In Kurdish speaks the Turk-Vezir!

Original poem in Kurdish and translation by Kamal Mirawdeli:

In Kurdish speaks Kurdish the Turk-Vezir

Speaks Kurdish the Turk-Vezir

Kurdish sounds come out of his throat,

Like the first surge of oil

In a newly-dug well

Rusty, unrefined –

 

The servants jump in joy

How generous is the Vezir!

In return for 100 years of repressing our tongue, life and freedom

He (t)utters some words of hypocrisy in Kurdish

And the children of Amad and Dersim

Have been waiting for 100 years

To see a school in which they would

Learn the alphabet of their language

Instead they saw

Many prison doors

Endless prisoners

Many graveyards

But what is wrong with all that?

The Vezir uttered 17 Kurdish words

Still for his gesture,

He wants our oil and gas and market

And to auction the future of Bakur and Rojava –

 

The slaves’ faces,

Like a newly-polished pair of black shoes,

Are brightened up, happy, shiny

 

In Kurdish does speak the Turk-Vezir

Thus the question of oil, sale of land, honour,

market, history –

What a fuss?

Turkification of language, culture, city, –

What a fuss?

 

Then we need not ask about the news of Ocelan,

We need not ask the news of death,

Imprisonment, and torture,

Cutting the tongues of children

And we need not fear betraying Rojava

In Kurdish speaks the Turk-Vezir!!

 

The slaves are thrilled.

 

Let us not ask about the exile of Nali

Let us not ask about the sorrows of Haji

Let us not ask about the blood of Said and Fuad

Let us not ask about the mass graves of Dersim

The humiliation of Ahmad Kaya and cruel punishment of Zana, for pronouncing Kurdish

In Kurdish does speak Turk-Vezir!

 

Let us tear up the Iraqi Constitution

Let us sever all ties with Baghdad

In Kurdish does speak Turk-Vezir!

 

How unhappy Saddam was,

He did not learn Kurdish so that

Along with his smart blue Kurdish costume

He would lead Kurdish dance and sing Kurdish songs

And say to his big Mustashars in Kurdish:

Supas kura azakan!

(Bravo, brave boys!).

 

The Turks are more intelligent!

They know how to polish shoes