Dildar (poet)
Yûnis Reuf (Kurdish: یوونس ڕەئووف or Yûnis Mele Re'ûf) (February 20, 1918 – October 20, 1948) known as Dildar, was a Kurdish poet and political activist, best known as the author of the Kurdish national anthem.
Dildar | |
---|---|
Dildar | |
Born | Yûnis Reuf or Yûnis Mele Reûf 20 February 1918 Koi Sanjaq, Mosul Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (now Iraqi Kurdistan) |
Died | 20 October 1948 30) Iraq | (aged
Literary movement | Kurdish Nationalism |
Notable works | Ey Reqîb (Kurdish national anthem) |
Early life and his studies
He was born on 20 February 1918 in the town of Koya Koy Sanjaq located in the Mosul Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present day Erbil Governorate). In his youth, he began attending school in Ranya. After finishing high school in Kirkuk, he moved to Baghdad, where he studied in Law School.[1]
Law work and Political Activism
Law
He began his career as a lawyer, mainly defending the poor, farmers, and defending the Kurdish issues in general.[2]
Political Activism
He joined the newly formed Hewa Party in 1938, which became "The first Kurdish organisation legally recognized, that seeks a united and free Kurdistan". Dildar relocated to Rojhelat Kurdistan to join the revolution led by Qazi Muhammad against the government of Iran, which led to his infamous arrest in Iran.[3]
Prison and Death
Ey Reqîb
After being arrested, he was sent to prison in Iran, where he wrote "Ey reqîb" meaning "Oh Enemy", in 1938, referencing the prison guards, and expressing that the Kurds are alive and will not back down from fighting for free Kurdistan. His expression of frustration and direct confrontation with the occupants states of larger Kurdistan made his simple poet a symbol in the Kurds cause for freedom.
Death and Legacy
Dildar died young at the age of 31 of a heart disease in 1948.[4] However, he lived to see his poem "Ey Reqîb" being adopted as the Kurdish national anthem. Ey Reqîb was first played and sung in 1946 on the proclamation of the short-lived Republic of Mahabad. Today the song is played as the official anthem of Iraqi Kurdistan.[5]
Notes
- "Dildar is not dead he is alive". Kurdistani Nwe (in Central Kurdish). June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- http://en.diroka-kurdi.com/2016/12/dildar.html
- http://en.diroka-kurdi.com/2016/12/dildar.html
- ""Ey Reqîb" is the Kurdish National Anthem". shabab kurd (in Arabic). 2012-05-17. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- KRG. "Flag and national anthem". cabinet.gov.krd. KRG. Retrieved 21 March 2015.