Now translated into English.
Few expats give time to reading Kurdish poetry, and yet it is vital to understanding the way Kurdish people think. And although few Kurds pick up and read books of poetry, many of them are impacted by the poetry that is set to music, this poem The Bride of the Kurds being a good example.
Here is my translation of it. If you would like to study the poem more closely, download my translation, and you will find there an introduction and extensive translation notes at the end. This really is a preprepared Kurdish lesson, designed for anyone who wants to understand the Kurdish mind better, and to empathise with their sufferings and dashed hopes.
Bwîka Kurdan / The Bride of the Kurds Translation © Jeremy Fowler 2015
Apologies for the poor formatting. I have removed the endnotes from this edition, but the superscriptions remain; it all comes out neatly if you download it from Dropbox.
1. |
Ey felek bo te dinalim, bo çî nêrgiz çirmisîn? | O universe, I am crying for you, why have the narcissi faded? |
2. |
Ew çima bextê me, hoye[i] her bê dost û bê kes în? | Why is this our lot, that we are friendless and forlorn? |
3. |
Qet[ii] dê hêt ew roja me divêt, kehniya warî bizêt? | Is it true that a day will come, so that the springs[iii] of the motherland will flow? |
4. |
Jê[iv] vexûn desta bi hilînîn,[v] jê vexûn çend me bivêt? | Will we drink with raised hands, will we drink to our hearts’ content? |
5. |
Agirê sar û vemirî, çav me lê ye geş bibit. | The cold and quenched fire, our eyes are on it, for it to roar into flame.[vi] |
6. |
Ew buhara têhnê kuştî, hêvîdar im xoş[vii] bibit. | This parched spring,[viii] I hope it will be pleasant. |
7. |
Kurdno, rabin bibînin berxekê jar[ix] û ze’îf | O Kurds, arise and look at the impoverished and weak lamb |
8. |
Dane ber pal û kêşana, xencerek dijwar li dîf. | Subjected to push and pull,[x] with a threatening dagger at the ready. |
9. |
Ew werîsê tê alandî her ji hiriya berxî ye | That rope is spun[xi] from the lamb’s own wool |
10. |
Pê dikêşin serbirînê bû werîsê nuxî[xii] ye. | They pull it to its beheading, and with that rope it falls. |
11. |
Mezina ji mêje gotine dujminê serê[xiii] xo kew. | The elders said long ago, that the partridge is the enemy against itself… |
12. |
Dar bi darî têt birînê, destikê bivirî dar e, lew. | Wood is chopped by wood… the handle of the axe is wooden, do you catch my drift?[xiv] |
13. |
Nê[xv] me nalîne ji bivirî, sed hizar cara hewar. | Surely we are crying because of the axe, a hundred thousand times crying for help. |
14. |
Em bi wî bivirî ketîne, hind nesax û birîndar. | We have fallen by this axe, some ill and some injured. |
15. |
Nê me nalîne ji mêje bû hetavek ruhn û geş. | Surely we have been crying for a long time, for clear and strong sunshine. |
16. |
Dawetî rabin semayê, pûç bikin berperên reş | The dancers will arise for the dance, they will destroy those dark chapters.[xvi] * future or imperative? |
17. |
Evro kanî li min wê rojê pir ji xoşî[xvii] û renge reng? | Today, where is that day I long for, full of good cheer and colour?[xviii] |
18. |
Vebiguhêzin[xix] bûka Kurdan, ew torîna şox û şeng. | *Let us Receive the Bride of the Kurds! that gracious girl[xx] attractive and bright. |
19. |
Kanê kew bo çî naxwînin? kanê warê gul gulî? | Where are the partridges? Why are they not reciting? Where is the land of blooming flowers?[xxi] |
20. |
Lê[xxii] diçerînin gurk û rûvî boş[xxiii] e lê mar û kûlî | In this land wolves and foxes are grazing, and there’s snakes and locusts[xxiv] everywhere. / * In this land wolves are grazing and foxes run riot[xxv], and there’s snakes and locusts[xxvi] everywhere. |
21. |
Kanê mizgefta me, tê da sed nivêj rojê kirîn? | Where is our mosque, within it a hundred ritual prayers?[xxvii] |
22. |
Kanê dargîza, tê da şîn[xxviii] gûze, terr me jê kirîn? | Where is the walnut tree inside it,[xxix] with ripe walnuts, fresh and tender[xxx], that we picked? |
23. |
Kanê robarê pir bizav, kanê pêlên hêviyê? | Where is the rushing river, where are the waves of hope? |
24. |
Kanê bêrî, ka şivan? Geş bikin Kurdîniyê! | Where is the milkmaid, where is the shepherd? Stoke the fires of our Kurdishness![xxxi] |
25. |
Ka gelavêja[xxxii] me dîtî, wextekê zêrîn bijar? | Where is Sirius that we saw,[xxxiii] a time of choice gold? |
26. |
Lew me gotê: hinde êdî her dê mînit ew bihar | That is why we said that from now on it will endure forever, that Spring.[xxxiv] |
27. |
Baxçeyê vîna nemayî; kê we kir[xxxv] kavil bibit? | The lost garden of love; who made it into a ruin?[xxxvi] |
28. |
Torîna bextê me, evro kê we kir zîz û sil bibit? | The gracious girl of our fortune, on this day who made her stroppy and sullen?[xxxvii] |
29. |
Evro kanê li min wê rojê pir ji xoşî û renge reng?
