi was a trade truck mechani c and driver i n the former B r i t i s h Somaliland Protectorate and had a regular trade truck route from Zeila and Djibouti t o Borama and Hargeisa. One .day, sometime between 1943 and 1945, h i s truck broke d m i n the i n t e r i o r . Somali o r a l t r a d i t i o n debates exactly where t h i s happened, but the r e s u l t s were t h a t Cabdi could not repair t h e damage. Finally, a f t e r much frust r a t i n g work, he sat down and, as the Somali poet Hhasan Sheekh Muumin says, " ~ h e s ewords escaped from his mouth": Belwooy , belwooy , hooy belwooy , Wahha i baleeyay mooyaane.
8 Belwooy, belwooy, hooy belwooy, I am unaware of what caused me t o suffer.
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The following version i s also sometimes quoted as the f i r s t belwo by some Somalia : ~ a h o o y ,hooy balwooy,
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Wahha i balweeyay baabuure. Balwooy, hooy balwoay, I am unaware of what caused me t o suffer.
What caused me t o suffer was a truck.
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When Cabdi returned t d Borama a f t e r having h i s truck towed back t o Zeila, he recited h i s short poem i n ' p u b l i c . It was an immediate success, which, no doubt, inspired him t o compose other belwo. Moreover, other poets a l s o began t o compose i n the new genre, and it began t o spread rapidly.
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B e t i c a b i l i t y i s a major device f o r raising one's s t a t u s among the Somal i s , arid poems always gain prestige for their composers from a t l e a s t some segment of the population. So it was f o r Cabdi, who l i k e so many poets of Somali history, quickly became a s o c i a l magnet. By 1946 a small troupe of singers had been formed around Cabdi, including a wban named Khadiija Ciya Dharaar, soon nicknamed Khadiija "~elwo". It was Khadii ja, as many Somalis claim, who popularized the belwo t o a large extent, and her name has been immortalized i n a poem composed by Cabdi.
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Belwooy, belwooy, hooy belwooy, Haddii quruhhdaada Layga qaxshooy, Khadii ja Belwooy, qac baan odk&n. -
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. . BeXwooy, belwooy, how belwooy, Oh woman, i f your beauty were hidden fmm me, Oh Khadii ja Belwo, I [would] break*[ i n two].
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In time, t h i s troupe began t o tour the towns of t h e ' North-. Hargeisa, soon t o become the focal area f o r the belwa*(it"was alreakIyJ'the center of p o l i t i c a l development for the North at this time) was the first stop. Public performances were held i n which Cabdi~wouldrecite his poetry and the women would dance. These public meetings brought prestige and money t o the troupe, which toured other towns f o r a few years. By 1950, however, it had broken up and Cabdi returned t o Djibouti where he remained u n t i l h i s death on 19 March 1967, 8uPing the riots there. By t h i s time the belwo had spread t o most areas i n northern Somalia.
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The Place of t h e Miniature ~o.erni n Somali Society
The miniature poem does not share the exalted s t a t u s of Som.ali c l a s s i c a l . poetry, or even of the modern poem. It i s employed most often by youth in circumstances where youth are t o be found. The themes, however, are not.always frivolous: nor i s the minilrture poem always composed by youths. There are many s i t u a t i o n s i n which the r e c i t a t i o n of such poetry i s considered appropriate, but the following compilation of the uses of miniat u r e poetry i s by nb means d e f i n i t i v e . It i s presented only t o giye a . general picture of where and when t h e miniature poem i s used. '
One important use of miniature poetry i s with the dance.
~ i o u o~f s.youths etanding i n a circle will all join i n with hand clapping while one man chants the poem and (usually) two people dance. Sometimes Women a r e included i n this a c t i v i t y . Somalis enjoy challenging each other t o poetic duelsag and the miniature poem,. like .many genres of Somali poetry i s used - i n *hi$ verbal game. 'Phe poet of the hirwo below gave his challenge &9 a riddle:1°
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WELhhaan hadhin hawlrsa Kuu qaban Hortiinana .jooga,.sooheda eey.
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That which w i l l n o t leave'ybu, [i~or]do [anything] useful for' you, And which remains *[always}.before you: find out [ w h a t it i s ] .
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War wahhaan, hadhin hanln&'Kuu' qabanoo, Wortaadana joogaa, w a a hooseey.
