Eulogy to Gariye.

Eulogy To Gariye; by: prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

As lecturer of university of Hargeisa, Gariye was my colleague. He was great poet, educated and knowledgeable. He was learned,intellectual, erudite and well-read.  Few people know he was biology major as his fame in poetry world overshadowed it.

I always tried to have tea with him at break-time so that I would share with him some of my concerns of national issues. When I put an issue forward, he usually portrayed it artistically and enthusiastically as I expected. In my turn I also explained it in such a way that Gariye showed his respect by listening to me. I will miss him as one of few people I share same wavelength in thinking and analysis.

Gariye was educated and knowledgeable. He was also wise in his poetry as well as public life. In private life, I have no idea. Education being knowledge based on curriculum and age, Knowledge has no boundary in both terms. Knowledge is acquired from environment: friends, mosque, internet, TV, radio, etc.  A small child can be more knowledgeable than an old man or woman.  On the other hand, knowledgeable or educated person can be expert in special area while wisdom is about experience, judgment and taking wise decisions or giving consultancy to others.

 What is poetry? By definition, Poetry is expressing idea or feeling in rhythmic style of language. The idea in poetry can be acquired through education or knowledge. Educated or knowledgeable person can be proud but wise man or woman is humble. Wisdom is always associated with age; it is true because it stems from experience while knowledge is acquired through informal learning and practicing.

However, any knowledgeable person should not necessarily be educated. Similarly any educated individual should not necessarily be intellectual. On the other hand, any knowledgeable person should not necessarily be wise.

Abdi Qays and Hassan Ganey are great poets, knowledgeabe and wise but not educated at least in the formal sense of the word, but unlike Hadrawi and Gariye, they are local pure philosophers and artists.

By: Prof. Abdi Ali Jama