Ferrari
VIP
gudban gaala lagad aka the defeat of the infidels, in English.
To begin with, I had neglected poetry and had let it dry up.
I had sent it west in the beginning of the spring rains,
but let me set forth what prevented me from sleeping last night.
God’s blessings are more numerous than those growing trees,
I will remind you of the victory He gave us,
Listen to me, my council, for you are most dear to me,
If the unwashed left-handed one had died yesterday,
if I had cut his throat—may he taste hell in the grave itself,
and the wild animals had eaten him, he and his ilk would deserve this.
I would salute the hyena that would gorge itself on his flesh,
as it is doing me a service, it is dearer to me than other animals of the wild.
if I knew it, I would reward it every day.
That deformed one wasted a lot of my wealth,
since he kept committing wrongs again and again,
I knew all along that the hyena would devour him.
It was their insincere refusal to acknowledge the truth that put them down and destroyed them,
and made me attack their best men with a dagger,
If they had not become ungrateful, I would not have become enraged with them.
I would not have lost my generosity and respect for them,
I would not have withheld anything from them, if they had desired peace,
But when they acted disdainfully, death marched straight at them.
If I broke the jaws of the low-born Shuxle,
and the crow were to peck [at the corpses] where Yüsuf spends his night,
and the laments of the women would sound like the buzzard.
I would feed their leaders to the wild beasts,
except for that man Taajir whom I would pierce with arrows,
and I would creep up on Osman and his sons.
A night attack on the other Majeerteen is taboo for me,
but right now troops are called up to attack the bastards of Bah dir,
and the house of the Reer Nür will be thrown into turmoil.
Spears will rain down on them as they are rounded up,
They will perish in one spot like an unattended herd attacked by a wolf,
How God has destined these ugly-faced ones to be losers!
Say, the above verses are an indication of how I have mastered my art,
Say, they are like a vessel with which I catch the waterfall of my thoughts,
Say, they roar like cannons and rattle like gunfire.
Say, they clatter like the pelting of heavy pain,
Say, they rumble like thunder and flash like lightning,
Say, they thunder like the roar of a beginning rain storm.
Say, they wind their way like rain water rushing over the ground,
Say, they are like a stream which forms its own pool, like a pond in high wind,
Say, they are like the restless sea, the rumbling waves, the inlets of Ayl.
Say, they are well composed like the circle of elders in conference,
Say, they are perfectly put together, like the silk furnishings completely covering the meeting place,
Say, they are fully articulated like a case presented by a man with real comprehension.
Another small point concerns my own state of mind,
Was I not convulsed with anger that put my heart on fire?
Did rage not give me sleepless nights?
Did I not walk day and night?
Did I not wander about all day long?
Did I not keep up the awkward gait of the hunter’s camel?
Did walking by night and scorching day not burn my skin?
Did my efforts to shake off vermin,34 like a giraffe, not cover me with dust?
Did my skin not blacken from huddling in a place exposed to the elements?
Did the men who were my comrades not pass on to the other world?
Did my memory not pain me when I remembered them?
Did I not hang my head so as not to show my anguish?
Did I not keep looking to all sides, my neck swollen with anger?
Did I not raise my head after having let it hang down for so long?
Did my anger and sadness not galvanize me into fighting?
Did I not tighten my sarong at the waist and roll it up above my knees [in preparation for running]?
Did I not take up my shield, spear and war club?
Am I not ready to fight for the rest of my life?
Has [my horse] Dhoodd noit reached maturity and its full strength?
Did I not give him glasses full of ghee during winter’s scarcity?
Did he not rear up all around me like an eagle taking off into flight?
My vendetta will hit in all directions.
I will go after those who have failed to compensate me for the wrongs they committed.
I will collect anything I can grab.
I will revenge the injustice and provocation I have suffered.
It is my right to plunder the whole world.
I want to subjugate every area.
I will hunt down everyone, not even sparing a single girl.
All these harmful actions will give me joy and happiness.
Whoever transgressed against humanity, will be reeling.
What they did to me weighs heavily on me.
