Sudanese National ICH

Al Misdār is a folk poetry created by male poets who belong to the nomadic pastoral groups that live in the semi-desert regions, in particular the Butāna of eastern Sudan. The topics of al Misdār poetry revolve around the subject of the longing for the beloved, where the poet leaves his family behind and turns his face toward the homes of his lover, expressing in his poem the pain and nostalgia for this real and not imagined person. In these male-dominated societies, woman are denied the slightest level of autonomy, so they become the theme of this folk poetry. Besides the main topic of the poet’s adventurous affair with his beloved, al Misdār also addresses the nature of the route he takes in his incessant roaming and a description of the year’s seasons.