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An Anthology of Somali Poetry
"This is a fascinating and unusual collection that deserves attention." --Bloomsbury Review
..". this anthology of poetry is a breath of fresh air. It provides the reader with the means of gaining a deeper insight into Somali life through what is to the Somalis their most important cultural form, namely, poetry." --Bulletin of the School of Irental & African Studies
"This affordable and beautifully produced book is a small jewel in the field of Somali studies, as it is the fruit of over forty years of dedicated linguistic and literary scholarship by one of the most thorough and accurate translators and analysts of Somali poetry, B. W. Andrzejewski." --International Journal of African Historical Studies
Somalia has been called "a nation of poets." This volume makes available in beautiful English translation the very best, and most universal, of Somali poetry, from the 19th century to the present. With appendixes covering the oral and written medium, the pronunciation of Somali words, alliteration and scansion, selected bibliography, and sources.
..". this anthology of poetry is a breath of fresh air. It provides the reader with the means of gaining a deeper insight into Somali life through what is to the Somalis their most important cultural form, namely, poetry." --Bulletin of the School of Irental & African Studies
"This affordable and beautifully produced book is a small jewel in the field of Somali studies, as it is the fruit of over forty years of dedicated linguistic and literary scholarship by one of the most thorough and accurate translators and analysts of Somali poetry, B. W. Andrzejewski." --International Journal of African Historical Studies
Somalia has been called "a nation of poets." This volume makes available in beautiful English translation the very best, and most universal, of Somali poetry, from the 19th century to the present. With appendixes covering the oral and written medium, the pronunciation of Somali words, alliteration and scansion, selected bibliography, and sources.
111 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1993
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December 9, 2011 I read for a lot of reasons, but sometimes it is for the sake of a field trip, because I can't afford to go all the places and meet all the people I'd like to. I liked this book because of the sensory detail that is inherent in poetry--I can taste sour milk, feel the unbearable sun, and I'm right there with them.
Occasionally these poets get too...too male, I guess, and too predictable with their beautiful women and fine camels and glorious battles. But there are moments when I feel very close to the poet who writes,
"No longer do men who are bound together by ties of birth
Feel for each other the compassion and sympathy of old
And between two brothers born from one mother's womb
Loyalty no longer holds.
O Everlasting God, what will come next?
This must be the last era of the world!
(Ismaaciil Mire, 1860-1951)
Every generation thinks it can't get any worse. Iscmaaciil Mire is probably my favorite poet here, even outshining the famous lovelorn Cilmi Bowndheri. And while I laughed like crazy at his soulful address to a motor vehicle ("Listen, O Truck, you who are almost ready to depart..."), I ended feeling touched by the message to his dying nephew.
As with all oral traditions that have been written down, this is not the way these poems were meant to be experienced. It's a translation. Some of the beauty of the language is gone, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it and wonder about it. It's sort of like finding a piece of clothing in a secondhand store that would fit you perfectly, except that it was worn for so long by somebody else.
Occasionally these poets get too...too male, I guess, and too predictable with their beautiful women and fine camels and glorious battles. But there are moments when I feel very close to the poet who writes,
"No longer do men who are bound together by ties of birth
Feel for each other the compassion and sympathy of old
And between two brothers born from one mother's womb
Loyalty no longer holds.
O Everlasting God, what will come next?
This must be the last era of the world!
(Ismaaciil Mire, 1860-1951)
Every generation thinks it can't get any worse. Iscmaaciil Mire is probably my favorite poet here, even outshining the famous lovelorn Cilmi Bowndheri. And while I laughed like crazy at his soulful address to a motor vehicle ("Listen, O Truck, you who are almost ready to depart..."), I ended feeling touched by the message to his dying nephew.
As with all oral traditions that have been written down, this is not the way these poems were meant to be experienced. It's a translation. Some of the beauty of the language is gone, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it and wonder about it. It's sort of like finding a piece of clothing in a secondhand store that would fit you perfectly, except that it was worn for so long by somebody else.
November 15, 2021
This is one of the best anthologies on Somali poetry available in the English language and Andrzejewski is well known to Somalis as Goosh, he is seen as a friendly voice within Somali studies. The only negative is that the book does not have the original Somali text accompanying the English translation. This would have helped Somali language students and enthusiasts abundantly.
