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Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:35 pm
by LaQaNyO
Lately I have started to get into Somali literature more and I can't help but notice that Somali poetry is all about the repetition of one letter… in example the first letter of each word is the same.
Perhaps I lack knowledge when it comes to English language/literature… but this practise is not so common when it comes to English poetry.

I am guessing the Somali language was written through poetry because, how else can this rule come about…?

Do you think this rule start with the same letter on as many words as possible is geniuses invent or the easy opt out when you compare it to poetry in other languages?

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:41 pm
by Xashi
Is not only somalis but arabs also do this. In my opinion is much harder to write a poem starting with the same letter in every sentence, just shows how creative the auther really is.

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:49 pm
by LaQaNyO
The only Arabic I know and hear of…that sounds poetic is the Quran and in the Quran the words sound alike and it don't necessarily start with the same letter…
I agree it is a genius invent if the Language was written first and then people started to write poetry but if the other way round… seems more like a brilliant easy opt out.

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:55 pm
by Xashi
There are countless poems written by arab scholars/islamic scholars that start and finish with the same letter.

Ibn qayiim has an entire book that finishes with the same letter. you should look for it, is amazing. :up:

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:06 pm
by LaQaNyO
Wow an entire book ending with the same letter… that is amazing manshala, lol dude thanks for the recommendation but I have just grasped the higaayad :oops: don't know if I am ready to read Arabic poetry yet.

Also with Arabic not being the alphabet isn’t it a bit different? Perhaps less complicating because it has so many rules and lots of letters that sound alike example tsha,za,siin,saad and the Daal, daa,dwaad.. You get my drift? Although about 26 letters most of them are the S or the D with a different sound due to how you use your tongue!

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:11 pm
by Xashi
LaQaNyO wrote:Wow an entire book ending with the same letter… that is amazing manshala, lol dude thanks for the recommendation but I have just grasped the higaayad :oops: don't know if I am ready to read Arabic poetry yet.

Also with Arabic not being the alphabet isn’t it a bit different? Perhaps less complicating because it has so many rules and lots of letters that sound alike example tsha,za,siin,saad and the Daal, daa,dwaad.. You get my drift? Although about 26 letters most of them are the S or the D with a different sound due to how you use your tongue!
I have no idea how they were able to do this, i guess their just that good.

You dont have to read the poem if you dont want to there is a audio for it but for some reason i cant find it on the net. Is famous ask around.

Nuuniya qaxatani or Nuuniya ibn qayiim both talk about islam deeply. Both written at least 600 years ago way before any somali poem :lol:

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:20 pm
by LaQaNyO
Both written at least 600 years ago way before any somali poem
:shock: Are you suggesting Somalies are less than 600years old then?

Lol i didn't think about the listening part :oops: I have some serious blonde moments every now and then!

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:25 pm
by Xashi
LaQaNyO wrote:
Both written at least 600 years ago way before any somali poem
:shock: Are you suggesting Somalies are less than 600years old then?

Lol i didn't think about the listening part :oops: I have some serious blonde moments every now and then!
blonde moments :lol:

no i didnt mean Somalis are less than 600 years what i meant was before any known written somali poem.. Also there is a high chance we might actually have picked this up from arabs, why not since most somalis trace their ancestry to arabs. lol.

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:30 pm
by LaQaNyO
Oke but I believe in the idea that the Somali Language was written through poetry… You know odey ogadeen ah ba gabyey markasa la qorey or something :lol:

That was a little fiction on my behalf…On a more serious note… do you think the Somali Language was written first and the rule was taken from the Arabs? How come they don't use the Arabic alphabet then? That would have been a more of logical thing to do… don't you think?

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:38 pm
by Xashi
LaQaNyO wrote:Oke but I believe in the idea that the Somali Language was written through poetry… You know odey ogadeen ah ba gabyey markasa la qorey or something :lol:

That was a little fiction on my behalf…On a more serious note… do you think the Somali Language was written first and the rule was taken from the Arabs? How come they don't use the Arabic alphabet then? That would have been a more of logical thing to do… don't you think?
I believe some of our poetry was in same way inspired by arab poetry not all but some.

As for the somali language. It was always spoken then written down way after..It has nothing to do with arabic writing.

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:42 pm
by LaQaNyO
I tried listening to Arabic Poetry today :P Somali ones are way better :up: Maybe because, I understood no word and at the same time I was looking out for the rhythm..

Ps: Abowe i know it has nothing to do with Arabic writing.. shu mushkila akhi?

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:56 pm
by Xashi
check this video, poem written by one of the biggest scholars of islam to ever live Ibn Qayim.


Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:07 pm
by LaQaNyO
Cheers pal... I'll check it out now :up: but it might take me a little while :P

Re: Geniuses invent or the Easy opt out?

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:23 pm
by Xashi
take all the time you need :up:

this is another famous one. I like this recitation much better, check it.


Nunniya qaxatani.