Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame 'Hadrawi'
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame 'Hadrawi' is a prominent Somali
poet
and songwriter
.
Hadraawi is considered by many to be the greatest living Somali poet. Born in northern Somalia (the present self-declared Republic of Somaliland) in 1943.
Some have compared Hadraawi to Shakespeare and his works have been translated internationally. During the years of General Mohamed Siyad Barre's dictatorship that ended in 1991, he was locked-up in solitary confinement for five years. “My poems were against the regime at that time,” he said.
, a town situated in the northeastern Togdheer
region of Somaliland
. His family was poor and consisted of one girl and eight boys. In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemen
i port city of Aden
. There, Warsame began attending a local school where he received the nickname "Hadrawi" (Abu Hadra), a pseudonym
by which he is now popularly known. In 1963 he became a primary school teacher.
, the nation's capital, and began working for Radio Mogadiscio. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at Lafoole (Afgooye) University. He also worked for the government's Department of Information.
Aside from the love lyrics (one of which is the poem translated here), he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and critic of the then military regime in Somalia. Imprisoned between 1973 and 1978.
In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem Siinley and the play Tawaawac ("Lament"), both of which were critical of the military government that was then in power. For this dissent, he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Qansax Dheere until April 1978.
division of the Academy of Science, Arts, and Literature in Somalia. when he joined the opposition Somali National Movement based in Ethiopia. He was a very powerful voice in the ensuing years of civil war and the repressive military regime, and continues to be a very important poet commenting on the predicament the Somalis face.
Hadrawi relocated to Great Britain
in 1991. During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe
and North America
to participate in folklore
and poetry
festivals.
In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his native Somalia, this time settling in Hargeisa
. The following year, the mayor of Chicago
invited him to participate in the latter city's Millennium Festival.
Hadrawi now lives in Burco, and has reportedly made the pilgrimage to Mecca
(hajj
).
“Poems and not just recited for their own sake, there must be a purpose.”
(Jacayl Dhiig ma lagu Qoray)
Has love been blood-written
has marrow yet
been poured for it
a person peeled
the skin from their back or ribs
has expression of this
been offered in flesh
cut from the cheeks
has blood been extracted
its colour still red
uncoagulated
been scooped from the arteries
poured into a milk vessel
have two people offered it
one to the other
as they would fresh milk
have they shared it happily
time-separated in spirit
in body as by a thorn fence
sworn to each other
one morning have two
after first soaking rain
the damp mist dense
in an unpeopled place
where apart from the trees
nothing stirred
become aware
of each other's rustle
did that true meeting
seem a vision to them
brought by love's plight
or its mirage
from time to time
as if suddenly waking
out of a dream
did their speech
desiring utterance
pass from a mouth
if just a howl
did words elude them
was the situation soured by this
did spots of ceaseless rain
emotion's tears
spill from their eyes
did it soak their clothes
did they sweat compassion
disoriented with but
a stutter of movement
they were stuck
each time a word
no link with others
lacking substance
limped out alone
was it ten days later
their tongue and palate
found strength for it
but they are born for success
of equal standing
parted for so long
did they greet one another
exchanging stories
did each for their part
pass on the trials
sustained through their love
did they read the message
exchange the news
love was a food store
which when it was heated
with charcoal and fire
the glowing embers
of emotions stirred
did they fill a large pot
time after time
drag the enclosure's
night-time gate
each one with tender eyes
seeing nothing harmed the other
did they listen thus
for a whole year
did the talking end
did they then spend
half a day
in this silent way
as the daylight fell
from their staring gaze
their inflamed thoughts
did they pass that night
like the camel herders
in nocturnal endurance
of cold and dark
difficulties bringing illness
did the dawn then glow
and the sun call out
approaching each other
not crossing the boundary
of mores and modesty
longing for a balm
with a mere forearm
between them did they stand
bodies held straight
opposite each other
avoiding the step
of moving closer
resisting the play-touch
the youthful way
the taste glimpsed
in the distance
did they just behold each other
through their eyes
they stood on the spot
each one gazing
standing upright
did it last a thousand nights
the legs of the termite
emerged from the earth
breaking the surface skin
did is peel their bodies
consume the flesh
did it wound the veins
pass to the nerves
persisting
to the very inside of the bone
the bad news
it places in you
that you look on with fear
is the trials and your death
did they welcome it
with their whole body and a smile
there's a flower which blooms
after morning's compassion
has refreshed it with dew
it brings forth a red liquid
for the mouth to sip
its stamen and stigma
entwine like a rope
was it this they exchanged
offering as a legacy
did they present it to taste
as the last earthly food of love
did they place at the other's ear
the word which was missing
the termite gathered up
sand and detritus
forming clay diligently
rendering and plastering
did it transform those two
did a building arise
did it mould from them
a structure of wonder
a lofty termite mound
famed for its thickness and strength
roaming in the sun-heat
of daytime did people
in the dry season grazing lands
rest in its shade
then move away in the evening
unaware of the reality
of the story that deep inside
this shady backbone support
two souls await the outcome of truth
if self sacrifice is not made
the breath of life not exchanged
if one does not wait
for an enduring legacy
the building of a house upright
children and earthly sustenance
then the kisses and intentions
are nothing but superficial
a poison sipped to satisfaction
in that one same moment
like hyenas snatching
a girl of good repute
as they hide themselves
in the higlo tree
to pounce out quickly
each man is expectant
for what will fall to him
a hyena and his grave hole
the honour he has trampled
the modesty he has snatched
the lying illusion
this does society harm
did he strive for the highest level
of fulfilment of love
that closest to honour
or is something still missing.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Hadraawi is considered by many to be the greatest living Somali poet. Born in northern Somalia (the present self-declared Republic of Somaliland) in 1943.