December 23, 2014
A very interesting collection, however some of the poems towards the beginning were quite boring in terms of their content (mostly about camel rustling and horses). I am sure these are great in their original language but for me the translated versions weren't too interesting. Towards the end of the book though, which is loosely chronological the poems begin to get more interesting. The work of Cilmi Bowndheri I enjoyed, it mostly revolved around his love for a woman named Hodon who was engaged to another man. The poem'In Praise of Weris' (p.67)by Cumar Xuseen 'Ostreeliya' was also good, and about a woman, I particularly like this quote: " A man who has gazed on her for even one hour/ Will need no other joy until he enters paradise". Possibly the best poem in the book is 'The Serpent'(p.79) by Muuse xaaji Ismaacil Galaal, (it is actually an extract from a collection of traditional stories). In which a man seeks the help of a snake to predict the future for a sultan, the message of the story seems to be that people can only act in the context of their surroundings, and as such people should be forgiven for their wrongdoings. Seems quite nice.
October 25, 2022
I grieve over my sorrow like a young girl
Whose mother has gone to rest in the other world
And whose father has brought home another wife
And made the girl sleep at the entrance of the new wife's hut.
–Raage Ugaas, p. 9
Fascinating collection of poetry from some of Somalia's respected poets. Andrzejewski notes in the introduction that all the poets included here are men, not because women do not write poetry worthy of inclusion—obviously they do—but because women's poetry is not likely to have as far a reach or necessarily to be accessible to male researchers. I hope someone has, since the publication of this book, made some inroads there.
Unsurprisingly, the themes (especially in the earlier poems) lie heavily towards cattle, animals, marriage, etc. Some of what interests me most is in the notes, though, non in the poems: Andrzejewski helpfully includes some italicized context throughout some of the poems, especially useful for those of us who have no background in Somali poetry! Ditto the details about how Somali poetry is put together in its original, untranslated form—often heavy on alliteration, for example.
Somalia didn't see an official system of writing until 1972 (1), and it is fascinating to me that one of the poets in the book is described as the 'chief memorizer' for another poet (48). Andrzejewski writes in Appendix I of an unwritten copyright law. When a poet gave a public recital anyone was allowed to learn his poem by heart, but if the memorizer wished to recite that poem to another audience he was under a strict obligation to aim at verbatim memorization and to try his best to reproduce the text faithfully at each performance, for it was regarded as unethical to make wilful changes in the text (99). Between these, I have the impression of a culture for whom this oral tradition is both crucially important and deeply respected.
Whose mother has gone to rest in the other world
And whose father has brought home another wife
And made the girl sleep at the entrance of the new wife's hut.
–Raage Ugaas, p. 9
Fascinating collection of poetry from some of Somalia's respected poets. Andrzejewski notes in the introduction that all the poets included here are men, not because women do not write poetry worthy of inclusion—obviously they do—but because women's poetry is not likely to have as far a reach or necessarily to be accessible to male researchers. I hope someone has, since the publication of this book, made some inroads there.
Unsurprisingly, the themes (especially in the earlier poems) lie heavily towards cattle, animals, marriage, etc. Some of what interests me most is in the notes, though, non in the poems: Andrzejewski helpfully includes some italicized context throughout some of the poems, especially useful for those of us who have no background in Somali poetry! Ditto the details about how Somali poetry is put together in its original, untranslated form—often heavy on alliteration, for example.
Somalia didn't see an official system of writing until 1972 (1), and it is fascinating to me that one of the poets in the book is described as the 'chief memorizer' for another poet (48). Andrzejewski writes in Appendix I of an unwritten copyright law. When a poet gave a public recital anyone was allowed to learn his poem by heart, but if the memorizer wished to recite that poem to another audience he was under a strict obligation to aim at verbatim memorization and to try his best to reproduce the text faithfully at each performance, for it was regarded as unethical to make wilful changes in the text (99). Between these, I have the impression of a culture for whom this oral tradition is both crucially important and deeply respected.
August 28, 2017
A lovely collection of poetry by Somalis, most of which in some way involve their life in Somalia. However, the themes of friendship, loss, heartbreak, and others are universal. There are other poems that deal with things of which most Americans have no clue, like camels. There really was not one poem I did not like but my favorites were by Cilmi Bowndheri and Cali Jaamac Haabil. Highly recommend!
December 30, 2019
When my husband and I were visiting Somaliland, I found this book on the shelves of the guest house in which we were staying. It contains one of the most poignant lyrics, a poem (translated into English) written by the prominent Somali poet Ismail Mire Elmi (1878 to 1952).
July 8, 2024
Call the Camels! Call the Camels! A man who has reared no camels will always be a pauper!
September 28, 2024
Poetry in translation doesn't always keep its magic, and most of the poems were hard to relate to, speaking mostly of a culture so far removed from my own (they were mostly about camels)
January 8, 2022
A beautiful collection of Somali Poetry.
Pages about love, loss, strength and vision. The land of great poets.
Pages about love, loss, strength and vision. The land of great poets.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews