Who discovered the Metrical Structure of Somali Poetry: Arale or Gaariye?

Who discovered the Metrical Structure of Somali Poetry: Arale or Gaariye?

By Dr Said Fahia

 The English Language On-line Dictionary defines discovery as the act of making something known or visible. Obtaining sight or knowledge of a thing for the first time is part of this definition. In agreement with this definition of discovery, in the last three years a large section of the Somali literati are consumed by who, for the first time, made the Scansion of Somali poetry known to the world. In answer to this question two academicians, Abdillahi Deria Arale (Arale) and Mohamed Hashi Dama (Gariye), have been recognized as the most deserving of this credit. Knowing that both of them contributed much to this field, the argument has shifted to whom of the two has made the initial discovery. In my humble opinion I tip the hat to Mr. Arale for discovering the scansion of Somali poetry. 

Arale and Gariye are great icons in Somali poetry. Each, in his way has deservedly built a reputation for research, creativity and academic excellence. Both of them taught at institutions of higher learning, but Arale authored many books while Gariye didn't. So, it is with great anguish that I am writing this article to render judgment on their respective claims to the discovery of the scansion of Somali poetry. 

Three personal concerns on my part come to the forefront as I delve into this argument about the discoverer of the scansion of Somali poetry. First, Gariye and Arale are old classmates/colleagues of mine at the Somali National University. Taking the side of one friend against the other is never easy, least of all when both of them are highly qualified. Second, knowledge of Somali literature or language does count among my strengths. Thirdly, both of them are magnanimous gentlemen and dwelling on accolades might not please either. The old Somali adage: Nin is faanshey waa ri' is nuugtey- a man who draws praise to himself is like a goat sucking itself – is apt in this situation. We Somalis are infamous for not recognizing people's achievements, even our own. 

But, we must make a judgment on who discovered the scansion of Somali poetry. Whatever our disquiet in taking sides in this argument, the discoverer of the scansion of Somali poetry is a legitimate pursuit. A story about the structural and linguistic underpinnings of Somali poetry should be of interest to all Somalis. And www.wardheernews.com and other websites who write about this story should be given credit for bucking the trend of writing about the daily drumbeat of gore and bloodshed that is the menu of Somali websites. A story about two academicians in tug of war over who gets the credit for academic research beats all the stories about murderous religious fanatics, tribal mongers masquerading as clan elders, cruel militias, thuggish warlords and boorish Ethiopian invaders. Arale and Garriye's story only bails in comparison to Raghe Ugaas's invention of the first canto of all Somali poems: hooyaale hooyaalayey, hoyalayey hooye.  

After a serious deliberation and analysis on the preponderance of the evidence, I tip my hat, as I said earlier, to Mr. Arale as the first person who discovered the Miisaan. According to my understanding and also, to many others, he made the first comprehensive analysis of Somali verse according to the rules of Somali meter. His research is well defined, detailed and indigenous, such as hojis , hooris and the metre of each meeris. Both documented and anecdotal evidences support this judgment.

Anecdotal Evidence:

 First, I begin with the anecdotal evidence. From my knowledge of both men, Arale has academically researched the field of Somali linguistics the deepest and longest when he is compared to Gaariye. From his first days as a student at Lafole majoring in English and mathematics, he was enthused with applying his knowledge of Math to the Somali language. I remember him from our logic and abstract algebra classes where he would often talk ad nauseam about how these topics apply to Somali literature. My classmates, including Gariye, and I had first hand experience of Arale's fusion of math, linguistics and Somali poetry. He was never silent about his work, rather he would stop you with a glittering eye like the old sailor in the Ancient Mariner's Song and regale you with the work he was doing with regards to metrical structure of Somali poetry. More important anecdotally is his graduate studies at UCLA (University of California at Los Angels) and at Indiana University and the research work on scansion of Somali poetry that he did alongside Professor John W. Johnson. 

Mohamed Hashi Dhamac, a poet and literary scholar is good in poetic imagery. However, he does not have an extensive background in logic or the math necessary in fusing literature and linguistics. He is a gadfly who is popular with the masses and has composed widely for popular consumption rather than for academic journals. His research is limited to the nature and dramatics of Somali poetry. 

Documented Sources: 

The documented sources regarding Arale's literary works are quite extensive. He had throughout the years after his graduation from the university written articles and books and had given presentations at different forums. As will be seen below scholars quote Arale's works are quoted in national and international settings. Gaariye, on the other hand, because of his poetic talent and political following has a strong local support in some parts of Somalia. 

Arale: 

To understand the prevalence of documented evidence that demonstrate Arale's primacy in the discovery of the metrical structure of Somali poetry, one has to google his name, Abdillahi Deria Arale, scansion of Somali poetry or Professor John Johnson. He mainly focuses on text, along with the issues relating to how variable or fixed a text may be, as the central issue in the study of oral literature. In one of his writings, he argued the centrality of the exchangeability of poetic text to Somali maanso poetry, and that such poems are instances of what become, through the composition process, 'definitive texts.' He presents arguments in favour of the number of different perspectives. Arale contrasts maanso poetry with traditional hees and with the view that 'texts' of each type of poetry differ from an extra-textual viewpoint that is from the point of people's expectations regarding the different types of poetry. He shows that intra-textual characteristics indicate objectivity and autonomy of maanso definitive text. The development of modern so called hees from the heello and also the development of the use of writing in Somali poetry will also be considered and shown to support the idea of maanso's definitive text. 

Well-known scholars familiar with and engaged in Somali literature acknowledge the strength of Arale's contribution to the metrical structure of Somali prosody. His work is studied and is repeatedly quoted. For example, Arale appears in the following academic works, whereby Gaarriye doesn't in any of them: 

Somalia and the World, Proceedings of the International Symposium, held in Mogadishu, October 15-21, 1979, compiled and edited by Dr. Hussein M. Adam, Volume 1: in page 132-140 you will find "The Scansion of Somali Poetry" authored by Abdillahi Deria Guled. 

 

Voice and Power, the culture of Language in North-East Africa, edited by R. J. Hayward and I. Lewis, 1996. In page 73 you find at the beginning of the preface of the book, the following quotation by Prof. John W. Johnson: 

     "About fifteen years ago a breakthrough occurred in the study of

   Somali poetry when Cabdillahi Diiriye Guuleed found vowel length

  to be one of the key elements in the prosody of Somali poems."  

                                           

 

Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Somali Studies, University of Hamburg, august 1-6, 1983, edited by Thomas Labahn, VOLUME, 1, LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE. In pages 313-314, John W. Johnson writes again: 

  "In the summer of 1981, I received a grant from the Indiana University President's Council on International Programs administered by Dean John Lombardi, whose help I wish to      acknowledge with appreciation here. This enabled me to invite Cabdillaahi Diiriye Guuleed to Indiana for the summer, and we were able to spend a second summer in a row collaborating on the research, which we had begun in Mogadishu just after the First Congress." 

On page 333 you find Ahmed Adam Ahmed's article Maanso Structure and Content (an application of Arale's Maanso Scansion System to the Meaning of "Dardaaran". 
 

Gorfaynta Gabayga 1976 bought by Somali National University, evaluated, attested and approved by a committee chaired by Faduma Ahmed Alin (Faduma-cureji) who authenticated the book to the highest price at the time. Faduma-ureji, later Somalia's Vice Minister of Education, was the Director of Department of Finance in the Ministry of higher Education at the time. Please cite www.somaliradio.dk. and listen to her voice. The book is at first published by www.wardhernews.com granted by A. D. Arale and by many other websites, including www.somaliradio.dk.  Thanks to Arale's gift to all Somalis. 

Miisaanka Maansada Soomaaliyeed, published by Abokers Forlay, Marieholms 6C, 24135 Eslov, Sweden. This book is available as it is still in the market. 

