The Kurds!

Who are the Kurds?


I think Cigerxwin has answered this question better than anybody else, so I will just leave you alone with his great poem called "Kime Ez" or "Who Am I", the only thing you need to do is to replace "I" with "We":

WHO AM I?

Who am I, you ask ?

The Kurd of Kurdistan,

a lively volcano,

fire and dynamite

in the face of enemy.

When furious,

I shake the mountains,

the sparks of my anger

are death to my foes.

Who am I ?

I am in the east,

forts and castles

towns and hamlets,

rouks and boulders,

What irony, what a shameful day !

A slave I am now for blood suckers

Yet I saved the Middle East

from the Romans and the crusaders.

Who am I ?

Ask the Near East,

Ask the Middle East,

villages and towns,

plains and deserts.

They were once all mine

when by war and knowledge

I defeated rivals

to become crowned over an empire

stretching to the borders of India.

Who am I ?

I am the proud Kurd,

the enemies' enemy,

the friend of peace-loving ones.

I am of noble race,

not wild as they claim.

My mighty ancestors

were free people.

Like them I want to be free

and that is why I fight

for the enemy won't leave in peace

and I don't want to be forever oppressed.

Who am I ?

I shall free my land

from the tyrants;

from the crrupt Shah and Mollas,

from the Turkish juntas

so we may live free

like other nations,

so my gardens and meadows

are mine again;

So I can join the struggle

for the good of mankind.

Who am I ?

It was I who defeated

Richard the Lionheart

My own blood I shed

to defend these regions.

A thorn I was in my enemies' side;

in my shadow lived the Arabs, Turks and Persian;

many a king held my horse's head.

Yes I am the warrior,

I am Saladin,

the King of Egypt, Syria and Israel.

Who am I ?

I am Ardashir,

I am Noshi Rawan.

In the acient days

rivals feared my caesars

regretted my animosity.

I knew no fright;

in love with adventure;

from India to Greece

they paid me tribute.

Who am I ?

Yes, I am the Kurd,

the Kurd of Kurdistan

who is poor and oppressed today.

My castles and forts

are now demolished;

my name and my fame'

swindled by my assailants,

those who set germs into my body

to paralize my existence

making a nameless soul of me;

a nation with no friends.

Who am I?

I am the one who despite it all

remains the unyielding Kurd;

still formidable to the enemy.

The smell of dynamite is again in my nostrils

and in my heart the strong desire to erupt.

I am the fighting valiant of mountains

who is not in love with death

but for the sake of life and freedom

he sacrifices himself

so that the land of his ancestors,

the invincible Medes;

his beloved Kurdistan , may become unchained.

Who am I?

One of my ancestors was the Blacksmith Kawa

who slayed Dahak, the notorious tyrant

to break off chains from Kurdish shoulders

and save many heads from the sword and death.

The day his vicious reign ended

was called NEWROZ, the New Day.

When Newroz comes winter departs

taking with it the dark harsh times

to make place for light and warmth.

This is the time, as Zoroaster says,

the evil spirit Ahriman is defeated

at the hand of Ormazd, the god of wisdom and light.

Who am I?

I am the maker of Newroz;

again I shall become my own master,

the ruler of my land

so I may enjoy the fruits of my orchards,

relish the sacred wines of my vineyards

and put an end to a dark era

by seeking salvation in knowledge and science;

I shall make another new day

and breathe the pure air of the liberty.

Who am I?

I am Kordokh, the good old Khaldew;

I am Mitan; Nayri and Sobar;

the son of Lo Lo; Kardok and Kodi;

I am the Mede, the Gosh, Hori and Gudi;

I am the Kurmanc, Kelhor; Lor and Gor;

yes, I have always been and remain the Kurd.

Despite centuries of suppression

in a country by force divided.

Who am I?

I am the son of Lor, Kelhor and Kurmanc

who have lost crown and reign

to become powerless,

betrayed in the name of religion

to carry rosaries in their hands

duped by the rulers,

deprived of might and wealth,

fighting each other, divided and torn

while my oppressed Kurdistan,

my wretched Kurdistan

remains prossessed.

Who am I?

The son of the Kurdish nation

awaken from deep sleep,

marching forward,

proud as a lion

wanting the whole world to know;

I shall struggle and continue the path to freedom;

I shall learn from great men,

Like Marx and Lenin.

I make a vow to my ancestors,

to Salar, Shergo and Deysem,

that this of mine will remain vigorous, unyielding, stronger than death.

Let it be kown;

I announce with no fear;

Liberty is my goal;

I shall advance in this path.

Who am I ?

I am not blood thirsty;

no, I adore peace.

Noble were my ancestors;

sincere are my leaders,

We don't ask for war but demand equality

but our enemies are the ones who betray and lie.

Friendship I seek and offer my hands

to all friendly nations.

Long live Kurdistan;

death to the oppressor!!!

And here is the original Kurdish version of the poem which was made into a song by beloved Sivan Perwer, here is the link to the song:

KIME EZ?

