THE VENUS MISS HARAR

THE VENUS
MISS HARAR
 
By Prof. Abdi Khalil
 
Said Gessi Ge’ Leeji[1]
Of Gisti Ge’ Qahaat[2].
 
Seen you at one of the festivals,
Shuwaal Eid[3], or elsewhere;
The glance I stole,
The memory of that day;
Wondering if the doors of heaven
Were wide opened that day.
 
Visualizing you always,
Every moment when awake or asleep
Playing continuously in all my senses.
 
Your unparalleled beauty and decency,
The sweet thoughts of yours
Flowing in my body with rhythms.
How are you ... Gisti Ge’ Qahaat?
Irresistible sensational creature,
Incarnation of every desirable quality
In the attar of roses and pool of beauty.
 
Seen you wearing
That colorful Ge’ Eraaz[4],
With that beautiful
Ge’ genaafi[5] of fine quality,
The traditional costume,
The pride of your society.
 
Seen you in that high level costume,
Shishiti shelal[6] and meritorious conduct;
You always shine in my soul,
You ... you the aura of love,
Eled[7] Gisti Ge’ Qahaat.
 
Your face is a full moon,
Shining from the center of heaven
With no jalibu or deprotozoa
Or make-up to lighten up the skin;
You are always my dream
Of all the natural beauty queen.
 
Your eyes are hurel eyni[8],
Emitting the golden rays for real
With that touch of kuhul[9];
 
Your haales[10] soft hair
Veiled with rubu'ae rubu'ae[11],
With baahat[12] in the middle;
Golden zerggef[13]
On your forehead as a spectacle;
Thinking of you always,
As my existence and guardian angel.
 
The kerofla[14], chelaal mott[15], ouzuun beelbeela[16],
The traditional pearls all over your ears;
Seeing your smooth neck a-glimpse
Ornamented by customized laazim[17];
 
The gleaming complexion with rosy cheeks,
Glorifying your attractions
In the realms of beauty universe.
 
Between those luscious lips,
I do see
The sparkling teeth;
Eloquent and ingenuous smile
Full of wondrous delights.
With your astonishing verities
And eminent virtues;
Be my life-time princess,
Mastering all my senses.
 
Do I hear
That melodic voice to my feelings,
A voice of innermost sweetness;
Raising me
To the blissful elated heights.
 
The sheader[18] and atlaas[19],
The elegant wearing of yours
The veiling of your beautiful haales[20] hair,
With that shaal[21], fotaa[22] or Harirr[23];
And the colorful Ge’ genaffi
All depicting your decency in dressing;
Keeping your cultural attires,
Respecting your traditional values.
 
Never have I got a chance,
To be touched with those soft finger tips
Decorated with those henna[24] touches.
 
Never have I resisted,
To see your sensational hands
Artistically colored with that henna[25];
The pretty wrists with many a shewaalia[26],
Enfold me with those smooth arms
Sensing your mysterious warm phenomena.
 
Being the rose of your family,
The Venus of your society;
Be the Nova of our family,
The icon of our unity.
 
 
 
Gisti Ge’ Qahaat
What make you even more special,
Under an azure sky,
Raising you above all
Are the inner beauties,
The intrinsic qualities,
Imaan[27], sebri[28], namusnet[29] and nesubnet[30],
The magnanimity of your characters,
The high-spirit-powered attitudes,
And gloriously magnetizing manners
You have developed over years.
 
Knowing how to keep your decency,
Waiting in patience and constancy;
In the formation of happy family,
That makes you the angel of soul unity.
 
Are you rescuing me
From the single-ness scholarship
And the cruelties of loneliness?
When shall heaven reward you to me?
 
To start the dynamic of togetherness,
To walk along the rosy paths,
To speak the language of oneness,
To listen the inspiration of love in silence,
To see the sparking-calling eyes,
And the glory of everlasting happiness.


 
SEEK TO LOVE -- LOVE THAT FOREVER BE
FOREVER TELL THE LOVE – LOVE THAT TOLD CAN BE
 
 
 


[1] gentle man of Harar
[2] lady of Harar
[3] festival especially designated for the ladies after the extra-completion of the fasting session. The 7th or 8th day after the end of the Month of Ramadan
[4] costumes or clothes from Harar; name given to the traditional dress
[5] lady’s  trouser, part of the decorated traditional clothes
[6] Richly decorated and colorful dress for the ladies
[7] rose; hence Eled Gisti Ge’ Qahaat literally means  rosy Harari lady
[8] eyes shining like star
[9] eye make-up
[10] smooth or soft hair
[11] a piece of colorful material, or the like worn by ladies
[12] a strip of decoration worn on the head by ladies
[13] golden or silver ornament worn around the forehead by Harari ladies at special occasions such as wedding invitations
[14] stylized earrings
[15] decorated earrings
[16] simple earrings
[17] big necklace made of gold or silver
[18] a piece of linen, or material worn by ladies to protect or cover their hair, and partly their faces. Sort of veil to cover their hair
[19] Harari ladies’ cultural dress or costume
[20] soft or smooth, and basically longish hair
[21] rebozo or a very colorful material or long and wide scarf worn by the ladies over their  heads and shoulders
[22] similar material as shaal , but a bit softer
[23] silk; part of the traditional clothes made of silk
[24] nail polish
[25] hand make-up or decoration on a lady’s hands or feet
[26] wrist-lace made of gold or silver; usually at least two or more on each wrist
[27] perseverance, inner strength and/or appreciativeness
[28] patience, perseverance
[29] decency or elegant manners
[30] inner beauty, intrinsic qualities