Thierno Abdourahmane Bah

Thierno Abdourahmane Bah (1916 – 22 September 2013) was Guinean writer, poet, Muslim theologian and Fula political personality of Fouta Djallon. He is regarded as one of the most important representatives of Islamic science and Fula culture of Fouta Djallon.

Thierno Abdourahmane spent the last years of his life in Labe, where it died 22 September 2013 at the age of 97; he is buried 23 September 2013 in the concession of his father, near the Grand Mosque Karamoko Alpha Mo Labe.

The literary production in Pular has been for the most part published originally in the form of loose leaves in manuscript. The author himself was not concerned of the conservation of his works until later in his lifetime that resulted to the loss of many manuscripts without doubt. A Talibe student of Maaci in Pita, Guinea sent him one day a copy of a manuscript about Amicale Gilbert Viellard (Agv) that Thierno Abdourahmane did not have in his procession. Apha I. Sow has published, in “the Woman, The Cow and the Faith” (1966) three Poems: Fuuta hettii bhuttu, Kaaweedji Djamaanu Meen, and Faatunde Siriifu Sagale. Boubacar B. Diallo has also published an anthology, Gimi Pular, containing two of the texts cited by Alpha Ibrahima Sow and the poem on the Independence of Guinea, Lagine Rindhii (1974). A first collection prepared by the author himself has been printed in Guinea; Conakry entitled Gimi Pular (1987). There is a list of Almamis and major scholars of the Fouta Djallon, the anthem in Fouta (Futa hettii bhuttu), a series of didactic poems about the country, the independence of Guinea, the wonders of our time, and the tribute to Cherif Sagale, the hymn to the Prophet savior. Thierno Abdourahmane has tried to broaden the field of action of poets to other topics, for example: the material progress or the feeling of nature. It is not however clear of conventional trends, the religion and morals. However, he did not disengage of the classic trends, religion and morality themes. Thierno Abdourahmane resolves the lexical aspect of the development of African languages in the most natural way by adopting the designations with which objects or actions have been brought. This practice is also in Ogirde Malal of Thierno Mamadou Samba Mombeya. After this literary aspect of progress, the poet passes without transition to a different object, the strong condemnation of the abuse of power by the former canton chiefs. This part is a satirical breath, where emerges the compassion for the weak people, the anger against the injustice and tyranny.

The text is warmly welcomed by the leaders of Gilbert Viellard (AGV), including Mr. Yacine Diallo. The poem was multiplied and distributed widely throughout the Fouta. Thierno Abdourahmane is elected head of the section of the Agv in Labé, he composed, on the occasion of the Association's convention in city, the Hymn to Peace and Fouta Djallon , which was welcomed with an unprecedented success. The poem describes a remarkable lyricism the suffering of the "war effort", duties that were tyrannically imposed on the population during the period 1940–1944. In contrast to the miseries of war and oppression, men and territories of the Fouta-Djallon are magnified, to urge the love of country, explaining what this love is. The poem ends in inviting the foutankes at work and to the study. Thierno Abdourahmane displays the color of the favorite themes of his poetic inspiration: the love and compassion for the humble, the exhortation to the study and work, the love of the Homeland: Themes eminently democratic, socialists or at least philanthropists that it will resume more than once.

The Son will piously highlight this quote in his book, Wasiyyat-tu Al-Walidi. There were at the doudhal, after the death of Thierno Aliou in the month of March 1927, students more advanced, who were repeaters and assistants of education. Thierno Mamadou Sow, son of Thierno Oumarou Perejo, Thierno Abdoullahi Rumirgo, son of Salli Ouri, Thierno Oumarou Kana of Taranbali, the man of confidence, the "preferred disciple " of Thierno Aliou, Thierno Jawo Pellel, the poet, who later wrote about his colleague and elder:

There were at the end, at Thierno Aliou Doudhal in the month of March 1927, more advanced students that acted as tutors and teaching assistants. Thierno Mamadou sow, son of Thierno Oumar Perejo, and Thierno Abdoullahi Roumirgo, son of Salli Ouri. There were also Thierno Oumar Kaana of Taranbaali, the favorite disciple of Thierno Aliou. There were also Thierno Jawo Pellel, the poet, who later wrote about his colleague and elder:

After the death of his father in 1927, Thierno Abdourahmane Bah, age eleven had learned to read and write the Koran, the first cycle of the traditional teaching Fouta-Djallon. He enrolled at Thierno Oumar Pereedjo Dara – Labe, where he studied from 1927 to 1935. Thierno Oumar was a disciple trained in the school of Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndiyan , of whom he was the nephew. Thierno Abdourahmane Bah learned from his cousin: Grammar (nahaw), Law (fiqh), theology (Tawhid), as well as other specialties (Fannu, bayan, Tasrif, Maani). The Tafsir (Annotated translation of the Koran) marked the normal term of the studies, and gave him, in accordance with tradition, the title of Thierno. In his first years of study, Thierno Bah Abdourahmane manifests real poetic gifts he expressed in pieces of circumstance in Arabic and Pular. He continued always this literary activity in the two languages.

Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndiyan was not only the great scholar of fundamental books, the innovative educator, he was also a classic poet in Arabic and in Poular, noted by Paul Marty in Islam in Guinea 1917. According to Ibrahima Caba Bah, his children told stories that some evenings, after the extinction of the fires of the school reading, he used to bring together some of the students, often under the direction of Thierno Oumar Kaana, to make them recite his poems from one of his books (Maqaliida-As-Sa'aadati). He listened from his room standing under the orange tree in the courtyard, vaguely illuminated by the dying embers of the doudhal.

Thierno Abdourahmane Bah was born in 1916 in Donghol Thiernoya, Labe, Guinea. He is the penultimate of the nine sons of Thierno Aliou Boûbha Ndiyan. Thierno Abdourahmane was the third of four children from Nênan Maryama Fadi Diallo, who died in 1978 at age of 102 years. In the clan, boys baptized like him are called Thierno, by respect for the ancestor Thierno Abdourahmane Nduyeejo, son of Thierno Malal Jafounanke, the first imam of Labé. Charge that he had been entrusted by Karamoko Alpha Mo Labé, and since then has been carried almost continuously by his descendants.

Thierno Abdourahmane spent his early life while his father Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndiyan was recognized and accepted as one of the leaders of the public spirit in the Fouta-Djallon, a member of the aristocracy of the book in the 18th and 19th century. Paul Marty, who has carefully attended and "studied" Thierno Aliou in 1915, does not hide the actual admiration that he has felt the attendance of the scholar. He considers him as "an Arabic scholar of first value, remarkably well educated in Arabic and Islamic sciences," who "applies to all by his science, his piety and his prestige... ", etc… Paul Marty highlighted that "several hundred of Karamokos have spent their young age in his school". He cites a number, noting that "these are in general the more educated", he wrote: