Reflections on Hadrawi's Masterpiece Epic: Indho-Badan

Somali literature is teeming with a valuable record of poems, traditional descriptive narrations, proverbs, and axioms detailing women's vital role in all aspects of life. In this regard, Mohamed I Warsame, alias "Hadraawi", is the most prominent Somali poet and educationist who contributed the most precious, heartfelt, and enduring literature about women without much contest. 

Hadraawi, a former professor of literature at the National Somali Univerisity, a songwriter, historian, and thinker, can be deservedly appointed to be Somali women's spokesperson: the champion of their rights and the defender of their status and wellbeing in society. At any stage of their journey in life, in every situation they are passing through and with whatever experience they are having, he stood by them and took their side: dispensed priceless advice and contributed moral lessons for decent and dignified lives. He is a man who never shies away from confronting the conventional norms by adopting the instruments of active persuasion while dissecting the misfortunes, sins and violations men inflicted and continue to exact on women.  

 

Indho-Badan is a marvellous example of such courage, eloquence, and style. Hadrawi starts the poem with several verses that could take numerous equally ambiguous interpretations as he usually does with his poem's prologue; he always calls upon readers to bother themselves and deliberate on the meaning, purpose and message behind his polemics. For me, the introductory stanza carries a nostalgic historical memory of a time women had the upper arm. Hadrawi's reminiscing about Araweelo's era can be subtly discerned from the verses. Nevertheless, he wonders whether the subjugation women face today resulted from a longstanding vendetta instigated by bygone transgressions committed against men by the legendary queen when she appropriated the authorities of her king husband. This hypothetical question seeks to answer the mind-boggling "why" behind the ruthless aggression women currently endure.

 

Hadrawi proceeds to remind us of the volatile reality of our existence in this world by drawing our attention to the inevitability of change. He takes examples from our natural habitat in an attempt to capture the astonishing simplicity of changing tides and how they can sweep our fate into unpredictable fortunes. 

"Ban aroori kaxaa- Mar ugbaadku sima. 

Meel aboor degey ba. Mar iftiin ka baxa. 

Gole aammus badna.. Mar mar baa idhi taa

Anda-qaad ku bataa." 

He rejoices how an arid, dry and deserted prairie, sometimes flourishes with abundant flowers and greenery; how a site infested by termites buzzes afterwards with life; and how a council gloomily succumbed to silence for a long time suddenly revives with boastful chatter.

 

Ubah, a young orphaned girl, has been living in abject deprivation for many years: hungry and malnourished, unadorned and dishevelled, thirsty and dehydrated, uneducated, and her future neglected. As human conditions seldomly forever last, the time has turned to her favour, and she has grown into a young belle: beautiful, meticulous and warm. Surprisingly, she is getting unwarranted attention from men who were recently oblivious to her very existence, not because, at last, a spell of compassion engulfed them, but because their lustful urges led them on a leash like a camel hurriedly en route to a waterhole. Everyone wants to reach her first, win the trophy, and shriek at her agony when he slaughters her soul and dignity when he disgustingly defiles her innocence.

 

Hadrawi had been following the girl's saga from the beginning; observing her every step, notwithstanding the lavish affection being sprinkled upon the damsel and her credulous gullibility, he sensed danger; therefore, he had to intervene. Engulfed by emotional rage, he composed one of his most impassioned poems. He took men to a harsh public court without clemency: the Indha-Badan tercet interspersed with examples from real-life scenarios and brilliant logical deductions. Hadraawi directed the arrows of condemnation at men and their irresponsible delinquencies, their lustful chase behind instant lewd pleasures regardless of the everlasting devastation and pain their profane actions may leave behind.  

"Naca jooji arbow

Eela weynta hambee

Ayaxow ayaxow

Ayaxow weligaa

Ayda waad dhilataa

Eelna waad ka tagtaa

Aafadaada miyaa

Aagna looga gudbayn?"

 

He draws a profound analogy of man's sex-driven coursing to that of swarms of hungry locust. Locust, hastily consumes large fields of cultivated land with the slightest concern of the consequences, and indeed, without quenching its greed; in parallel to that, men, with their uninhibited debauchery erode compassion, empathy and caring out of the wounded hearts of those girls they led astray with their lechery. He exclaims; how a man who wickedly desecrated a dozen girls' prime beauty can, yet brazenly, desire a flawless chaste bride?. 

 

Hadraawi takes Ubah's memory back to the days of her invisible childhood when she was lonely, bereaved, deprived of childhood enjoyment, hungry for, cold, and needed support and care; why hadn't they dispense before a snippet of the attention these raunchy camels showering on her. Hadraawi counts many ways they could have helped her overcome her parents' loss and build a bright, productive life. They missed all those opportunities to better your life because you were not appealing to their deviant motives; you were not ripe enough to satisfy their animalistic concupiscence 

"Abeer baanad ahayn

Oogadaan ku billayn

Awrtan qooqday haddeer

Abaar ba kulanteen". 

In a fatherly manner, the poet stresses that she owes nothing to men; hence, she must be very doubtful about their fervent advances toward her and be careful about their plans. Written with the usual beautiful melodic lyrics characteristic of Hadraawi, the poem dispenses an invaluable lesson about the treacherous deceptions men use to prey on unsuspecting young women. It unapologetically delves into the unspoken taboo of malign courtship by exposing the multifaceted honeytraps some morally dry men employ to entice women to let go of their guard and surrender their dignity. 

 

To confirm that his advice has produced the expected outcome and not to spare misinterpretation a room in his message, the poet poses a rhetorical educational question directly to Ubah:

"rag miyaad Ubaxeey alabkiisa taqaan?"  Ooh Ubah, do you know the tricks of men? 

