Hejar or Abdurrahman Sharafkandi or Hazhar, (1920-1990), was a renowned Iranian-Kurdish writer, poet, linguist and translator.
Biography
Hejar was born in the city of
Mahabad in north-western
Iran. He began religious studies in early childhood, but was forced to abandon it when he lost his father at the age of 17. He started writing poems in
Kurdish around 1940. Through his readings, he came under the influence of famous Kurdish poets such as
Malaye Jaziri,
Ahmad Khani ,
Wafaei and
Haji Qadir Koyi. He was involved in the Kurdish movement led by
Qazi Muhammad and was appointed as one of the official poets of the
Republic of Mahabad in 1947. After the fall of the republic, he was forced into exile. For about 30 years, he lived in different countries such as
Iraq,
Syria,
Lebanon and
Egypt. In
Iraq, he became involved in the nationalist movement led by
Mustafa Barzani, with whom he developed a close friendship. In 1975, after the defeat of the movement, he moved back to
Iran, and settled in the city of
Karaj, where he lived until his death in February 22nd, 1990. He is buried in his home town of
Mahabad.
Works
Hejar was one of the most prolific Kurdish writers. He has written 24 books. He is credited for many works, among which are the editing and commentary of poems of
Malaye Jaziri in
Sorani Kurdish , translation of
Khani's works into
Sorani Kurdish, translation of
Koran into Kurdish, the first
Kurdish-
Kurdish-
Persian dictionary in
Iran, and translation of the poems of
Khayyam into Kurdish, with the same
rhythm.
Books
- Alekok
- Vergêra MemoZîn bi soranî ( Translation of Mem û Zîn from Kurmanji into sorani Kurdish )
- Translation of Sharafnama from Persian into Sorani Kurdish.
- Dîwana helbesta Bu Kurdistan (Collection of Poems: For Kurdistan)
- Çarînekanî Xeyam (Translation of Khayyam's Quatrains from Persian into Kurdish)
- Henbane Borîne (Kurdish-Kurdish-Persian Dictionary)
- Vergêra Quranê bi Kurdî ( Translation of Koran into Kurdish)
- Translation of The Canon of Medicine by Avicenna from Arabic into Persian.
- Şerha Dîwana Melayê Cizîrî (Editing and Commentary on the Poems of Malaye Jaziri)
- Sifra bê biraneve (vergêra pirtûka Şerîetî ) (Translation of One and Zeroes without end by Ali Shariati from Persian into Kurdish)
- Çêştî Micêvir( serbihorî ) (Autobiography)
Articles
- Hazhar, Abdul Rahman, Le mer jiyan û beserhatî Hejar bwêjî Kurd (On the life and biography of Hazhar, the Kurdish poet), in Eiiubi & Smirnova, pp.142-85, 1968.
- Hazhar, Abdul Rahman,Kurd û Serbexoî Ziman, Govarî Korî Zaniyarî Kurd (The Journal of the Kurdish Scientific Council), Vol 2., Part 1, pp. 280-320, 1974.
References
Kurdish poets | Kurdish writers
Hejar | عبدالرحمن شرفکندی | Hejar