Jump to content

Ismail Mire: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 23: Line 23:
|children =
|children =
}}
}}
'''Ismail Mire Elmi''' was a Somali poet<ref>Africa - Volume 74, Issues 3-4 - Page 539 Diedrich Westermann, Edwin William Smith, Cyril Daryll Forde - 2004 "Ismail Mire, the dervish general and one of the greatest poets, stated in an interview that the Sayyid's 'men would ride up to a herdsman and say, "Join me and my brother and bring all your sheep and goats and camels," and if he agreed, they </ref><ref>Nagendra Kr Singh, Abdul Mabud Khan Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: Tribes, Castes and Communities 8187746106 - 2001 "Examples of classical Somali poems are Mohammed Abdulle Hassan's 'Hiin Finiin,' in praise of his favourite horse; Ismail Mire's 'The Rewards of Success,' a philosophical poem; and Abdillahi Muse's 'An Elder's Reproof to his Wife.' "</ref> who as [[commander in chief]], held the most senior position in the [[Dervish movement (Somali)|Darwiish]] army.<ref>Dictionary of African Biography - Volumes 1-6 - Page 170, Henry Louis Gates - 2012 -</ref> Within the khusuusi (governing council), he was also chief of intelligence operations.<ref>African Literatures in the 20th Century: A Guide - Page 161, Leonard S. Klein - 1986 </ref>
'''Ismail Mire Elmi''' was a Somali poet<ref>Africa - Volume 74, Issues 3-4 - Page 539 Diedrich Westermann, Edwin William Smith, Cyril Daryll Forde - 2004 "Ismail Mire, the dervish general and one of the greatest poets, stated in an interview that the Sayyid's 'men would ride up to a herdsman and say, "Join me and my brother and bring all your sheep and goats and camels," and if he agreed, they </ref><ref>Nagendra Kr Singh, Abdul Mabud Khan Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: Tribes, Castes and Communities 8187746106 - 2001 "Examples of classical Somali poems are Mohammed Abdulle Hassan's 'Hiin Finiin,' in praise of his favourite horse; Ismail Mire's 'The Rewards of Success,' a philosophical poem; and Abdillahi Muse's 'An Elder's Reproof to his Wife.' "</ref> who as [[commander in chief]], held the most senior position in the [[Dervish movement (Somali)|Darwiish]] army.<ref name="gates">Dictionary of African Biography - Volumes 1-6 - Page 170, Henry Louis Gates - 2012 -</ref> Within the khusuusi (governing council), he was also chief of intelligence operations.<ref>African Literatures in the 20th Century: A Guide - Page 161, Leonard S. Klein - 1986 </ref> One observer referred to his voice and poetic abilities as "so great that he could sing his countrymen into peace or war".<ref name="gates"/>


==Career==
==Career==
Mire started life as a pastoralist along the Haud plains which is the lifestyle he returned to towards the end of his life. Besides heading the army and military intelligence, he also supervised the maintenance of the numerous forts that were built by the Darwiish. Upon the defeat of the Darwiish, he was captured, and spent a stint in a Berbera prison.<ref>Literatures in African Languages: Theoretical Issues and Sample Surveys, B. W. Andrzejewski</ref>
Mire started life as a pastoralist along the Haud plains which is the lifestyle he returned to towards the end of his life. Besides heading the army and military intelligence, he also supervised the maintenance of the numerous forts that were built by the Darwiish. Upon the defeat of the Darwiish, he was captured, and spent a stint in a Berbera prison.<ref>Literatures in African Languages: Theoretical Issues and Sample Surveys, B. W. Andrzejewski</ref> Mire is one of the most successful generals in African history, with Mire leading the charges that led to the killing of [[Richard Corfield]] and destroyed almost the entirety of his battalion, besides successful raids or annexations of territories ranging from Berbera and Las Khorey in the north, [[Jigjiga]] to the west and [[Beledweyne]] to the south, thus by 1915 domineering over an area almost the size of Germany.<ref>Soof - Issues 1-14 - Page 45, 1996</ref>


==Poems==
==Poems==
Line 45: Line 45:
{{quote|All night, oh Mohamed, I was awake. Sleep abandoned me, my dear, as I thought about what the woman said. You destroyed my world she said. She said you attacked my homestead. She said you made me homeless and took my burdencamel. She said you killed my sons. She said you forced me to live in hunger in many rainy seasons. She said you slaughtered the brave. Let me recite a poem about her curse.... The dead that lay at the plains that Good (the Sayyid) attacked. The bones that were scattered everywhere one travelled. The she-camels looted from the Ogadeen. The wealth swiffly taken from the Isaaq.
{{quote|All night, oh Mohamed, I was awake. Sleep abandoned me, my dear, as I thought about what the woman said. You destroyed my world she said. She said you attacked my homestead. She said you made me homeless and took my burdencamel. She said you killed my sons. She said you forced me to live in hunger in many rainy seasons. She said you slaughtered the brave. Let me recite a poem about her curse.... The dead that lay at the plains that Good (the Sayyid) attacked. The bones that were scattered everywhere one travelled. The she-camels looted from the Ogadeen. The wealth swiffly taken from the Isaaq.
The poverty that forced young men to aimlessly roam about. The hunger that weakened the aristocrat. The people that dispersed hither and thither. The wisy areoplanes and dl that moved in the sky. The houses destroyed and the walls that fell. All of the death and tragedy that beset the people ... I was not the only one responsible for it, as death visited all}}
The poverty that forced young men to aimlessly roam about. The hunger that weakened the aristocrat. The people that dispersed hither and thither. The wisy areoplanes and dl that moved in the sky. The houses destroyed and the walls that fell. All of the death and tragedy that beset the people ... I was not the only one responsible for it, as death visited all}}