Among his other published works, Arale had co-authored with Ahmed Mohamed Qadi, a former lecturer at SNU, the literature textbooks of Standard 8 of primary and Form 4 of secondary schools at the then Curriculum office of the Ministry of Education. He was the chairman and the lecturer of the Somali Language Department at Lafole during 1978-1980 just before he got post-graduate study from UCLA.   

Arale is an acquired poet who participated in the first politicized Deelley: Dirka Baqashu Waa Kee? 1976-77 well ahead before the other published Deelley which Gaarriye started in 1979 …  and with which Gaariye became popular among the Somalis. Dirka Baqashu Waa Kee? is a metaphorical and abstract question raised by Mohamed I. Bullaale. It was collaborated by Ali M. Oday (Ali-8).  Ahmed M. Jama contradicted Ali-8's view and was concluded by abdillahi D. Arale. Please cite www.somaliradio.dk. 

In 1978 I read articles in Xiddigta Oktoobar whereby CArale and Gaarriye stated that poets are born, but can also be made. Gaarriye reversed his thought later on, but Arale still holds to his previous conviction that any career can be achieved to an extent so long there is the will, some inherent capacity and the correct formula is followed. The late poet and writer Ibrahim Haji Awad (Kholli) wrote in New Era about Gaarriye and Guuleeds's achievements. "Let us see if the first batch of graduated from Arale and Gaariye's school will be able to become poets," he argued.

Gaarriye

 

Mohamed Hashi Dhamac, a poet, is good in his poetic imagery. However, he does not have an extensive background in logic or the math necessary in fusing literature and linguistics. He is a gadfly who is popular with the masses. He has composed widely for popular consumption rather than for academic journals. His research is limited to the nature and dramatics of Somali poetry. 

Dr. Martin Orwin wrote: "Maxamed Xaashi Dhama' Garriye' was born in Hargeisa in 1949. He went to school in Sheikh and graduated in biology at the Somali National University. After his education he worked as a teacher in secondary schools. When he gained his reputation as a poet and literary scholar, he worked at the Academy of Culture in Mogadishu and as a lecturer in Somali literature at the National University. From the 1970s onwards he has been one of the most important Somali poets, composing on a great variety of topics from nuclear weapons to Nelson Mandela. He was also a poet who was not afraid to engage in the politics of Somali through his poetry, and he was the initiator of one of the largest 'chain poems', Deelley, to which many poets contributed, each one alliterating in 'd', hence the name of the chain. Gaarriye was the person who first articulated the metrical patterns of Somali poetry. He published his findings in articles in the national newspaper in 1976. Gaarriye now lives in Hargeisa. A few of his best-known poems are: 'Fad Galbeed'. 'Madax goodir' and 'Watergate'. 
 

Conclusion 

I compared and contrasted the "Xiddigta Oktoobar" articles of Gaarriye and Guuleed's works. My investigation concludes that the two have merely the topic of "Miisaanka Maansada" in common. They actually took two completely different approaches to study the same thing  that is the two forks of the same road.  With Arale taking the harder, studious, less travelled path and Gariye taking the easy, populist fork of the road .  Scholars have come to view Arale's scansion approach/perspective as indigenous, authentic and original, among other things. They credit him for the depth, length and ingenuity of his work.

Any literate person can perceive and comprehend the work with any worthy effort. On the contrary, regarding scholarly articles, Gaarriye's writings are beautiful to behold but do not address linguistics.  His writings do not appear as comprehensive as Arale's articles and seem to derive from pure poetic talent rather than the cerebral work of academia.  

Finally, my article is not a definitive word on "who discovered the Metrical Structure of Somali Poetry". However, I hope it contributes to the "scansion" dialogue that is already in progress. My purpose was to give my honest opinion on this issue and encourage others to do the same. There are many Somalis, students of literature and linguistics, some of them my old classmates, who are more knowledgeable than me on the subject and could do a better job. Hopefully, my piece will encourage them to raise their voices on the subject.