In the whole land of the Daarood, no one ever extended a hand to me.
[Instead] they trained machine guns on us.
Now it is my turn; they have done their harm.
My bullets will fly as part of these hostilities.
After I capture the East, the damned Isaaq will be next.
My war horses will gallop in the coastal strip, Burco and Looyo.
They will attack as well in the direction of Aroori
and will reach Garoodi and the Golis range.
I will squash those uncouth Hagar Aadan.
I will crush those arrogant cowards.
I will feed their leaders to the vultures.
Like kernels of grain I will pick off all the Ogaden,
I will not stop attacking them at any time.
if God wills, they will evaporate like a pool of clear water.
Gurraase and Iljeex will not escape this time.
plan to destroy even the Reer Dalal, so far untouched by war.
A whole army division will vent its rage on the unclean Reer Subeyr
I will search them out even in Gooracobolley and Geellookor
If I had not tolerated the Huwan, I would have captured them in half a day
and where will the Haaruun be taken, perhaps beyond Goha?
After going through these points, let me conclude with another one:
Shall I not walk proudly like an ostrich emerging from a bluff?
Shall I not flaunt my glorious achievements?
I will begin with a solemn celebration.
I will ladle out milk for all the hungry.
One does not treat noble men in a miserly way, I will ladle it out in plenty.
From when I can first remember, I have always kept it in reserve
but now I have the means to utilize my talent, as one milks a camel which has just calved.
Let me now unleash my poetic talent, I am ready!
Since I can settle the issue definitively, let me make you understand.
Let me go slowly as if walking by night, unhurried like a ship.
Let me touch upon the issue’s nodal points.
I am not a young, and witnessed even the drought of Gaaddaweyn
it would be foolishness for me to avoid what is important to me.
Another point is what God has put in my heart.
My God, everywhere people are hostile to us.
They are preparing to attack, these infidels.
God, even the Greeks are taking aim at us.
Without us taking a iota from them, they are oppressing us.
If they had found us at fault, I would have lain down.
Oh God, they herded us together just to make us enter their religion.
Oh God, even if I beg them, they withhold peace.
Oh God, how much gold and livestock I have given them?
Oh God, even though I took my prize animals to them, I found no sympathy from them.
They fell upon us with their weapons as we were unsuspecting.
Oh God, they eliminated our best warriors.
Oh God, they left the corpses of Gaagguf and Xayde, whom they executed, scattered on the ground.
Xirsi, with the swinging gait, died of the deprivation they caused.
They pierced the jugular vein of that robust Aw- Aadan
and slashed the throat of the courageous Ina Dheri.
Look at the tears running down the face of the aged Baynax.
My heart trembles when I see Muusa-Taagane hang his head in sadness.
Oh God, how he cringes when he comes close to anyone.
Guuleed was for us a counsellor and protector.
Our titled chiefs have become like broken basketry.
They have been diminished, like under-sized pieces cut from a bolt of cloth
Oh God, the Reer Warfaa [have become so few that] they can be loaded on lorries.
The families that used to be strong have been destroyed.
Oh God, they have been captured in isolated areas, in the houses of strangers.
The few Reer Shawa people left wander about impoverished.
Hunger and impotent anger have made them bent over and hollow like bows.
Oh God, how the backs of the Geshiishe people have been loaded with junk.
The Caligeri have been so defeated that they are scattered everywhere.
Deserted are the dwellings of the Ciid region,
where people used to live. Oh God, only children and orphans are left.
Oh God, they have trampled our property and lawful rights.
But by God Victorious, they will not succeed in imposing their will upon us.
Oh God, the claims they make against us are empty
Oh God, I am wailing like an old woman.
Oh God, I am a noble man, harassed by inferior people.
Oh God, the only ones who come to our rescue are riffraff.
Oh God, I cannot accept this oppression.
Oh God, I will take revenge for the aggression of the past.
Oh God, when I fight in earnest, they will retreat and become afraid.
Oh God, these animals have destroyed the rules of the Sharıfia.
Oh God, they are holding hands with the uncircumcised unbelievers.
