EGEH
ATTEYE (CIGE CAATEEYE): A PHILOSOPHER POET
Compiled
and introduced by Bashir Goth*
Egeh
Atteye was a nomad poet who lived in the Guban areas of the Awdal region,
particularly in the picturesque mountainous areas of today’s Baki district such
as Beysaare, Qardhiile, Dibiraweyn, and Dhuxun up to the coastal region of
lughaya. A polite, well respected and low profile person who rarely mingled
with people, Egeh was known for his philosophical poetry that reflected on
metaphysical issues such as reality, life, death, and the relationship between
soul and the cosmos. Although he sees truth to be found in Islam, his verse
transcends to universal truths. He was also a social critic who lampooned what
he saw as the social ills that ruined the family fabric and the welfare of the
community in an entertaining and satire narrative verse.
Just
like the Islamic Sufi poets such as Rumi and Hafiz, Egeh uses simple but deeply
reflective language in conveying his message. But unlike the medieval Muslim
Sufis, Egeh doesn’t cloud his message with esoteric metaphors but uses his
metaphors and imagery skilfully with the greatest effect that makes the reader
either shudder with fear or become ecstatic with hope. One cannot read any of
Egeh’s poems without stopping on it and being reflective. He doesn’t preach
you, but he embraces you and takes you with him to show you things and then
leaves you there to contemplate and make your own mind.
In
the following poems, I divided Egeh’s poems into two categories. The first category
includes poems that carry theological/philosophical themes and the second category
includes poems that echo his voice as a social critic. See the poems at the link below:
Egeh Atteye's Poetry in Somali