Kîme ez?
Kurdê Kurdistan
Tev şoreş û volqan
Tev dînamêtim
Agir û pêtim.
Sorim wek etûn,
Agir giha qepsûn.
Gava biteqim
Dinya dihejî.
Ev pêt û agir
Dijmin dikujî.
Kîme ez?
Ez im rojhilat,
Tev birc û kelat.
Tev bajar û gund,
Tev zinar û lat.
Ji destê dijmin:
Dijminê xwînxwar,
Xurt û koledar.
Ji Rom, ji Fireng,
Di rojên pir teng,
Bi kuştin û ceng.
Parast, parast
Parast min ev rojhilat
Kîme ez?
Rojhilatê nêzîk,
Rojhilatê navî,
Ev bajar û gund,
Ev bej û avî,
Ket bin destê min,
Pî da ser dijmin,
Min bi ceng û şer
Zanîn û huner
Pişta wî şikand,
Serî lê gerand!
Ez bûm padîşah,
Xurt û serbilind
Ketin destê min ta sînorê Hind.
Kîme ez?
Kîme ez?
Kurdê serfiraz
Dijminê dijmin
Dostê aştîxwaz.
Ez xweş mirovim,
Ne hirç û hovim!
Lê çibkim bê şer
Dijmin naçî der.
Bav û kalê min
Dijîn tev serbest,
Naxwazim bijîm
Ta ebed bindest.
Kîme ez?
Divê ez derkevim
Dijminê xwînxwar,
şahê efyûnkêş,
Jontirkê dijwar,
Serbest bijîm ez
Wek hevçaxê xwe.
Dilxweş bixum ez,
Rez û baxê xwe.
Çekan hilgirim derkevim meydan,
Rêcek nû çêkim ji boyî insan.
Kîme ez?
Ez im ê şikand leskerê Rêşar,
Min bi xwîna xwe parastî ev war.
Di sînga dijmin ez bûme kelem,
Xwe dan siya min Turk û Ecem.
Li ser serê min
Sinbil û kulah,
Serê hespê min
Digirt padîşah!
Ez im ew gernas,
Ew Selahidîn
Bi pirs ji dimyat,
Bi pirs ji Hetîn,
Kîme ez?
Ez im Erdeşîr,
Ew Noşîrewan,
Kesrayê mezin.
Bê tac û eywan,
Dostê kevnare
Ku bûne dijmin,
Ser di tewandin,
Ber agirê min.
Ez im ew qelaş xurt û pehlewan,
Xerac min distand ji Hind û Yewnan!
Kîme ez?
Ez im ew gernas, ez im ew mêrxas,
Belê ez im Kurd
Îro ez mame
Bindest û zigurd!
Ew tac û eywan
Tev çûn û rizîn,
Dijmin nav û deng
Tev ji min dizîn!..
Xistin laşê min mîkrobên teres,
Ta bûm perîşan, bê nav û nekes.
Kîme ez?
Ez im ew Kurdê serhişk û hesin,
Îro jî dijmin ji min ditirsin!...
Bîna barûdê
Kete pozê min.
Dixwazim hawîr,
Biteqim ji bin,
Dîsa wek mêra,
Bikevin çiya.
Naxwazim bimrim,
Dixwazim bigrim.
Kurdistana xwe
Axa Mîdîya,
Kîme ez?
Kawey hesinkar bav û kalê min,
Perçiqand serê zehakê dijmin.
Ji gerdena Kurd
Wî şikand zencîr,
Serê me parast,
Ji birîn û şûr!
Roja hat kuştin xwînmijê dilsoz,
Goya dibêjin:-Ew roje nûroz...
Zivistan diçî,
Ew rojên ne xweş
Parêz dibî Kurd,
Ji dêwê zergeş.
Wesan dibêjî Zerdeştê rêzan,
Ehreman dişkê Hirmiz tê meydan!
Kîme ez?
Ez im ê çêkir ev cejn û nûroz,
Divê bistênim,
Wilo nemênim,
Bigrim tol û doz
Fermandar bim ez,
Li ser Kurdistan,
Bo min bimênin
Ev bax û bustan.
Ev şax û ev dest,
Rez û şînahî
Bigrim destê xwe,
Dilxweş û şahî.
Zana û xwenda,
Dezgevanên xurt
Vî warî bigrin,
Bikin ronahî,
Kîme ez?
Ez im ew Kardox Xaldêwê kevnar,
Ez im ew Mîtan, Nayrî û Sobar.
Ez im ew Lolo,
Kardox û Kudî,
Ez im Mad û Goş,
Horî û Gudî.
Ez im Kurmanc û Kelhor, Lor û Gor,
Ez im, ez Kurd im li jêr û li jor.
Çend hezar salin
Kurdistana min
Perçe perçe ma
Bindestê dijmin!
Kîme ez?
Îro ji Lor û Kelhor û Kurmanc
Ji dest xwe berdan ew text û ew tac,
Bûne olperest,
Bi tizbî û xişt.
Ta dijmin şikand
Li me ser û pişt.
Me dan bin lingan dewlet û hebûn,
Bûn dijminê hev perçe perçe bûn.
Ta ku Kurdistan,
Ta ku Kurdistan
Jar û perîşan
Ket e bin destan!
Kîme ez?
Ez im ew milet, ez im ejderha,
Ji xewa dîlî şiyar bûm niha.
Dixwazim wek mêr
Dixwazim wek şêr
Serê xwe hildim,
Çi ser bilindim.
Bi cîhan carek
Ez bidim zanîn,
….
Kurê Guhderz û Ferhad û Rustem,
Kurê Salar û şêrgoh û Deysem.
Bejin bilindim,
Wek dêw bilindim.
Ez dest dirêjim,
Serbest dibêjim.
Dixwazim bi lez
Gavan bavêjim!..
Kîme ez?
Ne xwînxwar im ez haştî xwaz im ez,
Serdarê meye gernas û nebez.
Em şer naxwazin,
Divên wekhevî,
Em paş ve naçin,
Dijmin direvî!..
Ji bo mirovan em tev dost û yar
Bijî Kurdistan, bimrî koledar!
Kîme ez?

I hope it is clear enough now who we are!