Article: A Nation’s Literary Death Tops Its Political Demise

[Hales]

An interesting article ive come across that talks about Somali society and the affects civil war is bringing

 

The quote below is just a small portion the rest of the article could be read in the link.

 

After eighteen years of civil war and related social cataclysms, the international community knows only too well Somalia‟s demise as a nation-state. What the world doesn‟t know–a far greater calamity than the political collapse–relates to Somalia‟s other loss–the loss of her literary soul as a direct result of years of relentless violence and random anarchy. Once upon a time, Somalia was known as a nation of poets whose poetic heritage was intimately connected with the people‟s daily lives. In particular, foreign students of Somali language and culture used to remark, often in astonished tones, on the pervasive, sometimes sinister, influence of poetry and poetic arts on Somali life and lore. Typical of these observers of the Somali literary scene was the peripatetic romantic British traveler, Richard (later Sir Richard) Burton, who visited the Somali coast of Zayla‟ and city of Harar in 1854, disguised as a Muslim holy man named al-Hajj Abdallah. Burton wrought a number of subterfuges on the unsuspecting Somalis, one of which was to con them into appointing him as imam (Friday prayer leader), as well as their spiritual guide and all-purpose mentor. The eccentric Englishman distilled his Somali experiences into a book that, not without self-aggrandizement, he entitled: First Footsteps in East Africa. (Someday when I grow up I should want to write a tome entitled First Footsteps in America as a payback to Burton and his spiritual offspring, the supercilious Americans!) Burton‟s condescending outlook notwithstanding, he expressed notable respect for Somali culture, especially the “Natives‟” keen cultivation of the poetic arts. He observed with a note of astonishment: The country teems with „poets‟... Every man has his recognized position in literature as accurately defined as though he had been reviewed in a century of magazines–the fine ear of this people causing them to take the greatest pleasure in harmonious sounds and poetic expressions, whereas a false quantity or prosaic phrase excites their violent indignation ... Every chief in the country must have a panegyric to be sung by his clan, and the great patronize light literature by keeping a poet. (Burton 82) Burton‟s judgment has been echoed over the years by other observers of the Somali cultural landscape, namely M. Maino, Magaret Laurence, B. W. Andrzejewski and I. M. Lewis, and John Johnson.

 

http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/May/17_Literary_death_samatar.pdf

 

 

The second link has nothing to do with the first, just a timeline for the civil war, you might want to have a look at.

 

http://www.lajiide.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47%3Asomali-civil-war-timeline&c atid=34%3Awararkalajiide&Itemid=1

[Hales]

The Editor exclusively ony talks about poetry and the culture of Somalias and he mentions the civil war when delving deep into the effects of poetry.

 

Theres also alot of Abdullah Muhammed hassans poems

 

Is Minilik of your kindred that you should sing praises to him? As for the cruising ships of the infidels: Know ye not they are but Allah‟s brief providence to the misguided?

 

If glorious were the infidels, they‟d not be destined to perdition, The things they invent, and the wealth they amass are but their damnation, And the ingenious artifacts their abominable foretaste of ultimate perdition.

 

This reveling in material things brought the mighty Pharaoh down. If the meaning of the prayer-mat moving you across the sea escapes your unbelieving mind... Consider: your origin, the very first day when you were created, In the darkness of the womb, the Lord protected thee.

 

Miraculous was your place of origin! You came into the world by the will of Allah, O, mindless one, make a reflection on this, Speak not ill of the Sayyid, O brainless one, lest this leads you to Hell, The ways of the saints, you fool, are dark to you, And do not take him (the Sayyid) lightly,

(Samatar “Literary War” 159).

[Hales]

Mandhow, saddex lama aamino: Geelaaga jire, Gasiinkaaga cune, Iyo gurigaaga jooge. My son, three do not trust: He who tends your camels, He who eats (or prepares) your dish, And he who grows up in your household. (Samatar “Literary War” 173).

 

 

A liar I despise A miser I despise And I despise him who eats polluted food.

 

A tobacco-chewer I despise I despise compulsiveness in men And fat without strength.

 

I despise an uncourageous man Of small lineage I despise a tool that doesn‟t obey its user... A white man‟s peon I despise

[Hales]

The uncontrollable man–he who‟d seek Minilik in battle, Who says:

 

“with my sword I‟ll smite the Abyssinians,” Who says: “I will give you the Habar herds as booty,” Who‟d weave lies around us, Who‟d take away our minds as if we were brainless camels... The uncontrollable man–he who‟d seek Minilik in battle, Who says:

 

“with my sword I‟ll smite the Abyssinians,” Who says: “I will give you the Habar herds as booty,” Who‟d weave lies around us, Who‟d take away our minds as if we were brainless camels...

[Hales]

I despise his houseboy And I despise him who submits to his sway. An unjust king I despise A flag without an army I despise And a city without rule I despise.

 

 

In addition to its value as the literary and aesthetic embodiment of the community, Somali poetry is a principal medium of mass communication, playing a role similar to that of the press and television in Western societies.

Somali poets, like Western journalists and newspapermen, thus have a great deal to say about politics and the acquisition of political power. Because it is the language and the vehicle of politics, the verse which Somali poets produce is an important source of Somali history, just as the printed and televised word performs a similar function in the West. It is the duty, for example, of the pastoral poet to compose verse on all important clan events and to express and formalize the dominant issues of the age – in short, to record and immortalize the history of his people. And since the poet‟s talents are employed not only to give expression to a private emotion but also to address vital community concerns, his verse reflects the feelings, thoughts and actions of his age.

[Jacaylbaro]

Just don't miss the timely response to this:

 

Is Said Samatar Mourning The Death Of Somali Literature Or The Death Of His Views On Somali Literature?

[Hales]

Jacaylbaro, Nacaybbaro maa isku badashay, yaah

 

I dont agree with Samatars view that Somalia poetry has died with the civil war.

Which is why i mainly concentrated on posting some of the more prominent poems of Sayid.

 

Proffessor Samatar caadi ma aha wuxu qoray, what he wrote is always up for debate.

[Hales]

Said Samatar shows his bias against Somaliland when he claims that the Somali civil war started in 1991 when in fact it started a decade earlier. He also does not mention any of the literature that was produced during the SNM struggle in the 1980s, other than a passing reference to Hadrawi, Gaariye and Qasim. The fact that he has ignored the literature of this period, even though it fits his notion of purposive violence, shows that he is guided by an extra-literary agenda.

 

rall, if Said Samatar’s approach to Somali history and literature could be summed up, it is one based on downplaying of Somaliland’s place in the Somali literary map, exaggerating the role of some marginal figures such as Muhammad Daahir Afrah, Lidwien Kapteijns, Muhammad A. Riiraash, and the handing over of Somaliland’s literature to Somalia. One of these, Lidwien Kapteijns, even wrote a whole book on Somaliland’s literature (Women’s voices in a man’s world) without bothering to mention that as she was collecting material for her book in neighboring Djibouti,

 

You like him because of this.

[Hales]

Wait..... :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

SOMALILAND TIMES

 

 

War baX!!!

get out of my thread you! :mad:

[Jacaylbaro]

Actually I quite agree with Samatar on this one looking at the geographical scope when we say "SOMALIA" ,,,,,

 

 

If he wants to talk about the SOMALI literature in general ,,, then he miserably failed to address the issue ,,,,,, Somaliland, NFD, Somali Galbeed and Djibouti are all missing here.

[Hales]

Somalia represents all these regions for him, and most of the poetry and article were pre-civil war times.

Yaa Nacaybbaro

[Jacaylbaro]

He didn't say so .... so i'll leave it there.

[Hales]

i Dont think he had an agenda or bias towards any region in Somalia.

 

The poems themselfes were randomly compiled in his article to show the rich poetry Somalia contained and he linked it with the civil war.

Many of them came from Sayid leader who was an Ogd.

I think your missing the purpose of the article, it wasn about collecting poems.

 

Dont be fooled by the title of the article, after reading the article fully its not in the context you think it is.

[Hales]

The country teems with „poets‟... Every man has his recognized position in literature as accurately defined as though he had been reviewed in a century of magazines–the fine ear of this people causing them to take the greatest pleasure in harmonious sounds and poetic expressions, whereas a false quantity or prosaic phrase excites their violent indignation ... Every chief in the country must have a panegyric to be sung by his clan, and the great patronize light literature by keeping a poet. (Burton 82)

[Hales]

I think this is something good to mention from the article, not remarkable by international standards but still good.

 

 

Economist reports that stateless Somalia outperforms in GDP per person(and therefore presumably in standard of living) the neighboring states of Ethiopia and Eritrea! (“A Hint of Hope”)

 

I think sadly though much of this wealth is most likely concentrated in the North - west and North east.

 

THe standard of living in the North must be among the best in the Horn or even East Africa.