Oh God, since I am on Your side, don’t deny me victory
Aa
To begin with, I had neglected poetry and had let it dry up.
I had sent it west in the beginning of the spring rains,
but let me set forth what prevented me from sleeping last night.
God’s blessings are more numerous than those growing trees,
I will remind you of the victory He gave us,
Listen to me, my council, for you are most dear to me,
If the unwashed left-handed one had died yesterday,
if I had cut his throat—may he taste hell in the grave itself,
and the wild animals had eaten him, he and his ilk would deserve this.
I would salute the hyena that would gorge itself on his flesh,
as it is doing me a service, it is dearer to me than other animals of the wild.
if I knew it, I would reward it every day.
That deformed one wasted a lot of my wealth,
since he kept committing wrongs again and again,
I knew all along that the hyena would devour him.
It was their insincere refusal to acknowledge the truth that put them down and destroyed them,
and made me attack their best men with a dagger,
If they had not become ungrateful, I would not have become enraged with them.
I would not have lost my generosity and respect for them,
I would not have withheld anything from them, if they had desired peace,
But when they acted disdainfully, death marched straight at them.
If I broke the jaws of the low-born Shuxle,
and the crow were to peck [at the corpses] where Yüsuf spends his night,
and the laments of the women would sound like the buzzard.
I would feed their leaders to the wild beasts,
except for that man Taajir whom I would pierce with arrows,
and I would creep up on Osman and his sons.
A night attack on the other Majeerteen is taboo for me,
but right now troops are called up to attack the bastards of Bah dir,
and the house of the Reer Nür will be thrown into turmoil.
Spears will rain down on them as they are rounded up,
They will perish in one spot like an unattended herd attacked by a wolf,
How God has destined these ugly-faced ones to be losers!
Say, the above verses are an indication of how I have mastered my art,
Say, they are like a vessel with which I catch the waterfall of my thoughts,
Say, they roar like cannons and rattle like gunfire.
Say, they clatter like the pelting of heavy pain,
Say, they rumble like thunder and flash like lightning,
Say, they thunder like the roar of a beginning rain storm.
Say, they wind their way like rain water rushing over the ground,
Say, they are like a stream which forms its own pool, like a pond in high wind,
Say, they are like the restless sea, the rumbling waves, the inlets of Ayl.
Say, they are well composed like the circle of elders in conference,
Say, they are perfectly put together, like the silk furnishings completely covering the meeting place,
Say, they are fully articulated like a case presented by a man with real comprehension.
Another small point concerns my own state of mind,
Was I not convulsed with anger that put my heart on fire?
Did rage not give me sleepless nights?
Did I not walk day and night?
Did I not wander about all day long?
Did I not keep up the awkward gait of the hunter’s camel?
Did walking by night and scorching day not burn my skin?
Did my efforts to shake off vermin,34 like a giraffe, not cover me with dust?
Did my skin not blacken from huddling in a place exposed to the elements?
Did the men who were my comrades not pass on to the other world?
Did my memory not pain me when I remembered them?
Did I not hang my head so as not to show my anguish?
Did I not keep looking to all sides, my neck swollen with anger?
Did I not raise my head after having let it hang down for so long?
Did my anger and sadness not galvanize me into fighting?
Did I not tighten my sarong at the waist and roll it up above my knees [in preparation for running]?
Did I not take up my shield, spear and war club?
Am I not ready to fight for the rest of my life?
Has [my horse] Dhoodd noit reached maturity and its full strength?
Did I not give him glasses full of ghee during winter’s scarcity?
Did he not rear up all around me like an eagle taking off into flight?
My vendetta will hit in all directions.
I will go after those who have failed to compensate me for the wrongs they committed.
I will collect anything I can grab.
I will revenge the injustice and provocation I have suffered.
It is my right to plunder the whole world.
I want to subjugate every area.
I will hunt down everyone, not even sparing a single girl.
All these harmful actions will give me joy and happiness.
Whoever transgressed against humanity, will be reeling.
What they did to me weighs heavily on me.
In the whole land of the Daarood, no one ever extended a hand to me.
