SUFI POETRY IN SOMALI

He who is not wicked; shameful deeds are

polluting

He who does not inveigh against you without

foundation

And who shows respect and restraint towards you

He who spreads goodness evenly among all sons

of Adam

He who does not favour those to whom he is

close in genealogical descent

He who does not sow dissension amongst the

slaves of God

He who holds his peace and is silent when evil

words are spoken to him

He who does not bring trouble to those with

whom he stays

He who does not cut open again the stomach of

an inflammatory issue

And who does not tremble with excitement at the

prospect of profit and food

And he who does not eat to the last morsel the

dish placed before him

And who does not gorge himself like a glutton

gobbling food

He who does not threaten others with violence,

endangering his own house

He who does not conceal .his pot of huttermilk

And he who does not secrete his skin bag of ghee

in the innermost part of his house

He who received a favour and who recognized it

And who will do you a favour as long as the world

retains its scent

And he who does not know ingratitude, is he not

worthy of respect?

(Somali Poetry, Poem 7, Lines 37-54)

In addition, Salaan Carabey, the accomplished poet and

37.

traveller, who speaks on the subject of sincerity cautions
against falsehoods and misrepresentations of truth in poetry: