Bal Eeg (Gudniin ) A poem in Somali on Female Genital Mutilation with English translation

Bal Eeg (Gudniin ) with audio version

Quraanka iyo ilayska bal eeg

Waxan Eebbe ku sheegin bal eeg

Awowgaa ku dhaqmaayey bal eeg

Ayaad aayado mooddee bal eeg

Anbad baad ku jirtaaye bal eeg

Aqligaaga u fiirso bal eeg

Upon the Quran, the light, reflect

on what God said, reflect

and that which He did not say, reflect.

Reflect, if you may, and you will know it is only

but a custom, a tradition of your forefathers

that you mistook for God’s command.

Reflect, if you may, and you will know

that you indeed have lost your way

Reflect, if you may, and surely

you will return to your sound mind!

Ilaahay asturaadda bal eeg

Siduu meesha u uumay bal eeg

Inaan eediba gaadhin bal eeg

Malko loogu adkeeyey bal eeg

Arxan loogu dhammeeyey bal eeg

Asalkii nolosheena bal eeg

Upon how God protected the organ, reflect

Upon how God created it, reflect

Reflect, if you may, on how God kept it

safe from all harm

Upon how God made it Impregnable, reflect

Reflect, if you may, on how God endowed it

with all care and mercy

Upon the origin of our life, reflect.

Si aanay u asqoobin bal eeg

Ummushu uga irdhoobin bal eeg

Ilmaheeda u hiifin bal eeg

Ilaahay asmadiisa bal eeg

Elaastiigga ka yeelay bal eeg

Adna aad ku adkaysay bal eeg.

Upon how God spared the mother

From anguish and despair, reflect

on how God spared her from

resenting her offspring, reflect

Reflect, if you may, on how God shows us his signs

by fashioning the organ elastic;

Reflect, on how you insist on constricting it

and mutilating it, reflect.

Ib ilaahay baneeyey bal eeg

Inaad awddo awoodda bal eeg

Keligaa isa siisay bal eeg

Noloshii unkamaysay bal eeg

Ama tii Imanaysay bal eeg

Afaafkeeda ka oodday bal eeg

Reflect, if you may, on how God cleared the passage

And upon how audaciously you allow yourself

to close it, reflect.

Reflect, if you may, on how much power

You endow yourself with

by blocking the way to the life being conceived

and blocking the way to the life being born

O reflect on that, if you may!

Araggeegiyo nuurka bal eeg

Raxmaddaa ifka joogta bal eeg

Adna uub u qodayso bal eeg

Ubaxaa ad il duuftay bal eeg

Aynigeega dilayso bal eeg

Aqligaaga u fiirso bal eeg.

O reflect, if you may, on how glowing

how perfect she is

O reflect, if you may, on this mercy

that Heaven gifted the world

O reflect, if you may, on how  

you insist on burying her

O reflect, if you may, on that bloom

You failed to see;

O reflect, upon the grace you kill,

O reflect, if you may, and surely

you will return to your sound mind

                                    Bashir Goth, Wednesday 15^th Jan. 2014.

Audio version