Muhemed Salih Dilan

Infobox Writer
name = Muhemed Salih Dilan


imagesize = 200px
caption =
pseudonym = Dilan
birthdate = 1927
birthplace = Slemani, Kurdistan
deathdate = 1990-10-28
Slemani, Kurdistan
occupation = Poet, Maqam Singer
nationality = Kurdish

Dilan (in Kurdish: محه‌مه‌د ساڵح دیلان) is regarded as one of the most influential Kurdish Poets and one of the one of the greatest Maqam Singers of the 20th Century. He was one of the few Poets that brought a revolution in Kurdish Poetry and Literature.

Biography

Dilan was born in Goizha, a neighborhood in Slemani. His Father, Ahmed Salih Qadir was a Poet and a Writer, according to Dilan himself, apart from Kurdish he was very fluent in Persian and Arabic, whenever friends or relatives needed help in translating or explaining Poems that were difficult to understand, He would be their interpreter. Dilan went to Xalidiye Primary School and after he completed secondary School, he was offered a job at the Local Tobacco Company.

The Poet

The First Poem Dilan wrote was in 1948 when he visited Famous Kurdish Poet Bekas:

In Kurdish Alphabet:
منم به‌ ده‌ستی چه‌رخه‌وه‌ وا گێژ ئه‌خۆم و ئه‌ڕۆم
منم که‌ بوومه‌ خوێنه‌خۆرو خوێنی خۆم ئه‌خۆم
منم له‌ به‌حری خه‌یاڵاتی بێ ووچانی ماته‌ما
هه‌ر په‌ل ئه‌گێڕم، نه‌ که‌ڵک و نه‌ سوودو عیلاجه‌ بۆم

In Latin:
Minem be destî çerxewe wa gêj exom u erom
Minem ke bume xwênexoru xwênî xom exom
Minem le behrî xeyalatî bê wiçanî matema
Her Pel egêrim, ne kelku ne sudu elace bom

After a moment of silence, Bekas asked him "who wrote that Poem?", Dilan replied "I wrote it", Bekas Could not believe a 21-year-old could write a poem of such depth in meaning and strictly lyrical so he said "I don't believe you", this really inspired Dilan and it was his first step into becoming a Master at Kurdish Poetry.

Newroz

Festival arrives.

Rough Years

From 1948 to 1966 Dilan was arrested, tortured and imprisoned 9 times for his involvement in Kurdish Independence demanding movements and at times for his Art, however this could not prevent Dilan from writing Poems even if it was inside Prison, many of his poems are written from there mainly above his love for his Country and its many years fighting for Independence. In the Late 1980s when the Iraqi Baath Party destroyed 4000 Kurdish villages and killed many innocent Kurds in the cities, Dilan was deeply affected by this act, as he says:

ئای کێ بێ هاوارو بانگ و په‌یام
بگه‌یه‌نێته‌ گوێی گۆڕه‌که‌ی خه‌یام
بڵێ: هه‌ی سه‌رشێت، کووشته‌ی گڕی ته‌ڕ
گه‌ر تێتا ماوه‌ یه‌ک تۆز نرخ و فه‌ڕ
تۆ له‌سه‌ر باکه‌ی شووشه‌که‌ی شکان
له‌گه‌ڵ خودادا کردت به‌ زۆران
هه‌ڵسه‌ به‌ره‌و ئه‌م ناوه‌ هه‌ڵتووتێ
نه‌ک شووشه‌ شکان وا ڕه‌ز ئه‌سووتێ

Ay kê bê hawaru bangu peyam
Bigeyenête gwêy gorekey Khayyám
Bilê: hey serşêt, kuştey giry ter
Ger têta mawe yek toz nirxu fer
To leser bakey şuşekey şikan
Legel xudada kirdit be zoran
Helse berew em nawe heltute
Nek şuşe şikan, wa rez esute

Here he recalls Omar Kayyam's famous incident when the wind brakes his glass of wine therefor Kayyam blamed God for it and Dilan compares it with the Anfal burnings of the villages and the Vineyards, he says if you got upset for the loss of a glass of wine, what would we do for our Vineyards, the poem is written in a sad tone and its richly lyrical and meaningful.

Diwan of Dilan

Dilan's close friend Abdulla Agreen took on the task of collecting Dilan's poems and publishing a Diwan under the name "Diwani Dilan". The Book was published in 1987.

Death

On 28 September 1990, Dilan passed away at the age of 63 and was buried at the Saywan cemetery in his hometown of Slemani.

ee also

*Kurdish music
*Maqam

References

* [http://www.khak.org/pdfs/x1279.pdf Khak]
* [http://www.worldmusic.cn/musicboxv2/index.php?action=album&id=96 World Music]
* [http://www.xozga.com/nawdaran/shairan/57.html Xozga]