22.5 •the Somali pastoralist~. The use of the image of rain In the
conventional salutation Waa nab ad lyO naq-roobaad ('It IS peace
and fresh grass wllich grows after the rains') makes it afamiliar poetic metaphor which is generally accepted as a
profound statement of truth. Following are some examples of
Images of rain which highlight the deep affection that the
Somali nomads have for wet weather:
Sidii jookhiyo xariir u jantoo, sidii jirka dhacay u jalalaba
Sidii jirka roob anow da'ayee, Allow yaa xamashka iga jaqa?Cherish them like silk and like honour and then
pour them forth like a torrential rainI pour my words like heavy rain: 0 God, who will
suck the succulent juice [from them]?
(Text 3/40-41)The nomads are constantly in search of water and fresh
pasture, and in order to obtain an accurate information about
the quality of pasture and the availability of water, they
usually send scouting expeditions who survey the areas where
it is believed to have rainid. It appears in the following
lines that the poet warns people not to rely on inaccurate
reports of rain and water, which symbolize here the lure of
material prosperity, and, as is implied exhorts them to
remember God and the permanent rewards of the Other World:
Dhibcihii kal hore da'ay baa xareed, laga dhuray
shalay ha dhegaysanin
Dhedo iyo wixii dharab xalay dhacaa, dhulka rays ka
dhigi ha dhegaysaninDo not listen [to the words which say]: 'Water was
still drawn yesterday from the rain dro~swhich fell
last year. '