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man, that.-which W1P nbt leavk you, - [nor] do [anything] u e e f u l f o r you, And which remains [always] before you, i s .[your] shadow. Oh
The Sayyid Mahhammed Cabdilla Hhasan, mentioned above, employed the miniat u r e poem t o a t t r a c t r e c r u i t s t o his Dervish Movement. One o f his compositions, a viglo, was used as a recruiting poem f o r a t t r a c t i n g f.ollowers; .
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Ninkii d i i n t a Eebbahay dhigan e, Dad&& ku d h i n t a a ye waa daw,
Ninkii dabka qaatee duulee, Dagaal ku d h i n t a a y e waa daw, Anigu dadka wahhaar, l a yaabaa, 00 haddana doqonnimo ku saaraa, 'Ninkii duunyo k a l e e t o foofsadayee, Ku daaqsada doobka caanaha eey. The man who l e a r n s t h e r e l i g i o n of God And d i e s w i t h hard work i s honorable. The m a n who t a k e s up weaPnsl2 f o r f i g h t i n g , And d i e s i n b a t t l e i s honorableBut [of a l l ] people, t h e one who s u r p r i s e s me And whom I accuse of f o o l i s h a e s s Is t h e man who cares f o r another's animals, and Receives [only] a v e s s e l f u l l of milk [as h i s reward]. 13 The p r a c t i c e of looking a f t e r another man's l i v e s t o c k was done by t h e poor i n t h e Sayyid's day, and it was t o t h e s e people t h a t he was appealing i n h i s poem. The implication here i s t h a t i t i s f o o l i s h t o have s e r v i l e employment when one could become r i c h by l o o t i n g t h e camels of t h e Dervish's enemies.
Many Sbma3.i men of r e l i g i o n o b j e c t t o t h e use of t h e miniature poem. o f t e n quote a proverb i n t h i s context:
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Sacabka haddaan hheeladi ku j i r i n , Mahhaa habeenkii Loo tumaa? If t h e r e i s no t r i c k i n dancing and singing, Then why do they do it [only] a t n i g h t ?
This r e l i g i o u s objection t o t h e miniature poem l e d one Islamic leader, Sheekh Caaqib Cabdullaahi Jaamac of J i g j i g a t o employ t h e dhaanto as a means of a t t r a c t i n g t h e youthful ear. By speaking i n t h e i r m language, as i t were, he was able t o deliver his s e r i o u s message i n t h e midst of a dance and t o r e t a i n t h e a t t e n t i o of most of those present. I r o n i c a l l y , t h e t e x t of t h i s dhaanto-sermon1! c a l l e d f o r t h e youths t o abandon t h e ~heekhCaaqib has used dhaanto and t u r n t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s toward God. t h e dhaanto f o r o t h e r r e l i g i o u s purposes including a prayer f o r r a i n . 15 I n r e c e n t times, t h e miniature poem has a l s o been used by t r u c k d r i v e r s and passengers t o l i g h t e n t h e tedium of tiresome journeys. L6 Indeed, t h i s p r a c t i c e was important i n t h e s p a c i a l d i s p e r s i o n of the miniature poem, e s p e c i a l l y t h e belwo.
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F i n a l l y , during t h e l i g h t e r periods of r e l i g i o u s f e s t i v a l s and n a t i o n a l holidays, one can hear genres from t h i s family. But a t such s o c i a l gather&figs-ananyo t h e r ' genres .can a l s o be heard. S t r u c t u r e of t h e Miniature Poem
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As mentioned above, t h e four genres classed as the family of miniature genres share a similar s t r u c t u r e . They appear t o be a l i k e i n every way except t h e melodies t o which they a r e r e c i t e d . The d i a l e c t of Somali i n
which such poetry i s composed i s the same as far, all m t h e r n s&ali past o r a l i s t poetry.. The. remaining chtkacteristice of the miniature poem have been broken down and'discussed. i n more deta$J b e l q . L e t , u s begin our discussiqn where t h e 'goem begins, with the f ntrodu&tory,formula. . ..
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Several ' i n ~ o a a l*poetry i a r e introduced by a s e r i e e of eYllableg, usually without any remembered meaning, wh'ich serve as an introduction t o t h e poem which f q ~ o w s .. ,The miniature poem. i s ,usually introduced by t h e follawing formula,: . . I
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Heellooy., h e b l l e e ~ o o,y Heellooy, heelleellooy.
