Somali poetry has very precise rules — a skilled poem must follow strict patterns of rhythm and alliteration (where important words begin with the same sound). One of the most famous forms is called 'gabay', a long formal poem that might run to dozens of verses. Composing a truly great gabay is considered an extraordinary achievement, like becoming a champion athlete or a great musician elsewhere in the world.
What makes Somali poetry especially remarkable is that it was almost entirely oral — passed on by memory, not writing — for most of its history. Skilled poets called 'abwaan' would compose poems and perform them aloud, and listeners who admired them would memorise them and recite them to others, carrying the poems across hundreds of miles. A popular poem might spread across the entire country this way.
Somali poetry covers every subject imaginable — the beauty of landscapes, the loyalty of a good camel, the longing for a distant friend, the importance of wisdom. There are even famous poems written as playful contests or 'debates' between two poets. Today, Somali poetry is performed at ceremonies, on the radio, on television and online, keeping this ancient art very much alive.