Hadrawi

Hadrawi was born in Balli-Alanle near Qorilugud, situated in the Togdheer region of Somaliland, then part of British Somaliland.^[6] Hadrawi hails from the Ahmed Farah sub-division of the Habr Je'lo Isaaq. His family consisted of one girl and eight boys. In 1953, at the age of nine, he went to live with an uncle in the Yemeni port city of Aden. There Warsame began attending a local school, where he received the nickname "Hadrawi" (Abu Hadra), a pseudonym by which he is now popularly known. In 1963, he became a primary school teacher.

After British Somaliland gained independence on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland and then formed a union with the Trust Territory of Somalia (who gained independence on 1 July 1960), Hadrawi relocated from Aden to Mogadishu, the newly formed Somali Republic’s capital, and began working for Radio Mogadishu. In Mogadishu, he both attended and later taught at the Lafoole University (Afgooye). He also worked for the government's Department of Information.

In addition to love lyrics, he was a powerful commentator on the political situation and critic of the then military regime in Mogadishu (former Italian Somalia section) who allegedly oppressed the former portion of British Somaliland, for which he was imprisoned between 1973 and 1978.^[2]

In 1973, Hadrawi wrote the poem Siinley and the play Tawaawac ('Lament'), both of which were critical of the military government that was then in power. For this dissent, he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Qansax Dheere until April 1978.

Following his release from prison in 1978, Hadrawi became director of the arts division of the Academy of Science, Arts and Literature in Somalia.^[7] He later joined the Somali National Movement, an opposition group based in Ethiopia during the rule of Siad Barre.^[8] During the conflict, Hadrawi became known for poetry addressing political repression and the experiences of the Somali people.^[9]

Hadrawi relocated to United Kingdom in 1991 after the liberation of (fr British) Somaliland and revocation of the union between fr. British Somaliland and fr. Italian Somalia. With Somaliland (Fr. British Somaliland going back to its original borders of 26 June 1960). During this period, he traveled frequently throughout Europe and North America to participate in folklore and poetry festivals.

In 1999, Hadrawi returned once more to his native Somaliland, this time settling in Hargeisa. The following year, the mayor of Chicago invited him to participate in the latter city's Millennium Festival. Hadrawi later lived in Burao, and reportedly made a (hajj) pilgrimage to Mecca.

Hadrawi died in Hargeisa, Somaliland on 18 August 2022, at the age of 79.^[10][11]

Besides volumes of poems and dozens of plays, Hadrawi participated in numerous collaborations with popular vocal artists. His lyrical corpus includes:

• "Baladweyn" – song performed by Hasan Adan Samatar in 1974
• "Jacayl Dhiig ma Lagu Qoraa?" – sung by Magool, and later translated by Hanna Barket as "Is Love Written in Blood?" or "Do You Write Love in Blood?". Another translation of the song by the British linguist and Somali Studies doyen Martin Orwin is "Has Love Been Blood-written?".^[12]

In 2012, Hadraawi was awarded the Prince Claus Award for his contributions to peace through poetry.^[13]

• Hooya la'anta ('Motherlessness')
• Beled Wayn
• Hablaha geeska
• Gudgude
• Siinley
• Sirta nolosha
• Tawaawac
• Aqoon iyo afgarad
• Deeley
• Hawaale warran
• Bulshooy

All the translations are by Poetry Translation Centre

• Salaan Carrabey
• Kite Fiqi