It was sometime before 1960, while Elmi Bodhari was working at a bakery shop in the port city of Berbera. In late afternoon a young and beautiful lady named Hoddan bought bread from the store that employed him. From that day on, Elmi was mesmerized by the natural beauty and elegancy that God had given to Hoddan. What followed that afternoon to the end of his life became the most famous love story in the continent of Africa.
Initially Elmi faced two difficulties – not only was Hoddan's family much better off financially, he also faced the cultural taboo that surrounded the concept of love. Both were formidable challenges for him to overcome. One could only imagine his anguish of trying to convince a society that regarded love as a disgrace and shameful thing. His family, including his relatives, tried to convince him to stop bringing shame on the family but to no avail. His heart was attached to Hoddan and no matter what people tried to do, he demonstrated his devotion to Hoddan through countless romantic poems. At one point a dozen beautiful girls from his tribe came to persuade him to forget about Hoddan and settle for on of them. Elmi's response was one of the most beautiful love poems in the history of the Somali people:
HADAY ILI WAX QABANAYSO OO LAGU QABOOBAAYO
AMA QURUX LADAAWADO KOL UUN AADMI KU QANCAAYO
ANIGUBA QADRAAN SOO ARKIYO QAARARKII HODDANE
HAYEESHEE QAREEN BAA IGU GALAY QALAY NAFTAYDIIYE
HABLAYAHOW HALKII QOOMANAYD BAAD IQABATEENE
QALBIGAAN BOGSIINAYAY BAAD QAC IGA SIISEEN
QAR QARADA JIDHKAYGIYO GACMUHU WAY QADH QADHA YAANE
QALBIGUU WAX IGA YEELAA ILAYN NAASKA QAAWANIYO
INAAN EE BAHAY IDIN QATALIN QARIYE LAABTIIN
This roughly translates to
IF THE EYE CAN CAPTURE SOMETHING (beauty) AND THAT COULD CALM DOWN SOMEBDY (somebody's heart)
OR EVER A HUMAN COULD BE STISFIED WITH BAEUTY
I HAVE SEEN KHADRA’S (Hoddan's) SHOULDERS, NECK, AND FACE
HOWEVER, I HAVE STRIKEN BY LOVE THAT DEVESTED MY LIFE
LADIES, YOU HAVE POKED THE PART (the heart) THAT WAS IN PAIN
YOU HAVE HURT THE HEART THAT I WAS TRYING TO HEEL
MY UPPER BODY AND HANDS ARE SHIVERING (due to the painful effect of love)
THE NAKED BREAST HURTS MY FEELING
GOD FORBIDS TO SEND YOU TO DISTRUCTION, I ASK YOU TO COVER YOUR CHEST
Hoddan did not show affection towards him but perhaps due to pressure from her family she was unwilling to deal with his passion for her - a hardship of love that isolated him from society.
After learning that Elmi was too depressed from his infatuation of her and it was taking a physical toll on him, she paid a short visit to his place. Though she never showed feeling for him before, her visit to his residence in the last few days of his lives tells us otherwise. When she arrived, Elmi's roommate and best friend Muse informed her Elmi had not slept for several days until today.
Hoddan didn't want to disturb Elmie, so she told Muse to tell Elmi that she was here to see him. Upon waking late in the afternoon, Elmi was informed the woman that he loved the most was here to see him and she wished him the best. In utter disbelieve and regretful for missing her visit, Elmi placed his hands on his head and said
HOHEEY HADHKA GALAY HURDADU WAY XUNTEE
BAL INAAN HABAAR QABO MAXAA HODDAN IWAYDAARSHAY
SLEEPING DURING THE DAY, IS NOT A WISE IDEA
UNLESS I AM CURSSED, WHY DID I MISS HODDAN
Unlike the story of Romeo and Juliet, the story of Elmi and Hoddan is based on real events. Its beginning and finale have been passed from generation to generation and a book was written about it sometime after Elim's death.
