On the concept of ‘definitive text’ in Somali poetry

The concept of text is one central to the study of literature, both oral and written. During the course of the Literature and Peformance workshops organized by the AHRB (Arts and Humanities Research Board) Centre for Asian and African Literatures, the word "text" has been used widely and in relation to various traditions from around the world. Here I shall consider the concept of text and specifically what I refer to as "definitive text" in Somali poetry. I contend that the definitive text is central to the conception of maanso poetry in Somali and is manifest in a number of ways. I look at aspects of poetry that are recognized by Somalis and present these as evidence of "the quality of coherence or connectivity that characterizes text" (Hanks 1989:96). The concept of text understood here is, therefore, that of an "individuated product" (ibid.:97). Qualitative criteria both extra- and intratextual will be presented to support this conception.Issue title: Performance Literature II

Crafting modern Somali poetry: Lyric features in Fad Galbeed by Gaarriye and Xabagbarsheed by Weedhsame

This article presents two Somali poems in the jiifto metre: Fad Galbeed ‘Evening Cloud’ by Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac ‘Gaarriye’ and Xabagbarsheed ‘Royal Jelly’ by Xasan Daahir Ismaaciil ‘Weedhsame’. Each is recognized as a fine example of modern Somali poetry, and this article seeks to understand some of the reasons why this is so. The particular features considered are the use of address and apostrophe in Fad Galbeed and how this relates to the lyric present in each of the two parts of the poem. In Xabagbarsheed, on the other hand, I concentrate on sound-patterning looking at two sections in particular, one which displays assonance and another which displays interesting crafting of sound features which, it is suggested, foreground the sound of the alliterating consonant in a particularly appealing way. The discussion is centred on the poems themselves making detailed reference to the language used and how this contributes to the features and effects discussed. It is thus on the one hand a contribution to the study of the craft and aesthetics in Somali poetry. On the other hand, the manifestations of these aesthetic aspects coincide with what is presented in work on lyric. The article makes reference to this and, without going into detail on the theoretical aspects, seeks to begin to make a contribution from Somali poetry to this field of literary study. KEY WORDS: Somali, poetry, lyric, poetics, alliteratio

Aspects of Somali Phonology.

Somali is probably the best documented, in linguistic terms, of all of the Cushitic languages. Much work has been undertaken on the syntax and the morphology of the language. However, when it comes to the phonology of the language there is a distinct lack. The aim of this thesis is to help fill that gap. This will be done by taking the generative theory of lexical phonology as a basis of a model of Somali phonology; within that overall framework a model of melodic representation will be proposed as well as a model of prosodic representation. The proposals are made specifically with the Somali language in mind and explanations of certain aspects of Somali phonology will be set out both in the chapters discussing the models of representation as well as in the chapter specifically dealing with the explanation of a number of phonological phenomena manifested in the inflectional morphology of the language. The thesis does not cover the whole set of phonological phenomena manifested in Somali, nor does it set out to produce a universal model of phonology. As far as Somali is concerned, it is hoped the work will provide a convenient springboard for the future study of phonological phenomena in Somali. As far as universal phonological matters are concerned it is hoped that the model proposed here for Somali will be another step in the continuing search for universal explanatory aspects of phonology. Chapter one introduces the language and the main theoretical assumptions. Chapters 2 and 3 introduce the models of melodic representation and prosodic representation respectively. Chapter 4 provides explanations for certain phonological phenomena manifested in the inflectional morphology of Somali. Chapter 5 brings the whole together and looks forward to the future study of Somali phonology in light of this thesis

The Worldly and the Unworldly in Jacayl Dhiig Ma Lagu Qoray by Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame "Hadraawi"

This paper considers the worldly and unworldly in the famous Somali poem Jacayl Dhiig Ma Lagu Qoray by Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame “Hadraawi.” The poem alternates between worldly and unwordly perspectives, each of which is a side in a dialectic questioning the nature of love. These different perspectives are reflected in references to time, people and landscape. A comparison is drawn with the way in which such references are presented in the poem Beledweyne, a more conventional love poem by Hadraawi, suggesting an intertextual relationship between the two poems

Arabic influence on metre in Somali Sufi religious poetry

It has generally been assumed that there has not been any direct influence on Somali poetic metre from the metrical forms of Arabic. For the most part, this certainly seems to hold, but this article presents a poem which is of a type on which, it is argued, Arabic influence can be seen. The poem, ‘Taaj Awliyo’ by Sheekh Caaqib Cabdullaahi Jaamac (1920-?) is presented in detail and, although it has been described as being in the jiifto metre, it is demonstrated that this description of the metre is incorrect. It actually follows a previously undocumented metrical pattern which is the equivalent of four maqalaay warlaay lines. The article also shows how the metrical pattern can be seen as a Somalized analogue of the Arabic k¯amil metre in its majz¯u’ or dimetric form. Evidence is given both from comparison of the line structure itself and from brief comments on reports of what the poet himself had said. The poem considered in detail is part of the Qaadiriya Sufi tradition in which poetry composed in Arabic plays an important role including poems in the k¯amil metre

Trickle or treat: the dynamics of nutrient export from polar glaciers

Cold-based polar glacier watersheds contain well-defined supraglacial, ice-marginal, and proglacial elements that differ in their degree of hydrologic connectivity, sources of water (e.g., snow, ice, and/or sediment pore water), meltwater residence times, allochthonous and autochthonous nutrient, and sediment loads. We investigated 11 distinct hydrological units along the supraglacial, ice marginal, and proglacial flow paths that drain Joyce Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. We found that these units play unique and important roles as sources and/or sinks for dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phosphorus and for specific fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as waters are routed from the glacier into nutrient-poor downstream ecosystems. Changes in nutrient export from the glacial system as a whole were observed as the routing and residence times of meltwater changed throughout the melt season. The concentrations of major ions in the proglacial stream were inversely proportional to discharge, such that there was a relatively constant “trickle” of these solutes into downstream ecosystems. In contrast, NO3− concentrations generally increased with discharge, resulting in delivery of episodic pulses of dissolved inorganic nitrogen-rich water (“treats”) into those same ecosystems during high discharge events. DOM concentrations or fluorescence did not correlate with discharge rate, but high variability in DOM concentrations or fluorescence suggests that DOM may be exported downstream as episodic treats, but with spatial and/or temporal patterns that remain poorly understood. The strong, nutrient-specific responses to changes in hydrology suggest that polar glacier drainage systems may export meltwater with nutrient compositions that vary within and between melt seasons and watersheds. Because nutrient dynamics identified in this study differ between glacier watersheds with broadly similar hydrology, climate, and geology, we emphasize the need to develop conceptual models of nutrient export that thoroughly integrate the biogeochemical an