Dhabeel Perfection

Dhabeel

Dhawaaq gabay Cabdow waayadan, waanigii dhigaye
Ma dhaqaajin maansooyinkii, dhumucda weynaaye,
In kastoon dhab uga aammusoon, daayay dhihiddiisa
Wax uun dhiigga kiciyaa jiroo, dhibay naftaydiiye,
Aan kuu dhambalo waayada waad, i dhursugeyseene.
 
Dheddiggaba dhammaantii haddaan, dheehdey badankooda
Haddii aan dhexmaray suuqyadoon, dumarka dhuudhaafay
Kolkii aan dhankaas iyo dhankaas, xaafadaha dhaafay
Waxaan dhugasho eegaba markaan, dhiirri ugu meerey
Anigoo ka soo dhoofayoon, helin mid dhaydaas ah
Ayuun bay dharaar soo mudh tidhi, dhoolla-quruxleeye.
 
Dhererkeedu waa meel dhexaad, dhumucna buuxdaaye
Dhabankeedu waa curub intuu, dhiibsanyahay nuurka
Dhaqaaq socodka miisanka wacan, dheelli laga waaye
Dharka xidhadka hubqaadkay haween, quruxda dhaafsiisay
Waa dhal awliyaad odhanaysaa, dhaabbadday tahaye.
 
Cid dhibtiyo cid dhiiftiyo ma arag, cadow dhirbaaxdiiye
Cid dhiiddiyo cid dhalandhoolisiyo, dhoohne laga rowye
Dhakafaar cid gaadhsiisa iyo, nacab umay dhixine
Wali waa dhallaan oo goshii, hooydaw dhab ahe
Dhulkii ay ku dhalatay xarrago, laafya dhufataaye
Dhigashada tacliintay duruus, buug ku dhurataaye
Faralkuna ma dhaafiyo sujuud, Eebbe loo dhigiye
Dhawrsanaanta edebteeda wacan, waan la dhaygagaye
Mid u dhiganta lama uumin oo, dhaar anaa maraye.
 
Haddaan dhinaca sharafteeda wacan, dhegaha kuu miiso;
Hibo waa dhammeeysaye hablaha, taan ka dhawrtaba'e,
Hooyo fiira-dheer baa dhashoo, dhawrtay magaceeda
Dhiirrane waa aabbaheed oo, lama-dhaqaajaan ah
Reer dhammays ah bay leedahoo, toonsan dhinaceeda
Waa miduu Ilaahay dhildhilay, dheeha-quruxleeye
Waa middaa xishoodkii dhammaa, laabta loo dhigaye
Waa mid aan irdaha dhaafin oo, suuqa dhalahyeyne.
 
Reer dhaqasho way leedihiyo, guri dhiskiisiiye
Dhabeel weeye gaariya yartani, mid an la dhaafayne
Siday dhamastu geedaha ku tay, dumar wax dheertaaye
Waa qof lagu dhintaa loo dhintaa, lala dhammeeyaaye
Dhimashada horteed waa inaan, yarad ka dhiibaaye.
 
Nimuu caashaq dhuuxiisa galay, waw dhutinayaaye
Waa u dhiigyaraan ruux jacayl, dhibay naftiisiiye
 
Dhaqaaq-joogsi baan aawadeed, dhagaxda jiidhaaye
Ka dhuyaalay soortii darteed, dhuuni iyo oone
Nimuu dhimirku noolyaan ahoo, dhaawac weyn qaba'e
Dhididkaan tiraa goor dadkaba, dhaxani haysaaye
Dhalcadaan intaa duurayaa, duhur dharaareede
Ninkii hadal mar dhaafsaday warkani, wuu u dhacayaaye.
 
Inta aanan Dhammayseey aroos, dhiibsan kugu hoynnin
Inta aan caweys loo dhanyahay, dhaanto la ciyaarin
Dhugta sacabka dheel iyo mashxarad, laga dhawaaqsiinnin
Dhallaankeenna oo koray durduro, dhababacaynaynnin,
Allow aan god lay dhigin xabaal, dhinaca lay jiifin!
 

Gabay jacayl ah

09/10/2009

Perfection

I've been deaf to the call of the gabay for some time;
I've not been moved to compose a deep poem.
Truly I've been silent: I have stopped reciting.
There's only one thing that unsettles me and rouses my blood -
Let me tell you the news you've been waiting to here.
 
I've looked at a great number of women -
there are those who've caught my eye as I strolled through the market.
As I wandered through the neighbourhood this way and that 
I looked around me with hope and expectation
but as I braced myself to leave empty-handed
a smiling young woman appeared out of the blue.
 
Perfectly proportioned with glowing cheeks
she walks and moves with balance and grace;
her dress sense surpasses that of all other women
and she carries herself like the child of a saint.
She's never been struck by an enemy's hand nor by the harshness of life.
Protected and nurtured by her mother,
she walks gracefully through the streets where she was born.
Fond of learning, she does well at her studies
and is always attentive when she prays.
I felt astonished how her bearing defended her from harm.
And I swear that no one else like her has ever been born.
 