I have heard many times in the past our ladies complaining about that Somali men don't know how to love, and I think what they meant by that is; we are such devoted lovers, and we don't recover easily when we fall for them - instead we die.
Written by Dalmar
Initially Elmi faced two difficulties – not only was Hoddan's family much better off financially, he also faced the cultural taboo that surrounded the concept of love. Both were formidable challenges for him to overcome. One could only imagine his anguish of trying to convince a society that regarded love as a disgrace and shameful thing. His family, including his relatives, tried to convince him to stop bringing shame on the family but to no avail. His heart was attached to Hoddan and no matter what people tried to do, he demonstrated his devotion to Hoddan through countless romantic poems. At one point a dozen beautiful girls from his tribe came to persuade him to forget about Hoddan and settle for on of them. Elmi's response was one of the most beautiful love poems in the history of the Somali people:
HADAY ILI WAX QABANAYSO OO LAGU QABOOBAAYO
AMA QURUX LADAAWADO KOL UUN AADMI KU QANCAAYO
ANIGUBA QADRAAN SOO ARKIYO QAARARKII HODDANE
HAYEESHEE QAREEN BAA IGU GALAY QALAY NAFTAYDIIYE
HABLAYAHOW HALKII QOOMANAYD BAAD IQABATEENE
QALBIGAAN BOGSIINAYAY BAAD QAC IGA SIISEEN
QAR QARADA JIDHKAYGIYO GACMUHU WAY QADH QADHA YAANE
QALBIGUU WAX IGA YEELAA ILAYN NAASKA QAAWANIYO
INAAN EE BAHAY IDIN QATALIN QARIYE LAABTIIN
This roughly translates to
IF THE EYE CAN CAPTURE SOMETHING (beauty) AND THAT COULD CALM DOWN SOMEBDY (somebody's heart)
OR EVER A HUMAN COULD BE STISFIED WITH BAEUTY
I HAVE SEEN KHADRA’S (Hoddan's) SHOULDERS, NECK, AND FACE
HOWEVER, I HAVE STRIKEN BY LOVE THAT DEVESTED MY LIFE
LADIES, YOU HAVE POKED THE PART (the heart) THAT WAS IN PAIN
YOU HAVE HURT THE HEART THAT I WAS TRYING TO HEEL
MY UPPER BODY AND HANDS ARE SHIVERING (due to the painful effect of love)
THE NAKED BREAST HURTS MY FEELING
GOD FORBIDS TO SEND YOU TO DISTRUCTION, I ASK YOU TO COVER YOUR CHEST
Hoddan did not show affection towards him but perhaps due to pressure from her family she was unwilling to deal with his passion for her - a hardship of love that isolated him from society.
After learning that Elmi was too depressed from his infatuation of her and it was taking a physical toll on him, she paid a short visit to his place. Though she never showed feeling for him before, her visit to his residence in the last few days of his lives tells us otherwise. When she arrived, Elmi's roommate and best friend Muse informed her Elmi had not slept for several days until today.
Hoddan didn't want to disturb Elmie, so she told Muse to tell Elmi that she was here to see him. Upon waking late in the afternoon, Elmi was informed the woman that he loved the most was here to see him and she wished him the best. In utter disbelieve and regretful for missing her visit, Elmi placed his hands on his head and said
HOHEEY HADHKA GALAY HURDADU WAY XUNTEE
BAL INAAN HABAAR QABO MAXAA HODDAN IWAYDAARSHAY
SLEEPING DURING THE DAY, IS NOT A WISE IDEA
UNLESS I AM CURSSED, WHY DID I MISS HODDAN
Unlike the story of Romeo and Juliet, the story of Elmi and Hoddan is based on real events. Its beginning and finale have been passed from generation to generation and a book was written about it sometime after Elim's death.
I have heard many times in the past our ladies complaining about that Somali men don't know how to love, and I think what they meant by that is; we are such devoted lovers, and we don't recover easily when we fall for them - instead we die.
Written by Dalmar
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