This is a list of Somali poets. Somali society is synonymous with poetry and also has a longstanding oratory tradition. Of internationally available published verse,

Arabic poetry Arabic poetry ( ar, الشعر العربي ''ash-shi‘ru al-‘Arabīyyu'') is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry ...

has the oldest and most diverse corpus. With

Greater Somalia Greater Somalia ( so, Soomaaliweyn, ar, الصومال الكبرى ''As-Sūmal al-Kubra'') is a concept to unite all ethnic Somalis comprising the regions in or near the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis live and have historically inhabited ...

's proximity to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, similar attachments to poetry exist in

Somali culture The culture of Somalia is an amalgamation of traditions in that were developed independently since the Proto-Somali era. The hypernym of the term ''Somali'' from a geopolitical sense is ''Horner'' and from an ethnic sense, it is '' Cushite''. Ove ...

and traditions. Poetry has played an important role in Somali society since antiquity. Urban and rural poets memorized entire volumes of poems, with some spanning centuries.

A

Abdillahi Suldaan Mohammed Timacade Abdillahi Suldaan Mohammed "Timacadde" ( so, Cabdilaahi Suldaan Maxamed, ar, عبد الله سلطان محمد) was a Somali poet. He was among the most prominent bards of his day. Biography Timacade was born in 1920 in the small town of Galoo ...

* Abdulle Ge

Dada Masiti Mana Sitti Habib Jamaladdin ( ar, مانا ستي حبيب جمال الدين) ( 1810s – 15 July 1919), commonly known as Dada Masiti ("Grandmother Masiti"), was a Somali poet, mystic and Islamic scholar. She composed her poetry in the Bravane ...

* Aadan-Gurey Maxamed Cabdille * Yamyam - Abdulkadir Hersi Siyad Abdulle Raage Taraawiil

F

Farah Hussein Sharmarke Farah Hussein Sharmarke (Af Soomaali: Faarax Xuseen Sharmaaarke, Arabic:فارح حسين شر ماركئ ) was a Somalian poet who composed poems during the 1940s and early 1950s whilst living in Isiolo, Kenya. Biography Farah was born in 1926 ...

H

* Haji Ali Majeerteen *

Hassan Sheikh Mumin Hassan Sheikh Mumin ( so, Xasan Sheekh Muumiin, ar, حسن الشيخ مؤمن) (1931 – 16 January 2008) was a Somali poet, playwright, broadcaster, actor and composer. Biography Mumin was born in 1931 in the northwestern town of Zelia, ...

I

Ismail Mire Ismail Mire Elmi ( so, Ismaaciil Mire Cilmi), was a renowned Somali poet and one of the most senior Darawiish generals. He served within the movement's governing council (Khusuusi), often responsible for intelligence operations.Dictionary of Afr ...

K

k'naan Keinan Abdi Warsame (born 1 February 1978) ( so, Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, ar, كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَ ''Kaynān ʿAbdi Warsama''), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali-Canadian musician. He rose to prominence ...

L

Ladan Osman Ladan Osman ( so, Laadan Cismaan, ar, لادان عثمان) is a Somali- American poet and teacher. Her poetry is centered on her Somali and Muslim heritage, and has been published in a number of prominent literary magazines. In 2014, she was ...

M

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (1943 – 18 August 2022), known by the pseudonym Hadrawi, was a Somali poet, philosopher and songwriter. Having written many notable protest works, Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare, and his poetry has been ...

(Hadraawi) *

Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Sayid Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan ( so, Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan; 1856–1920) was a Somali religious and military leader of the Dervish movement, which led a two-decade long confrontation with various colonial empires including the British, ...

(Sayid Mohamed) *

Mohamud Siad Togane Mohamud Siad Togane ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Toogane, ar, محمد سياد توغن; born July 1, 1947) is a Somali-Canadian poet and peace activist. Biography Born in Somalia, Togane was educated in Mennonite schools in Mahaddei and Jowhar in his ...

* ,

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Nuruddin Farah Nuruddin Farah ( so, Nuuradiin Faarax, ar, نورالدين فارح) (born 24 November 1945) is a Somali novelist. His first novel, ''From a Crooked Rib'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East ...

S

Said Salah Ahmed Said Salah Ahmed ( so, Saciid Saalax Axmed, ar, سعيد صالح أحمد) is a Somalis, Somali playwright, poet, educator and filmmaker. Life Said Salah was previously a biology teacher in Somalia. In 1984-1985, Ahmed directed his first featur ...

Shadya Yasin Shadya Yasin ( so, Shaadiyya Yaasiin; ar, شادية ياسين) is a Somali people, Somali social activist, poet and teacher. Personal life Yasin was born around 1984 in Somalia. Later living for a period in Tanzania and Kenya, she emigrated to ...

Shaykh Sufi Abd Al-Rahman bin Abdullah al Shashi ( ar, عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله الشاشي) (b. 1829 - 1904), popularly known as Sheikh Sufi, was a 19th-century Somali scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist. Life Sheikh Sufi was born in M ...

W

Warsame Shire Awale Warsame Shire Awale ( so, Warsame Shireh Awaale, ar, ورسمه شيري اوال) (c. 1951 – 29 October 2012) was a prominent Somali poet, playwright and songwriter. He was assassinated in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, becoming the 18th media ...

Warsan Shire Warsan Shire (born 1 August 1988) is a British writer, poet, editor and teacher, who was born to Somali parents in Kenya. In 2013 she was awarded the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize, chosen from a shortlist of six candidates o ...

Yamyam Yamyam (born Abdulkadir Hersi Siyad, 4 September 1946 – October 22, 2005) ( so, Cabdiqaadir Xirsi Siyaad (Yamyam), ar, "عبد قادر حرس سياد "يميم) or Yam Yam was a Somali poet and playwright. Yamyam was one of the main contr ...

References

{{Lists of poets

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Poets A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Somalian poets