Then he answers with a stomach-churning depiction of utmost cruelty and a frightening absence of a living conscience from some self-absorbed men. 

"Asaydaada mar buu Ashqaraar huwiyaa. 

Al-alooska gobeed

Waa ka aar gudashoo" 

Sometimes, in pursuit of their masochistic pleasures, they throw an adorned garnish on your coffin. The compliments, gifts, and exaggerated courtship, are nothing but a prelude to an old and renewed bitter revenge that men cover with a silk embellishment. It is a plot to steal your most precious and dearest possessions: they steal your innocence, your femininity, your dignity، your humanity, your independence, your peace of mind, and the purity of your soul. Oh Ubah, hyenas do not shed tears with their prey the moment their fangs are implanted in their ribs 

"Lama ooyo dhurwaa.. Ishinkuu legdadee".  

Likewise, men do not sympathise with the girl they rob her innocence, and her misfortune signifies a victory for their cunning and deceit. For men, her tears are nothing but a moment of ecstatic pride that overwhelms them with happiness and self-admiration.

"Gabadh iilatay hooy 
Ayaanteeda madow 
Alwadkeedu ninkuu 
Alalaas geliyaa 
Uur ku taallada wuu 
Wuu ka iidsanyahoo". 

After that frightening warning, perhaps to further confront her with the harsh reality, he holds her hand to make her witness for herself some of those who did slip into the snare. Knock this door, says the poet, how many groans, wailings and feelings of panic are coming from behind it. In this room, a new mother has sadness, remorse, and frustration clouding her soul; Bitterness filled her heart because dogs just devoured her newborn

"Ba albaabkan garaac
Ummul baa hurudee
Wax ku oogan xanuun
Aamanuun gubayoo 
Umal baa shidayoo
Ammuurii dhacay bay
La asqaysantahoo
Ilmahay dihataa xalay eydu cuntee".

What happened to mother's mercy and tenderness? All disappeared when a grave injustice is inflicted upon her. Here, the poem highlights one fundamental fact, the eternal relationship between the fair and dignified treatment a woman receives from her spouse, his family and the society and the empathy, compassion and care she showers upon his offspring. It asserts that a mother's mercifulness emanates from the modest righteous manner through which her womanhood is legitimately owned 

"Naxariista Illayn
Anshax baa dhaliyee". 

The pride and the honour that engulfed the woman when she is proposed to and graciously wedded is reflected in her offspring in the form of kindness and love. Sexual liberalism is a hallmark of the modern feminist's idealogy to the extent that some extremists among their ranks fight for absolutely abolishing traditional norms and religious morals. They call for adopting a hedonistic approach to human intimacy and intercourse according to personal choices. Hadrawi considers sex outside legitimate wedlock a violation of a woman's honour and a deep indentation in her self-respect. Because the consequences are ominous for her alone. Alone, she bears the brunt of the fruits of the sinful encounter. Even though two are responsible for the despicable act, only she is blamed for the disappointing outcome. she receives a painful rejection and shame for her entire entity, not just for the sin that could be atoned by sincere contrition. Subsequently, her kind and motherly heart is filled with rage, despair and resentment that impels her to ditch her baby for the wild dogs. 

"Haddii uurka habreed 
Astaan gaara lahaa
Hooyadii amranayd
Arxan goysey markuu.
Xeer illow ku dhacoo 
Ubadkii magantaa
Haadku eeganayaa".

Finally, Hadraawi issues a red alert for the girls at the age of Ubah. He is warning them about playfulness, about vainly seeking men's attention and being cheaply attainable. He implores with them to be vigilant and tread cautiously when approached by men. He emphatically reiterates his previous beastly depiction of men. 

"Ubaxeey bahalaa
Ku ilaashanayoo
Ubaxeey hororaa
Ku ugaadhsanayoo
Araraa kugu dhow
Orgobaa fadhiyoo" 

Ow Ubah, brutes are hovering around you, watching; degenerates are hunting you. Around your vicinities, monsters are lurking waiting to pounce upon you in a moment of indiscretion. Many are anticipating you to slip and let go of your guard, so don't be like a mute mule that a hungry savage can quickly gorge. Men are only turned away by a thick injurious stick; hence, it is your adoration, if you keep your gems save even from me. 

"Rag ul baa celisoo
Ka adkayso qudhay
Amaantaadu tahee."

Hardaawi's objective was not to drive a wedge between men and women nor to masculate women at their partners' expense; his aim was to awaken our consciousness to a vital prerequisite for creating a healthy, well-balanced civilised society: the position of women, whether they are old and frail, young and vulnerable or mature and strong is what he intended to define. 

His outlook on the issue emanates from a traditionalist perspective blended with simple religious moralism. Girls' education stands out as the most crucial tool a society can employ to improve conditions for women, hence empowering them to take hold of their fate and position in the community. Hadrawi repeatedly cites education in this poem as the most significant favour a child can be granted, mainly, a girl without education is as if she is sentenced to a lifetime of misery and suffering. 

“Alif waa derejee
Aqoon may ku geshaan
Erey may ku faraan
Loo adeegsado meel
Aayahaaga hor yiil
May ammaan ka dhigaan”. 

That tool is still valid for the purported goal, and although we have come a long way since this poem came to life, young girls lag behind their male peers in the numbers enrolled in schools every year. Such a sad reality makes it imperative for us to transform Hadrawi's message into guiding principles for re-balancing our society to prevent opportunism for hitchhiking a critical national matter.