Let me tell you some more of what makes her so special.
Hibo is the very best woman that I've ever seen.
Her mother's foresight has protected her good name and honour.
Her father is a principled man who has shown great courage.
And her respected, tight-knit family stands at her side.
God gave her slenderness and a flawless character.
She is modest and she never strays.
 
Capable of building a home and raising a family,
this woman is complete and cannot be surpassed.
She stands out from other women like the dhamas tree* soars above the
                                                                       rest.
You'd die with her, you'd die for her and forever you'd be with her.
And before death claims me, I must make her mine.
 
When the marrow of a man is infected by love, he staggers.
When a man is troubled by love, it drains him.
Because of her I am distracted and I stumble.
Because of her I neither eat nor drink.
Although my mind functions, it's seriously wounded.
I sweat profusely while other people shiver.
When everyone's sleeping I walk out into the midday sun.
One word from Hibo would make you understand.
 
Perfection: only when I've built a home for you,
only when everyone has danced at our wedding,
only when the sounds of clapping and dancing and ululating have been
                                                                     heard,
only when our children grow up and run around,
only then, oh Allah, strike me down.
 

This was the first time we’ve worked on a literal translation produced by participants at one of our community workshops. The literal version of ‘Perfection’ was produced – after much lively discussion – during a workshop for Somali speakers led by Maxamed Xasan ‘Alto’. As with that workshop, we were very lucky that the poet, Faysal Aw-Cabdi Axmed, was able to join us.

The workshop opened with Alto and Faysal explaining the conventions of the gabay to us. This is one of the most important forms in Somali verse. If you look at the Somali original, even if you don’t speak Somali you can instantly tell that the poem is based on alliteration, in this case on the letters ‘dh’ which always appear twice in a line, much in the way that alliteration functioned in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) verse.

If you’ve ever wondered what Somali culture demands of its womenfolk, this poem exhaustively elaborates their virtues.

* We had a detailed description from Faysal of what the dhamas tree looks like. Here’s a link to it on Wikipedia and here it is on a stamp from the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen found by Alto.

Perfection

I've set aside the call of the gabay these days
I haven't been moved to compose poems of a meaningful depth
Even though I've truly been silent
There is just one thing that stirs my blood and troubles my soul
Let me reveal the anticipated news.
 
I've observed most women in general
Women I've come to gaze at while I stroll through the market
As I wondered in this and that direction in the neighbourhood
As I've surveyed with motivation and optimism
As I've prepared to depart from my desired one
A beautiful smiling young woman just showed up one day of the blue.
 
She is of medium height and modest stature
Her tender cheeks full of glow
She walks and moves with grace and purpose
Her sense of dress has surpassed all other women
The sort of character she is, you say that she is a Saint's child.
 
She never faced any inconvenience, harm or an enemy's blow with the palm of
         his hand
Nor has she been struck by the harshness of life
Nor injustice, anguish, harsh treatment, life's blow and enemy's encounter
She is been well-sheltered, nurtured by her mother
She is still walking gracefully with elegance in her native place
She acquires knowledge by learning and attending school
She is attentive and mindful of her religious duties
I admired her with amazement how her good manners defended her from danger
I swear to Allah that nothing like her is been brought into existence.
 
If I tell you something about her distinctive honour
Hibo is the best of all women to whom I've paid close attention to
She has a mother with profound foresight for her future and who kept her in high
         esteem and protects her good name
She has a courageous and principled father who senses danger
She has a perfect family with reputation and standing closely by her side
Allah made her slim and given a very high standard of character
She shows a quality of being modest not overly high opinion of her self
She never departs from home or wonders around without any clear destination.
 
She has the ability to build a home and maintain a family
This young woman is complete, she can't be surpassed
She stands out amongst women, as the dhamas stands higher than other trees
You'd die with her, you'd die for her, and forever you'd be with her
Before death overcomes me, she must be mine.
 
A man, whose marrow is penetrated by love, staggers because of it
A person who's troubled by love, is drained by it
Because of her I am absent-minded and I stumble
Because of her I have given up food, substance and water
Although my brain is still functioning, I am severely wounded
I wipe my sweat while others feel the cold
Others sleep at noon but I walk under the heat of the midday sun
Any man who speaks to her even once would understand what I mean.
 
Oh Perfection, not until I have made a home for you through a perfect wedding
Not until everyone dances dhaanto in a complete gathering
Not until the sound of clapping, dancing and ululating is sounded from there
Not until our babies grow and run about
Not until then, oh Allah put me in the grave or make me ill.
 

Original Poem by

Faysal Aw-Cabdi Axmed

Translated by

The Poetry Translation Workshop with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Somali

Country

Somalia/Somaliland