Elmi Bodheri as a Pure Poet! By Digaale

[Abdirahman Hassan Nur]

Elmi Bodheri as a pure poet by Abdi Ahmed Digale ( Digale)

 

Elmi Bodheri, was almost born in 1908 in the northwest region of Somalia, he particularly belonged to Hargeisa city where genealogical descendents and ancestors of his tribe and family are inhabitants. But, I am not going to deal here with his biographical sketch profoundly but to discuss about him as a pure poet man, Elmi Bodheri, was a prominent figure and pure poet in the Somali territory as his romance and sublime poems narrated extremely in Somali literature. Though, he was attributed to be the king of love while if his name is sounded every body will automatically think of love because of his miraculous and wonderful story related to his romance with Hodan, yet no doubt that he was a great Poet.

 

Many Somali famous poets and cultural philosophers employed his masterpiece words in their literary imaginative expressions, poems and lyrics. With his long remembrance era, he left behind extraordinary poems which are currently taught in Somali schools, his poems were inspired by tragic and horrific situation of his love with the mentioned lady, because the man produces poems in some reasons as feeling of love and other tensions in social aspects. Elmi Bodheri, was by nature both great dreamer and pure poet whose romantic impressive poems are available tremendously in Somali literature. The richness and quality of his artistic poetry are comparable to the famous poems produced by the most Somali prominent poets as Abdi Gahayr, Raage Ugaas, Salaan Arabey, Qawdhan Du’aale, Dayrwaa, yawle and Timacade.

 

He began, composing one of his best love poems in which he expressed and depicted his strong marriage ambition to Hodan while the story of his love became well known throughout Somali environmental areas. Though, I do not want to provide historical episode dealing with his biography in detail, yet it is necessary to take you back to the days of his legendary love story because the main source of his poems was his exceptional romance which finally ended in tragic era.Bodheri, faced lots of terrible life days during the era of his desirable marriage. On the other hand, he was alert with the Somali primitive feelings and sense towards open love incidents but he was forced by his unprecedented love episode.

 

Hence, in order to judge and evaluate the richness and sublimity of his different poems I narrated in here some lines from his romantic poems because it is impossible to discuss here his poetic wisdom in a small article.

 

Hadhka galay hurdadu weyxuntee, hohe maxaay seexshay

 

Bal inaan habaar qabo, maxaa Hodan iweydaarshay

 

Asleep at midday is evil, oh why did I fall asleep

 

Unless I am cursed, why I missed Hodan

 

 

Qaararkii Hodan

 

Haddii ay quruxi waxtari oo lagu qaboobaayo

 

Aniguba khadraan soo arkiyo, qaararkii hodane

 

Eebahay inaanu idin qatalin, qariya laabtiina

 

If the beauty could do some thing, and soothes the soul

 

I have already seen, Khadra,and shoulders of Hodan

 

Before Allah judges you, cover your chests

 

 

Hadimo

 

Sidii geel horweynoo waxbadan, hawdka miranaayey

 

Oo horo la soo joojiyo, kuraygu heegaayo

 

Kolkaad Hodan tidhaah daan, ayaan soo hinqanayaaye

 

Haday hawlyaraan idinlatahay, aniga wey hooge

 

Iyadoon xabaal lagu hamsiin, waanan kaa hadhine

 

As huge camels being grazed over time, in the jungle

 

And brought to a lake being controlled by lad

 

When you mention Hodan I wake up

 

If it is easy to you, for me is a sad

 

Till she is buried, I will not leave her

 

Therefore, Bodheri composed many interested poems of which he became more famous in Somali regions, here I could not explain whole the story of his romance era but I elaborate briefly the sublimity of his poems which made him to be as a pure poet where I have taken down some lines from his poems .you assume that I left some important days of his life but let me take you back shortly to the days of his love, while working a in bakery in Berbera city, a young lady of extraordinary beauty named Hodan entered into the bakery with the intention of buying some bread, she was a polite and pleasant woman belonging to a rich family, she greeted him with the phrase “good morning” then he immediately fell in love with her, but this episode ended I tragic situation that horrified every body who heard it.

 

On the other hand, he was alert with the Somali primitive feelings and sense towards open love incidents, but he was forced by his unprecedented love episode.

 

Source: http://togaherer.com /?p=1189

 

Abdirahman Hassan Nur

Islamabad, Pakistan.