Salaan Mahamud Hirsi ( so, Salaan Maxamuud Xirsi) (1864 – 1943), better known as Salaan Carrabey, was a famous

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

from the

Adan Madoba The Mohamed Abokor ( so, Maxamed Abokor, Full Name:'' Muḥammad ibn Abū Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abū Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a major sub-division of the Habr Je'lo clan of the Isaaq. The Mohame ...

sub-division of the

Habr Je'lo The Habr Je'lo ( so, Habar Jeclo, ar, هبر جعلو , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala ( so, Habar Toljeclo) is a major sub-tribe of the wider Isaaq family. Its members form ...

Isaaq The Isaaq (also Isaq, Ishaak, Isaac) ( so, Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, ar, بني إسحاق, Banī Isḥāq) is a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. Pe ...

clan.

Poetry

Salaan's poetry is very rich and he was a notable figure and participant in the most famous chain of Somali poetry known as the ''Guba'' series in which legendary

and Darood poets traded boastful and sharp verses. Somali scholar and linguist

Musa Haji Ismail Galal Musa Haji Ismail Galal ( so, Muuse Xaaji Ismaaciil Galaal, ar, موسى الحاج اسماعيل جلال) (1917–1980) was a Somali writer, scholar, linguist, historian and polymath. He is notable for the creation of the Somali Latin scri ...

recorded many of his works.

''Mayn''

Salaan had left

Burao Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; so, Burco, , ar, برعو) is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was also the third largest city of Somalia. Burao was the site of the declaration of an in ...

for several months after and upon his return the locals asked him to recite something. His response was this poem ''Mine''

''War Toolow Colka Jooja''

Heavy infighting broke out between the

Ahmed Farah The Mohamed Abokor ( so, Maxamed Abokor, Full Name:'' Muḥammad ibn Abū Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abū Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a major sub-division of the Habr Je'lo clan of the Isaaq. The Mohame ...

and Rer Dahir subclans, both belonging to the wider Nuux subclan of the

. The conflict had been going on for a long time, and no one had been able to put an end to it. Finally, the two subclans resolved to settle the dispute by battle, as is customary among

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

. As the warriors gathered on the battleground, a famous and respected Sheikh named Fiqi Hasan, walked between them, reading from the Qu'ran while simultaneously translating verses from it for his audience, to remind them of the devastating results of conflict between relatives, as well as reminding the warring parties of their duties in Islam. One of the men responded by striking the Qur'an out of Hasan's hands and Salaan stepped forward telling the Sheikh that he spoke a language that these men understood (poetry). He then proceeded to recite a now-famous poem of his in geeraar style, titled ''War Toolow Colka Jooja'' (''Oh Clansmen, Stop the War'', or ''Oh! Kinsmen Stop the War):'' After Salaan concluded the geeraar ''Oh Clansmen, Stop the War'', one of the intermediary elders, Baashe Shabeelle, told him that what he had just recited was not a ''gabay,'' and told him to recite something among the men or leave the battlefield. In response, Salaan then composed the famous poem, ''Kinship is a Shelter:'' It was said that when Salaan Carrabay had finished the poem that the two enemies, impressed by their kinsman’s appeal, disengaged and went their separate ways, avoiding further bloodshed.

''Haadaaqsi''

Following a string of

victories over the

Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante ( so, Dhulbahante, ar, دلبةنتئ) is a Somali clan family, part of the Harti clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — the Darod. They are the traditional inhabitants of the physiographic Nugaal in its ...

in which they had captured many wells and reduced their opponents to a pitiful state, Salaan Carrabey composed this boastful poem called ''Haadaaqsi''. The most important victory was the capture of the famous well of Caynabo. ''Hadaaqsi'' forms part of the ''Guba'' series.

''Tolnimo Wa Dugsiye''

Carrabey in his poem ''Tolnimo Wa Dugsiye'' (Kinship is a Shelter) notes many internal conflicts some of the decades prior and others that were ongoing. He preaches that kinship is in fact a bond and source of strength that should be valued. One such conflict he notes was fighting between kindred sections of the

Habr Yunis The Habar Yoonis ( ar, هبر يونس , Full Name: '' Said ibn Al-Qādhī Ismā'īl ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'' ) alternatively spelled as Habr Yunis is a major clan part of the sub-clan ...

. The powerful Sultan

Hersi Aman Sultan Hersi Aman ( so, Suldaan Xirsi Amaan) was a Somali ruler. He was the 3rd Sultan of the Habr Yunis Sultanate. Biography Reign Hersi Aman belonged to the Bah Makahil section of the Sugulle dynasty. He succeeded his grandfather, Sultan De ...

caused much devastation when he attempted to become even more absolutist, eventually dying at the hands of his own clan in battle.

References