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Heellooy, heelleellooy, Heellmy, heelleellooy, . Heelleelli kalaynu leenehaye~y. , . . . .. Oh heello, o& & e l l e e l l o , . Oh heello, o heelleello',' And we sin$? [yet] ?other heelleello.
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In addition t o t h i s , the most. common Portnula for miniature poetry, st l e a s t two other formelae exist. Most 0ftt.G with t h e wiglo, t h e following formula can .sometimes be heard:
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Hobkla, 'holjala h'ob&Lkayoo, Bobali . kalaynu ieenahayeey
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With t h e belwo, s t i l l another formula can be heard: . , .
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Hobalp, hobali, &balwoo, And w e s i n g [yet] another hobala.
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And with t h i s formula, the mean&@; i s known.'. orr rowed from theArabic "affliction/trouble/trial", t h e word has a meaning i n Somali which -balaa' ' might be translated as "woe i s me". x
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These formulae, the "heello" formula being the most common, serve a t l e a s t three functions. F i r s t , the formula, summons the, a t t e n t i o n ,of ad audience t o the poet who then goes on t o r e c i t e his poem. Second,' i t serves t o fccus the l i s t e n e r s ' a t t e n t i o n on the poet's verse so t h a t t h e f i r s t l i n e of t h e poem i t s e l f i s not missed. Otherwise, t h e poin't hay be lost, for in many cases the f i r s t l i n e represents. 5.@ of the e n t i r e ,po.em- The t h i r d purpose, might be described as a, s o r t of signature'tune. If t h e fonqula does not designate t h e s'pecific gwe to, fallow, it' a t l e a s t designates the .type of genre. "Heellooy, heelleellooy" heralds a l i g h t p k m , often t o be used w i t h t h e dance, more o f t e n ' s t i l ~with a theme centered around love. Poetic devices used i n t h e miniature poem do not 'differ drasticafly Prom several other genres of Somali poetry. The method of a l l i t e r a t i o n , one sound per poem ( e i t h e r one consonant or all the vowels c o l l e c t i v e l y ) , i s
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t h e same a s f o r most t r a d i t i o n a l poetry. Furthermore, t h e imagery of t h e miniature poem, as i n most genres, is c l o s e l y t i e d t o t h e p a s t o r a l i s t way of l i f e . A few modern images i n e v i t a b l y come i n t o t h e more recent poems. Another device 'of p o e t i c d i c t i o n common t o most genres i s t h e hidden mesn &&e;l8 Lovers send messages tb each other of s e c r e t rendezvous i n p o e t i c codes. Thieves t e l l each other what t o s t e a l through concealed messages i n poems. The c o l o n i a l administration as w e l l as t h e Somali government of today have been c r i t i c i z e d thus. Two devices, however, a r e unique t o t h e miniature poem, concise language and panegyric naming. The s i z e of t h e miniature poem understandably influences i t s language, making necessary t h e most concise method of expressing a complete thought. The panegyric naming of women, although it occurs i n a few o t h e r genres, is most f u l l y developed i n t h e miniature family. A l l i t e r a t i o n needs no f u r t h e r elucidation, but t h e o t h e r devices outlined above demand c l e a r examples f o r understanding. The images i l l u s t r a t e d i n t h e poems below a r e of common occurrence i n t h e poems i n my c o l l e c t i o n . Understandably not as many wiglo, dhaanto, and hirwo are remembered a s belwo. For t h i s reason I was a b l e t o c o l l e c t many more belwo than poems of t h e o t h e r t h r e e genres.
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During t h e long dry season i n Somalia water i s s o scarce t h a t domesticated animals often d i e . Indeed men have been known t o d i e of' t h i r s t during this harsh time of ye=. The e a r t h can become s o dry t h a t i n places it resembles a v w t ocean of p o t a t o chips. Only a few t r e e s o f f e r solace and shade from t h e ~ o o r c h i n g , glaring sun, and t h e northern p l a i n v i s i b l y s u p p o r t s only t h e yellow g r a s s of jiilaal, t h e dry season. When r a i n f i n a l l y arrives, it i s not j u s t a necessary substance f o r t h e 'renewal of l i f e on t h e d e s e r t . It becomes a symbol for t h a t l i f e . Indeed it becomes t h e mother of a l l p o s i t i v e symbols i n Somali poetry as metaphoric extention expands i t s semantic sphere. It becomes "the source of all virtueu,19 v i c t o r y i n s t r i f e , happiness, and many o t h e r t h i n g s as well.