Some have compared Hadraawi to Shakespeare and his works have been translated internationally. During the years of General Mohamed Siyad Barre's dictatorship that ended in 1991, he was locked-up in solitary confinement for five years. “My poems were against the regime at that time,” he said.
Early life
Hadraawi was born in 1943, in BurcoBurco
Burao is the capital city of the Togdheer province in Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. In terms of population, it is the second largest city in Somaliland after Hargeisa.-History:...
, a town situated in the northeastern Togdheer
Togdheer
Togdheer is an administrative region in northwestern Somalia. It lies in the territory of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Overview:...
region of Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
. His family was poor and consisted of one girl and eight boys. In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i port city of Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. There, Warsame began attending a local school where he received the nickname "Hadrawi" (Abu Hadra), a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
by which he is now popularly known. In 1963 he became a primary school teacher.
Return to Somalia
After Somalia gained its independence, Hadrawi relocated from Aden to MogadishuMogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, the nation's capital, and began working for Radio Mogadiscio. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at Lafoole (Afgooye) University. He also worked for the government's Department of Information.
Aside from the love lyrics (one of which is the poem translated here), he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and critic of the then military regime in Somalia. Imprisoned between 1973 and 1978.
In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem Siinley and the play Tawaawac ("Lament"), both of which were critical of the military government that was then in power. For this dissent, he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Qansax Dheere until April 1978.
Somali National Movement
Following his release from prison in 1978, Hadrawi became the director of the artsARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
division of the Academy of Science, Arts, and Literature in Somalia. when he joined the opposition Somali National Movement based in Ethiopia. He was a very powerful voice in the ensuing years of civil war and the repressive military regime, and continues to be a very important poet commenting on the predicament the Somalis face.
Hadrawi relocated to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1991. During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to participate in folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
festivals.
In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his native Somalia, this time settling in Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
. The following year, the mayor of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
invited him to participate in the latter city's Millennium Festival.
Hadrawi now lives in Burco, and has reportedly made the pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
(hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
).
Contributions to popular music
Besides volumes of poems and dozens of plays, Hadrawi has participated in numerous collaborations with popular vocal artists. His lyrical corpus includes:- Baladweyn - song performed by Hasan Adan SamatarHasan Adan SamatarHasan Adan Samatar is a prominent Somali singer, guitarist and theatrical performer.-Biography:Samatar was born to an artistic family in Dinsoor, Somalia in 1953. He grew up in Baidoa, where he attended primary and elementary schools...
in 1974 - Saxarlaay ha Fududaan - sung by the late Mohamed Mooge LiibaanMohamed Mooge LiibaanMohammed Mooge Liibaan was a prominent Somali instrumentalist and vocalist.-History:Mooge was born in Somalia. A member of the Waaberi musical ensemble, he started singing at an early age with his brother, Ahmad Mooge Liibaan...
- Jacayl Dhiig ma Lagu Qoraa? - sung by MagoolMagoolMagool , born Halima Khaliif Omar , was a Somali singer.-Early years:Magool was born in the city of Dhusa Mareb, the capital of the Galgaduud region in central Somalia. She had four siblings....
