A wonderfully self-confident dance song from Somalia. The poem distinguishes the best grass for grazing and the best for hay-making or winter fodder.
The best dance is the dance of the Eastern clans,
The best people are ourselves,
Of this I have always been sure.
The best wealth is camels,
The duur grass is the best fresh grazing,
The dareemo grass is the best hay,
Of this I have always been sure.
from Somali Poetry (1964)
B.W. Andrzejewski & I.M. Lewis
Oxford University Press
