Cilmi Boodhari, Somali Love martyr! -(Series)
Doqonow Jacaylow, (You Daft! Called Love)
Dumarkaba ma layside, (you [love] do not hurt woman)
Ma raggaa laguu diray, (is your mission to afflict men)
Oo laguugu daw galay. (And perish them all)
~Somali Song
Most Somali Romantic stories end with the tragic demise of a lover, often this is the man.
Famous stories such as that of Cilmi boodhari who perished because of unrequited love, today we recite his poetry still and besotted lovers would qoute his songs to their loved ones. Every Somali knows Cilmi boodhari, a baker in Berbera who fell in love with Hodan.
His first and ultimate mistake was to publicly recite poetry to declare his romantic intensions. In Somali tradition at the time, praising a woman apart from your betrothed was considered a crime of honour.
Her family vowed that he will not ever wed Hodan, his family in retaliation brought Cilmi a throng of provocatively dressed young woman and asked Him ; take your pick, up to four to marry. Cilmi, despite being young and erupting with bodily desires chose to never betray his impossible love and said;
Qosolkaa yaryari, waa waxaad nagu qaldaysaane
Inaan Eebahay idin qatalin, qariya laabtiina!
Tis with your smiles, we [men] are misled
Lest you spare God's fury [upon you], hide your breasts [from me].
Shortly after, Cilmi went ill. Off food and water. Restless. He grew weaker, yet recited more poetry from what was effectively his deathbed. Cilmi's premature death and poetry made it across the 5 corners of Somali peninsula! shanta Soomaaliyeed.
Lovers and tourists will pilgrimage to Cilmi's bakery and grave. Everyone who visits Berbera would ask about Cilmi's bakery, house, grave, etc.
Cilmi would never end up marrying Hodan, not even drinking Shaah together. They had no Calaf (Kismet) .
We would never know the full story, was he poisoned? did Cilmi die of mental anguish, unable to sleep or eat until his heart gave away because of extreme dehydration? Was he sick with consumption or another communicable disease?
Xaasha!, no one would allow me to exhume his saintly remains in Batalaale for an autopsy, rightly so too.
Some dare call Somali men unromantic Nomads, forgetting about historical martyrs such as Cilmi and Qays. Jacayl waa loo dhintaa.
Dumaraw markaad jacayl u dhimataan ragga la dooda.