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Without r a i n , there i s no milk, for the camels literally dry up. Milk, along with r a i n , i s a symbol f o r l i f e , f o r it s a t i s f i e s hunger as w e l l as t h i r s t . When t h e poet of t h e following wiglo s i n g s of milk, he i s speaki n g of much more than i t s physical substance: Hadday Dhudi caano ii dhibtooy, Intaan dhamo sow ma dhaafeen? I f ~hudi*' gives me milk, and I drink [thereof'], how can I leave her? She has given him much mbre than milk; she has given him l i f e i t s e l f .
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. When poets s i n g of their love, unlike t h e poem above, they more commonly
equate it with i l l n e s s . Love i s a sickness, a malady n e t as s e r i o u s as death, b u t s t i l l an a f f l i c t i o n . This poet speaks of i l l n e s s i n his wiglo, b u t t h e Somali audience knows he speaks of love:
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When I was ill she used t o wish me well; . 22 , . [NOW] taka. [rqyj .blesgh . . @?l:ont o 'he*, , .,to-Gentle-Heart. ... .. , . . . , _ -. . .- The poet is saying that--hi.slover. always ketwned h i s love, "e*.n before she f e l l i n Loye with hia.2 He laved'her (was i l l ) forr:a while before she learned t o love him ( f e l l ill and came i n need of h i s blessfng).: hhny ' belwo poets a l s o viewed the condition of love negatively.. The follav%ng . .. poets saw it as a disease: . . I -
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Cishqigu m a a h a cuud La dhaqdee, Waa cudur ka bilaabma curuqyada.
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Love i s not incense t o be used sparingly; ' T i s a disease.which 'begins' in the - 3oints; .
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Anigoo buka baahidaada iyo, Ku b a a l - w a y beerku may gozay? *.
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Whilst I was ill with the n&ed of you, I passed you by; did [my] l i v e r break?23 - . r -.. . . , . . . .... . , Some poets em' l m e as a special sort. of insdnity, a 6 i n this belwo: L
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Maankiyo maddahhaa. i M a maqanoo, . Idinna waygu maadsanaysw.
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I@ mind and my heart are apart, And all. of you make fun'of me!
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The world i s a dead branch24 hanging on a tree: Have you put anything f o r yourself i-n. the' riext 'world? - . . .. :. .., . ' . * .
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I n this poem, the t r e e i s a precarious foundation f o r the world. A t any moment the wind o r some other disaster o 6 a d "op$Se t h e w 6 l d i n t o oblivion. The poet asks the l i s t e n e r .'if.he1-is prepared f o r death. In the following belwo, the t r e e .represents the ever image of the poet's . .. . . present ( . '. . .. loved or* in'us'&ad : J: . . . ,
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alimited number of melodies t o which,a poem i n any given genre c * m be yecited.. Any wiglo, f o r example,.can be s,wg t o soy of the melodies set'aside fa2 i t a s g e n r e , but not t o a n ~ rof t h e other melodies used fbr the dhaanto, hirwo, or belwo. This .leads t o $he second point. It i s the .melody t o which the poem is sung which denotes the genre. 1t appears t o be'a characteristic melody, then, and not any l i n g u i s t i c o r prosodic r u l e which differeptkatee the genres within. the f&milyo32
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To i l l u s t r a t e this point, iP one heard a Somali whistle a melody -f'kan the Family of a n i a t u r e genres, t h e genre alone could be identified, but not the specific poem itseJ$." his being' the hy-pothesie, it should then hold t h a t any one poem despite i t s 'original melody (i. e . genre classification)' k- coul6 be sung t o the melodiks of t h e other three genres. T h i s is precisely the experimeqt I , c d k d out successfully. The prominent Somall poet Hhasan ~ h e e k hMuumin was able t o take. one miniature poem (originally a hixyo) and d onstrate with it t h e characteristic melodies of a l l o#' the four genres., ,
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Recent Devel~pments .