[Instead] they trained machine guns on us.
Now it is my turn; they have done their harm.
My bullets will fly as part of these hostilities.
After I capture the East, the damned Isaaq will be next.
My war horses will gallop in the coastal strip, Burco and Looyo.
They will attack as well in the direction of Aroori
and will reach Garoodi and the Golis range.
I will squash those uncouth Hagar Aadan.
I will crush those arrogant cowards.
I will feed their leaders to the vultures.
Like kernels of grain I will pick off all the Ogaden,
I will not stop attacking them at any time.
if God wills, they will evaporate like a pool of clear water.
Gurraase and Iljeex will not escape this time.
plan to destroy even the Reer Dalal, so far untouched by war.
A whole army division will vent its rage on the unclean Reer Subeyr
I will search them out even in Gooracobolley and Geellookor
If I had not tolerated the Huwan, I would have captured them in half a day
and where will the Haaruun be taken, perhaps beyond Goha?
After going through these points, let me conclude with another one:
Shall I not walk proudly like an ostrich emerging from a bluff?
Shall I not flaunt my glorious achievements?
I will begin with a solemn celebration.
I will ladle out milk for all the hungry.
One does not treat noble men in a miserly way, I will ladle it out in plenty.
From when I can first remember, I have always kept it in reserve
but now I have the means to utilize my talent, as one milks a camel which has just calved.
Let me now unleash my poetic talent, I am ready!
Since I can settle the issue definitively, let me make you understand.
Let me go slowly as if walking by night, unhurried like a ship.
Let me touch upon the issue’s nodal points.
I am not a young, and witnessed even the drought of Gaaddaweyn
it would be foolishness for me to avoid what is important to me.
Another point is what God has put in my heart.
My God, everywhere people are hostile to us.
They are preparing to attack, these infidels.
God, even the Greeks are taking aim at us.
Without us taking a iota from them, they are oppressing us.
If they had found us at fault, I would have lain down.
Oh God, they herded us together just to make us enter their religion.
Oh God, even if I beg them, they withhold peace.
Oh God, how much gold and livestock I have given them?
Oh God, even though I took my prize animals to them, I found no sympathy from them.
They fell upon us with their weapons as we were unsuspecting.
Oh God, they eliminated our best warriors.
Oh God, they left the corpses of Gaagguf and Xayde, whom they executed, scattered on the ground.
Xirsi, with the swinging gait, died of the deprivation they caused.
They pierced the jugular vein of that robust Aw- Aadan
and slashed the throat of the courageous Ina Dheri.
Look at the tears running down the face of the aged Baynax.
My heart trembles when I see Muusa-Taagane hang his head in sadness.
Oh God, how he cringes when he comes close to anyone.
Guuleed was for us a counsellor and protector.
Our titled chiefs have become like broken basketry.
They have been diminished, like under-sized pieces cut from a bolt of cloth
Oh God, the Reer Warfaa [have become so few that] they can be loaded on lorries.
The families that used to be strong have been destroyed.
Oh God, they have been captured in isolated areas, in the houses of strangers.
The few Reer Shawa people left wander about impoverished.
Hunger and impotent anger have made them bent over and hollow like bows.
Oh God, how the backs of the Geshiishe people have been loaded with junk.
The Caligeri have been so defeated that they are scattered everywhere.
Deserted are the dwellings of the Ciid region,
where people used to live. Oh God, only children and orphans are left.
Oh God, they have trampled our property and lawful rights.
But by God Victorious, they will not succeed in imposing their will upon us.
Oh God, the claims they make against us are empty
Oh God, I am wailing like an old woman.
Oh God, I am a noble man, harassed by inferior people.
Oh God, the only ones who come to our rescue are riffraff.
Oh God, I cannot accept this oppression.
Oh God, I will take revenge for the aggression of the past.
Oh God, when I fight in earnest, they will retreat and become afraid.
Oh God, these animals have destroyed the rules of the Sharıfia.
Oh God, they are holding hands with the uncircumcised unbelievers.
Oh God, since I am on Your side, don’t deny me victory
Aa
