– The legendary Egyptian actor. To many in the Horn of Africa, he wasn’t just a star; he was the embodiment of a lost, cosmopolitan era. He was Dr. Zhivago . He was Lawrence of Arabia . He was the smooth, cigarette-smoking, card-playing gentleman of the Nile.

I don’t think I’ll ever crack the final code. And honestly, I don’t want to. Some things are better as mysteries. The next time you hear a phrase that makes no sense—in a language you don’t speak, in a city you’ve never visited—don’t ask for a translation.

– This is where things get slippery. “Ha” could be the Somali word for “yes” ( haa with a missing letter). Or it could be short for “Hargeisa.” Or—and this is my favorite theory—it’s the sound of a laugh. Ha! The Folk Riddle of the Modern Age After asking around (and drinking a lot of shaah ), I’ve come to believe that “Dhibic Roob Omar Sharif Black Ha” isn’t a phrase. It’s a riddle. A halxiraale for the 21st century.