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The major modern poem in Somalia-today i s called t h e heello, a name derive& from the introductory formula f o r the miniature poem. A d e s c r i p t i o n of the f u l l develqp~ent02'thi.s geme i s out of the scope of the present study,, but, it i s interesting ' t o note t h a t t h e first form of t h e heella wae. developed i n large'.part ffom the fafhi..ly,*ofminiature genres. v Althollgh o t h e r elements , both foreign and indigehbus, contributed t o the final form of the heell,o, it might 'be said t h a t t h e original heello was the f i f t h ' miiiiatye poem . t o develop. _ '
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The orie;inal fqrm a* the heello deveioped sbon after Cabdi SiMmo had conceived the belwo, and we shall t e r m this form .the "mega--aiqiature poem, " i f so paradoxical a neologism may be emplayed. - The new form w a s still i n mosCrays well within the definition of a m i n i a t u r e poem. It waa chara . 6 s r W by q,%ackLn@;on" of maqFbe~wo,.'someti~esas *manyas 15 or 20, 54 - i n t o one long ,poem. Each stanza,' then, was a'separate belwo, composed by en individual poet, who w a s not influenced by'.f;he other stanzas (belwo)
-
I
'
6
,
,
of tM poem, f o r the combining of t h e stanzas would be done a f t e r t h e i r composition. For this reason, the original heello was not a unified composition i n i t s theme, a l t h o u a , each belwo usua;Uy d e a l t with the subject of love. Furthermore, t h e influences of length i n miniature poetry were exerted on the imagery and diction of each stanza. In t h e mega-miniature poem these was a sequence of unconnected images, while in the l a t e r development of the heello there was of'ten a masterful blending of images and symbolism. Again, f o r the saue reasons, t h e a l l i t e r a t i o n , though unified i n each stanza, was not uniform throughout the e n t i r e poem. An example of this form of poem i s given below:
-
1. Aaa, adigaa hudhudym hawada lalaayee, 1, (2) 2. Haweeya hadal mayga gaadhsiine, 1 11. 5. Aaa, Maryama Muhh~booymadheedka Wareey, ] 16. Midhihii ka bislaaday baad tahayeey, 111. 9. Aaa, a i d i i c i r ku h o o r ~ vmeel cosobloo, 110. ~ a d c e e d d i iu soo b a h h d a m a y e e y , 1 (2) 13. Aaa, Gaaroodoo roobleh geedihii ka bahhiyo, 1, (2) IV. 14. Guudkeeda maLa mooday gammaan faras, 3 Vo 17. Aaa, sidii aan godob qabo hurdada ma gamzee, 118. Mahhaa Layga gooynayaan galayee, 1 VI. 21. Aaa, hhabaal nin galaa hhaq weeyaanee, ] 22. Illayn hhubi baan hhagtabaw dhicine, ] (2 VII. 25. Aaa, b w b a a r t i i horiyo banaad sidiiyeey, 126. Ha baadhbaadhin b e r i samsadkii, ] (2) VIII. 296 Aaa, magaalada geed ku yaal Muhhuboay, 1, (2) 30. Ayaad midabkiisa leedahayeey , 1 M. 33. Aaa, sidii doonni dufsatay duufaaneey, ] 34. Cidlaan hadba s i i dabayshanayaayeey. ] (2)
I.
@I
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@I
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-.
1. Ah, hoopoe b i r d . hey! You are 'flying [around in] t h e air;1, ( 2 ) 2- Will you carry a message [of love] t o aweeyo35 f o r me? ] XI. 5 A h , oh Beloved MarJan, t h e berry bush3' of war :37 ] 6. You are its ripened f r u i t . 1 (2) Ah, l i k e the heavens dropping r a i n i n a place *re fresh 1 111. 9. grass ~grarsl, I-@) 10. And the sun, which rises on it, are you. 1 IV. 13. Ah, the Gaaroodi plain38 [is she], where r a i n [abounds] 1 and green grass g r o w s ; I- ( 2 ) 14. Does it [not] seem t h a t her [luxuri&t] hair39 i s l i k e 1 t h a t of the young horse? 1 17. Ah, l i k e a guilty man, I do not sleep so well; 1 V. 1- (2) 18. What have I done t o be persecuted?40 VI. 21. Ah, entering t h e grave i s r i g h t f o r 22. Indeed love does not fall t o any side VII. 25. Ah, like t h e young men and girls of olden times, (2) 26. Do not postpone t h e good times till, tomorrow! VIII. 29. Ah, oh Beloved, the t r e e i n the v i l l a g e : 1 1- ( 2 ) 30. You possess i t s [most beautiful] color. M. 33. Ah, l i k e a ehip carried [off by] a storm 34. To a desolate place, every time I am blown [off my co&sel,(2) by love]. I I.