, and later translated by Hanna Barket as "Is Love Written in Blood?" or "Do You Write Love in Blood?". Another translation of the song by the British linguist and Somali StudiesSomali StudiesSomali Studies is the scholarly term for research concerning Somalis and Somalia. It consists of several disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, linguistics, historiography and archaeology...
doyen Martin OrwinMartin OrwinMartin Orwin is a British linguist, scholar and writer, specializing in the languages and cultures of the Horn of Africa.-Biography:Orwin studied Arabic and Amharic and has a Ph.D. in the phonology of the Somali language...
is "Has Love Been Blood-written?".
His Words
“Somali poems are not just entertainment. They frequently use allegory and myth to talk about sensitive issues of politics, clan and conflict.“Poems and not just recited for their own sake, there must be a purpose.”
Poem
Has love been blood-written(Jacayl Dhiig ma lagu Qoray)
Has love been blood-written
has marrow yet
been poured for it
a person peeled
the skin from their back or ribs
has expression of this
been offered in flesh
cut from the cheeks
has blood been extracted
its colour still red
uncoagulated
been scooped from the arteries
poured into a milk vessel
have two people offered it
one to the other
as they would fresh milk
have they shared it happily
time-separated in spirit
in body as by a thorn fence
sworn to each other
one morning have two
after first soaking rain
the damp mist dense
in an unpeopled place
where apart from the trees
nothing stirred
become aware
of each other's rustle
did that true meeting
seem a vision to them
brought by love's plight
or its mirage
from time to time
as if suddenly waking
out of a dream
did their speech
desiring utterance
pass from a mouth
if just a howl
did words elude them
was the situation soured by this
did spots of ceaseless rain
emotion's tears
spill from their eyes
did it soak their clothes
did they sweat compassion
disoriented with but
a stutter of movement
they were stuck
each time a word
no link with others
lacking substance
limped out alone
was it ten days later
their tongue and palate
found strength for it
but they are born for success
of equal standing
parted for so long
did they greet one another
exchanging stories
did each for their part
pass on the trials
sustained through their love
did they read the message
exchange the news
love was a food store
which when it was heated
with charcoal and fire
the glowing embers
of emotions stirred
did they fill a large pot
time after time
drag the enclosure's
night-time gate
each one with tender eyes
seeing nothing harmed the other
did they listen thus
for a whole year
did the talking end
did they then spend
half a day
in this silent way
as the daylight fell
from their staring gaze
their inflamed thoughts
did they pass that night
like the camel herders
in nocturnal endurance
of cold and dark
difficulties bringing illness
did the dawn then glow
and the sun call out
approaching each other
not crossing the boundary
of mores and modesty
longing for a balm
with a mere forearm
between them did they stand
bodies held straight
opposite each other
avoiding the step
of moving closer
resisting the play-touch
the youthful way
the taste glimpsed
in the distance
did they just behold each other
through their eyes
they stood on the spot
each one gazing
standing upright
did it last a thousand nights
the legs of the termite
emerged from the earth
breaking the surface skin
did is peel their bodies
consume the flesh
did it wound the veins
pass to the nerves
persisting
to the very inside of the bone
the bad news
it places in you
that you look on with fear
is the trials and your death
did they welcome it
with their whole body and a smile
there's a flower which blooms
after morning's compassion
has refreshed it with dew
it brings forth a red liquid
for the mouth to sip
its stamen and stigma
entwine like a rope
was it this they exchanged
offering as a legacy
did they present it to taste
as the last earthly food of love
did they place at the other's ear
the word which was missing
the termite gathered up
sand and detritus
forming clay diligently
rendering and plastering
did it transform those two
did a building arise
did it mould from them
a structure of wonder
a lofty termite mound
famed for its thickness and strength
roaming in the sun-heat
of daytime did people
in the dry season grazing lands
rest in its shade
then move away in the evening
unaware of the reality
of the story that deep inside
this shady backbone support
two souls await the outcome of truth
if self sacrifice is not made
the breath of life not exchanged
if one does not wait
for an enduring legacy
the building of a house upright
children and earthly sustenance
then the kisses and intentions
are nothing but superficial
a poison sipped to satisfaction
in that one same moment
like hyenas snatching
a girl of good repute
as they hide themselves
in the higlo tree
to pounce out quickly
each man is expectant
for what will fall to him
a hyena and his grave hole
the honour he has trampled
the modesty he has snatched
the lying illusion
this does society harm
did he strive for the highest level
of fulfilment of love
that closest to honour
or is something still missing.