ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Sheekhc
Caaqib Cabdilaahi who has kindly allowed me to usesome of his unpublished poetry. I would also like
to thank Khadiija Faarax Maxamuud who put at my dis-
posal her repertoire of Sufi women's poems called
sitaad. My especial gratitude is for Dr. B.W.
Andrzejewski who has given me advice and guidance in
the preparation of this thesis and who has permitted
me to use oral Sufi poetry which he recorded in Somalia
during 1968-69. I would like to add that, for a man
who has combined his skills as a teacher with sympatheticunderstanding, I have been fortunate to have Dr. B.W.
Andrzejewski as my supervisor.
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