===Death of Corfield===
Upon killing Richard Corfield and his battalion, Ismail Mire composed the "Death of Corfield" poem:

{{quote|Mindful of our horses we pastured them at night; Gently we hobbled them, and let them eat lush fronds; When the Triplet Stars began to set I stirred and Sang; And when I chanted my poem, the sleeping awoke; Gathering around the place where my voice sounded; And when I said the Dawn prayer, we saddled for the march; By the Ulasameed rivulet I sent out the scouts; We rumbled into battle roaring like thunder; Our camels trampled where he held the Maxim gun; The dead littered the field including the toadying Iidoor; There, Corfield and his interpreters were slain. }}


==Biography==
==Biography==

Revision as of 18:10, 27 March 2019

Ismail Mire
Born1862
Lasadar, Buuhoodle, Dhulbahante Sultanate
Died1950
OccupationCommander-in-chief
EraScramble for Africa
OrganizationDarwiish

Ismail Mire Elmi was a Somali poet[1][2] who as commander in chief, held the most senior position in the Darwiish army.[3] Within the khusuusi (governing council), he was also chief of intelligence operations.[4] One observer referred to his voice and poetic abilities as "so great that he could sing his countrymen into peace or war".[3]

Career

Mire started life as a pastoralist along the Haud plains which is the lifestyle he returned to towards the end of his life. Besides heading the army and military intelligence, he also supervised the maintenance of the numerous forts that were built by the Darwiish. Upon the defeat of the Darwiish, he was captured, and spent a stint in a Berbera prison.[5] Mire is one of the most successful generals in African history, with Mire leading the charges that led to the killing of Richard Corfield and destroyed almost the entirety of his battalion, besides successful raids or annexations of territories ranging from Berbera and Las Khorey in the north, Jigjiga to the west and Beledweyne to the south, thus by 1915 domineering over an area almost the size of Germany.[6]

Poems

Some of his notable poems include:

  • Maxaa Xiga
  • Guuguulayhow
  • Iibsi Lacageed
  • Xoogsi
  • Hashii Markab
  • Isma Oga
  • Annagoo Taleex Naal
  • Gelin Dhexe
  • Galow-Kiciye

Eating Filth era

In the 1910s, an elderly woman cursed Ismail Mire for being responsible for the Harrame Cuna (Eating Filth) era. A distraught Mire responds by attempting to absolve himself through the following poem[7]:

All night, oh Mohamed, I was awake. Sleep abandoned me, my dear, as I thought about what the woman said. You destroyed my world she said. She said you attacked my homestead. She said you made me homeless and took my burdencamel. She said you killed my sons. She said you forced me to live in hunger in many rainy seasons. She said you slaughtered the brave. Let me recite a poem about her curse.... The dead that lay at the plains that Good (the Sayyid) attacked. The bones that were scattered everywhere one travelled. The she-camels looted from the Ogadeen. The wealth swiffly taken from the Isaaq. The poverty that forced young men to aimlessly roam about. The hunger that weakened the aristocrat. The people that dispersed hither and thither. The wisy areoplanes and dl that moved in the sky. The houses destroyed and the walls that fell. All of the death and tragedy that beset the people ... I was not the only one responsible for it, as death visited all

Death of Corfield

Upon killing Richard Corfield and his battalion, Ismail Mire composed the "Death of Corfield" poem:

Mindful of our horses we pastured them at night; Gently we hobbled them, and let them eat lush fronds; When the Triplet Stars began to set I stirred and Sang; And when I chanted my poem, the sleeping awoke; Gathering around the place where my voice sounded; And when I said the Dawn prayer, we saddled for the march; By the Ulasameed rivulet I sent out the scouts; We rumbled into battle roaring like thunder; Our camels trampled where he held the Maxim gun; The dead littered the field including the toadying Iidoor; There, Corfield and his interpreters were slain.

Biography

Legacy

Ismail Mire International Airport is named after him.

References

  1. ^ Africa - Volume 74, Issues 3-4 - Page 539 Diedrich Westermann, Edwin William Smith, Cyril Daryll Forde - 2004 "Ismail Mire, the dervish general and one of the greatest poets, stated in an interview that the Sayyid's 'men would ride up to a herdsman and say, "Join me and my brother and bring all your sheep and goats and camels," and if he agreed, they
  2. ^ Nagendra Kr Singh, Abdul Mabud Khan Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: Tribes, Castes and Communities 8187746106 - 2001 "Examples of classical Somali poems are Mohammed Abdulle Hassan's 'Hiin Finiin,' in praise of his favourite horse; Ismail Mire's 'The Rewards of Success,' a philosophical poem; and Abdillahi Muse's 'An Elder's Reproof to his Wife.' "
  3. ^ a b Dictionary of African Biography - Volumes 1-6 - Page 170, Henry Louis Gates - 2012 -
  4. ^ African Literatures in the 20th Century: A Guide - Page 161, Leonard S. Klein - 1986
  5. ^ Literatures in African Languages: Theoretical Issues and Sample Surveys, B. W. Andrzejewski
  6. ^ Soof - Issues 1-14 - Page 45, 1996
  7. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/NQ50037.pdf
Stub icon

This Somali biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ismail_Mire&oldid=889748777"