-
i.
.
As mentioned above, the heello went on t o develop i n d i f f e r e n t for&,
for t h e art of orsil composition i s far from e x t i n c t - the Horn of Africa. The o r i g i n a l form of the heello, Like each of t h e miniature genres, was a l i n k
.P . . . in thq chain of development which was t o bring about the modern form of t h e heello, f o r "...a work of tkt f s not s i q l y the embodiment of experience but %he latest work of art i n a series'of such works; it is...a poem , 'determined ' so f a .as, it i s determined at all, . . by literary t r a d i t i o n ., ,,be . . . . . . and- c o n v e r a t i ~. ~. ~. . . . . . . . . - . . .
\
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...
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I
SF..
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+
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l
I
t
II >
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Appendix:
Samples of' Miniature Poems
Corn
Unknown I
1
rlrr T1.
I
I
G'
1.'
I. EJaa had- d ii
hu-lo -
ra- m a - f a
--h a n - h &
mar
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lee-nd-hay-eel,
5t1~7hd-d;;,
NOTES
10 I should l i k e t o begin this study by expressing my g r a t i t u d e t o Dr.
.
Anthony King of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Univer-' s i t y of London. Dr. King kindly transcribed t h e musical scores of t h e four poems at t h e end o f - t k i s a r t i c l e lRthout his assistance, this p a r t of t h e a r t i c l e would have been impossible t o present. I should, however, l i k e t o s t r e s s t h a t ' i f there a r e any e r r o r s i n copyi n g D r . King's t r a n s c r i p t i o n s f o r t h i s a r t i c l e , they a r e mine alone.
2.
For a complete bibliography cn t h i s subject u n t i l 1969, see John W i l l i a m Johnson, "A Bibliography of the Somali Language and Literat u r e , l f African Language deview 8 (1969), 279-97.
3.
Treatment of some of these poems has been done i n Be W. Andrzejewski and 1. M. Lewis, Somali Poetry o on don: Oxford University Ekess, 1964) One genre, the belwo, received d e t a i l e d abtention i n B e We Andrzejewski, h he A r t of the Miniature i n Somali Poetry, " Af'rican Ikmguage Review 6 (1967)., 5-16.
.
,
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4.
Research i n t o these genres was carried out i n Somalia from 1966 t o 1969 and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, from 1969 t o 19n.
5.
See Note
6-
These interviews and other material such as r a d i o programs and newspaper a r t i c l e s on Somali poetry are available f o r public perusal i n a bound volume e n t i t l e d Source Materials Relating t o t h e Development of Modern Somali Poetry. Two copies were made. One i s i n t h e .Department of Af'rica at t h e School of Oriental and African Studies. The other i s i n my private possession, and I m q y be contacted through the Folklore I n s t i t u t e at India* University.
7.
Somali national hero who was a r e l i g i o u s leader, poet and warrior. For a good summary of the Sayyid' s career, see Robert L. Hess, he Poor Man of God Muhammed Abdullah Hassan, " i n Leadership i n Eastern Africa: Six P o l i t i c a l Biographies, ed. Norman R. Behnett (Boston: Boston University Press, 1968), pp. 63-108.
3 above.
--
8.
An introductory formula. See below. It should be pointed out t h a t t h e t3rsnscription used throughout this study i s not a phonetic one p e r se, though it i s remarkably close t o one. It i s an alphabet devised f o r Somali which employs symbols from t h e Latin alphabet f o r which t h e r e are no Somali equivalents i n order t o express Somali sounds f o r which t h e r e a r e no English equivalents. Most of t h e symb o l s represent sounds, however, which a r e t h e same or similar i n Engl i s h and Somali. One of t h e reasons f o r employing t h i s type of transc r i p t i o n i n Somalia i s t h a t .it can be used on t h e already l a r g e numbers of English and Italian typewriters i n t h e country. This alphabet was devised and perfected over a period of about f i f t e e n yea,rs*by t h e Somali scholar Muusa Hhaaji Ismaaciil Galaal and i s employed here because if a s L a t i n s c r i p t i s chosen as t h e o f f i c i a l orthography by the Somali government, this one i s very 1 i k e l y . t o be t h e one chosen. This t r a n s c r i p t i o n i s fully explafned i n Muusajs book The Terminology and
.
Practice of Somali Weather Lore, Astronomy and Astrology, published by h i m i n Mogadishu i n 1968 and reviewed by P h i l Peek i n the Folklore ~ o r y 1(:4, . fiovember, 1968.. A copy. :ofst h i s book may be found in t h e .Archives of the l?olklore Institute. &e exception to.t M r t r a n s c r i p tion as used i~ tMB'a r t i c l e $6 the characjjer. "z" which I use to re., present the glottal stop. ,. '. r
For a good exmple of such a duel, see 13. W. ~ n d n e j e w s k iand Muusa Hh. I. GGaal, "A Somali Poetic Combat, " Journal of ~ f r i c a nLanguages ' 2 (1963.); p e t 1,35-28; p a t 2.i 93-100;,..part3, 190-205. .
9.
. . .
' ,
10.
I n ordgr t o save space and because it i s .t h e :same each time, t h e introductory formula has been omitted before the rest of the poems in t h i s .study. . ... .
ll.
It should be pointed out that l i n e d i v i s i o n i n the poems i n t h i s study i s based on the musical delivery of the poems. Odd lines i n eachrpoem w i l l have the same musical delivery as w i l l t h e even l i n .,. es.
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~abka. r%7e&ns"; literally, "fire".
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.
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13.
.
t
The practice of looking after another man's livestock was u s u a l l y paid w i t h one animal p e r year 's work, plus 'the daily sustenance o? ' the laborer. :
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14.
The t e x t of this poem can be found i n the volume mentioned i n Note 6 above.
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+ 8
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15.
.:
.
a
*
B. W. Andrzejewski, he Roobdtion of sheikh'Aqib ~ b d u l l a h iJ-: A Somali Prayer f o r Rain, " African Language Studies 8 (1969), 21-34. See
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,
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a
.
.16.- - See Andrzejewski, "The Art, of the .Miniature i n Somali F e t r y , " g. 12.
17. . ~eenahay.' "Sing/chant,
18. .-
19. .
"
l i t e r a l l y , "sw/poesess.
"
For an article o n % h i s subject, see B. W. Andrzejewski and Muusa Hh. 1- Galaal, "The A r t of the Verbal Message i n Somali Society," .Hamb v g e r Bei%ro&ge zur Afrika-ICunde 5 ( ~ 9 6 6 29-39, )~
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L
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Muusa Hh. I. G a l a a l , ~erminologyandrh.actice of Somali Weather Lore, . . . ... p. 14. .._.^. . . , .. Dhudi. Panegyric name, see no. 5, p. 90.'
20.
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21.
Badbaado.
I
. .
. : .
"
"~lessing";l i t e r a l l y , "safety. P
.
,*
.
-
a
22.
Beer-Nugul.
23:
i . e - 'was p l heart ~ broken?" ~ h liver & i s one of t h e several egatrc of' emotion in Somali poet@. .
Panegyric name, see no. 1, p. 90. '
*
24.
25.
..
.
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*
UI.
.
1
,
,
.
,
L
..
.
"Dead branch", l i t e r a l l y , "stick. "
.
. ,
,I
There are many communities of Somalis; ~ostlymad6 dp 'of s a i l o r s , i n s e v e r a l areas of the world. Cardiff i n Wales, f o .r .example, . supports a population of-around 3,000 Somalis. , .
I
.
Practice of S0rnd.i Lore, Astronorqy and Astrology, published by h i m in Mogadishu i n 1968 and reviewed by Phil Peek i n the Folklore Forum 1:4, November,1968. A copy of this book m a y be found i n t h e Archives of the Folklore I n s t i t u t e . One exception t o this transcription a s used i n this a r t i c l e i s the character "z" which I use t o represent the g l o t t a l stop. For a good example of such a duel, see B. We Andrzekewski and Muusa Hh. I. Gala&, "A S0maJ.i Poetic Combat, " Journal of African m m g e s 2 (19631, P& 1, 15-28; part 2, 93-100; part 3, 190-205.
In order t o save space and because it i s the same each time, the introductory formula has been omitted before the r e s t of t h e poems i n t h i s study. It should b e m i n t e d out that line division i n the poems i n this study i s based on the musica3 delivery of the poems. Odd l i n e s i n each poem will have the same musical delivery as will the even l i n e s . Dabka. -
weaponstf; l i t e r a l l y , "fire".