|
Today, where is that day I long for,[xxxviii] full of good cheer and colour?[xxxix] |
30. |
Vebiguhêzin bûka Kurdan ew torîna şox û şeng.
|
Receive the Bride of the Kurds! , that gracious girl attractive and bright. |
31. |
Da bibînin kiç û lawan mil bi mil bêne şahiyê, | * Linking before or after? So that we will see[xl] the daughters and sons, shoulder to shoulder coming to the celebration, |
32. |
Bişikînin kul û êşan ber hetava sahiyê | (Imperative?*) Smash[xli] the hurt and pain, beneath a cloudless sky |
33. |
Da bihelînim ji Kurdan ala ser çiyayên pir ji xwîn | So that I (I or we*) will raise the flag of the Kurds,[xlii] on the mountains full of blood |
34. |
Da hawar kem ji dilê sotî “Her bijît Serbest û Jîn” | So that I cry for help from a burnt heart, “Long live Freedom and Life!” |
35. |
Ne guneh û ne şerm e jî, ger[xliii] me jî ala hebit | Neither sin nor shame if there is a flag for us; |
36. |
Ne umêdek kûr[xliv] û dûr e, bawerî bi sala hebit | Not a hope that remains deep and far, I believe within a year |
37. |
Dê ji kiluxên wan şehîdan sitînekê bilind vedim | I shall, with the skulls of the * / those martyrs, set up a tall pillar, |
38. |
Pê vekim alayê Kurdan, da bigehit tava germ | Make it the flag of the Kurds, so that it reaches the warm sun |
39. |
Bêjime[xlv] xelkê vê cîhanê, navê Kurda jî heye! | I say to the people of this world, the name ‘Kurds’ also exists! |
40. |
Kî dişêt navê me têk dit hindî ku rêber heye? | Who can * our name, [xlvi] |
41. |
Evro kanê li min wê rojê pir ji xweşî û renge reng?
|
Today, where is that day, full of good cheer and colour? |
42. |
Vebiguhêzin bûka Kurdan ew torîna şox û şeng
|
Receive the Bride of the Kurds! that gracious girl attractive and bright. |
43. |
Bigirnijînin beçke şêran, ew helal û ew rihan | Smile O lion cubs, those[xlvii] wild flowers[xlviii] and rosemary. |
44. |
Piz û zarokên şehîdan ew kulîlkên çi nezan | The flocks* and children of the martyrs, those flowers*, how innocent[xlix] |
45. |
Bêne[l] hêzkê li nav çinaran, xefk û davên xo vedin | May there be a swing between the sycamore trees;[li] free yourself from the trap and snare![lii] |
46. |
Kêl û vêlan biçiklînin,[liii] bêjin “Êk du xu veden” | Set up the stone skittles! “Move over- it’s my turn!”[liv] |
47. |
Bêjine şalûl û tivîrkan, werine hêlînên berê | Say to the singing bird and tweeting bird, come to your nests of old |
48. |
Werine ser gulb û çeqên xo, bixwînin vê berperê, | Come to your flowers[lv] and branches, recite[lvi] this new chapter, |
49. |
Berpera jîna[lvii] me ya nû, ew jiyana dûr ji jan, | The chronicle* of our new life, this life far from agony, |
50. |
Dûr ji saliskî û rûmetî: serferazî bû şiyan.[lviii] | Far from flattery and vainglory, free to live out our potential. |
51. |
Kotirîn û dad in ji dadê bû Xudê dadê nekin. | Pigeons/doves* [lix], do not * for God. |
52. |
Ehremen[lx] evroke pûç bû. Sed tilîlî[lxi] bo[lxii] vedin! | Ahriman today, may he be destroyed. Sound out one hundred ululations! |
And so I created this Football Word List.
Kurdology 