The practice of looking after another man's livestock was usually paid with one animal per yearfs work, plus the daily sustenance of the laborer.
The t e x t of this poem can be found i n t h e volume mentioned i n Note 6 above. See B. W. Andrzejewski, he ~oobddonof Sheikh Aqib Abdullahi Jama: A Somali Prayer f o r Rain, " Af'rican Language Studies 8 (1969), 21-34.
See Andrzekewski,
he lZrt of t h e Miniature i n Somali Poetry, " p. 12.
For an article on t h i s subject, see B. W. Andrzeg-ewski and Muusa Hh. 1. Galaal, he A r t of t h e Verbal Message i n Somali Society, " H a m burger Beitrage zur Af'rika-Kunde 5 (1966), 29-39.
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Muusa H h e I. G a l a a l , . T e r m i n o l o ~and Practice of Somali Lore, p. 14. Dhudi. -
Badbaado. Beer-Nugul.
"~lessing"; l i t e r a l l y , "safety.!' Panegyric name, see no. 1, p. .
i.e. "Was my heart broken?" of emotion i n Somali poetry.
Ule -
.
Panegyric name, see no. 5, p.
.
The l i v e r i s one of t h e several seats
" ~ e a dbrancht'; l i t e r a l l y , "stick.
"
There are many communities of Somalis, mostly made up of s a i l o r s , in sever& areas of the world. Cardiff i n Wales, f o r example, supports a population of around 3,000 Somalis.
26.
It should be pointed out t h a t the story which i s given i n the text i s paraphrased and i s not the transcription of a properly collected folktale. This is because the eoems were presented t o me by my informant =d then translated; a f t e r tllis, the story was related t o me i n English. f understand that' the usua;l.method of delivery i s for the rec i t e r t o tell the story as I have done here, with the poems inside the . . tale. .
*'
games, see nos. 2 , 3, and 4, p * 90.
27. bn&c
Note the c-ection . - . Bext of.the period. ..
28e
.
.
between the panegyric name of the woman and the p. 90, nQ. 2 f o r an explanation of the rest
See
,
29. D h i i n G o r ~ @negyric n q e . hii in is t h e reddieh-purple color of a cow. Gorayo i s ah o s t r i c h . The feeling for this color is the same as l o r the panegyric name Bullo (see no. 4, p * 90. The ostrich I
i s prized for i t s - s o f t feathers which at oile t i m e were sought on the world market. The use here refers t o the softness -afthe wpman's hair. .. ,,... I
30.
he
See Andr~ejew~ki,
3. G E L
"GO
A r t . of the M n i a t u r e i n Somali Poetry, f1 p. 7.
"
behind"; kiterally, . . "enter.
320
k or a general 'descriptiori on how genres are differentikted i n Somali ,poetry, we BW We ~ndrzekewskiand I. Ma'Lewis, Somali Poetry, p. 46.
33.
To furkher i l l u s t r a t e the modes of
deliirery, I have. included musical scores of one representative melody 'for'each genre at the end of t h i s a r t i c l e . Please note t h a t pitch values i n the -Somali system do not always correspond exactly with those i n western notation. Using Dr. King's suggestion, ,the symbol 'I(-)" has been employed when a Somali pitch i s between-.two westkrn iralues. It i s also interesting t o note here that, although % was.not aware of it at' the t i m e af my exper&ment, B. 8 . Andrzedewskl had ,cai.ried'out the same e x p e r m t about *fifteen-years.earlier with'an~therinformant and, had come to.the same ...., conclusi.oas. . , . . . . . 34. Margaret ~a&&ce, 8' 2+ee For Poverty: Sorn2d.i Poetry and Prose, ( ~ a i r o b l : The Eagle Press, 1954), p. 7. .
r
i
35. Haweey~., Panegyric hame,'mqiuiing h he Best-me-Of-W." *
36. %adheedh. A be&
war.. ,
a
.
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~ a m eof
busd, .either.&rdia. ghwaf or cordia ovalis. --
a Soyai,,iettlenici*t
,
.
,
i n *the iewd in Ethiopia. 1
..
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38.
The Gaaroodi Plain.
41.
i .e. One cannot escape t h e clutches of love any more than one can e s c a p the grave.
42.
~ e n 6Wellek and Austin Warren, Theory of Uterature (London : Jonathan Cam, 19491, p* 72.
A plain south of Burco in northern Somalia.
