Dildar: The Kurdish Poet Who Wrote the National Anthem of Kurdistan
- Rezan Babakir
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Who Was Dildar?
Dildar — born Yusuf Salih — was a Kurdish poet born in 1918 in Sulaymaniyah who died at just 30 years old in 1948, leaving behind the most celebrated piece of Kurdish poetry in history: Ey Reqib ('Hey Enemy' or 'O Enemy') — the anthem of the Kurdish people that has served as the national anthem of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and as an unofficial anthem for Kurds worldwide.
He wrote Ey Reqib in 1938, when he was just 20 years old, during a period of intense Kurdish political consciousness. The poem calls on the Kurdish people to resist their enemies, honour their fallen, and never abandon their homeland. Set to music, it became the song that Kurds sing at moments of national celebration and national mourning alike — the emotional heart of Kurdish collective identity in music.
He was also a deeply personal lyric poet — his pen name Dildar means 'the heart-holder' or 'the beloved' in Kurdish, reflecting the romantic and emotional dimension of his poetry alongside its political content. His early death at 30 — from tuberculosis — gave his legacy the quality of tragic promise that surrounds many of the most celebrated short-lived poets in literary history.
Key Takeaways
• Dildar (1918-1948) wrote Ey Reqib — the Kurdish national anthem — at just 20 years old in 1938.
• He died of tuberculosis at age 30, leaving an immortal legacy in his national anthem.
• His pen name Dildar means 'heart-holder' or 'beloved' in Kurdish.
• Ey Reqib is the official anthem of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and an unofficial anthem for Kurds worldwide.
• He is among the most celebrated Kurdish poets despite his extremely short life.
Quick Facts
Table of Contents
Early Life and Origins
Dildar was born in 1918 in Sulaymaniyah — the cultural capital of southern Kurdistan and a city renowned for its literary tradition. He grew up in the rich poetic environment of Sulaymaniyah, where classical Sorani poets like Riza Talabani and the modernising Abdullah Goran were part of the living literary heritage.
He wrote Ey Reqib in 1938 at the age of 20 — an astonishing act of literary maturity that produced a poem perfectly calibrated for its role as a national anthem. The poem's combination of emotional power, memorable imagery, and call to collective action made it immediately resonant with Kurdish audiences.
Historical Context
The late 1930s were a period of intense Kurdish political consciousness in Iraq. The British Mandate had ended; Iraq was an independent state; and Kurdish political aspirations were being repeatedly frustrated. In this context, a young poet's call to Kurdish pride and resistance captured exactly the emotional and political needs of his community.
The Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in 1946 — when Ey Reqib was adopted as its anthem — was the most concrete expression of Kurdish statehood in the 20th century, and Dildar's anthem was its voice. Though the republic survived only a year, the anthem outlasted it.
Major Achievements and Contributions
Ey Reqib — The Kurdish National Anthem
Ey Reqib ('Hey Enemy') is without question the most important single poem in Kurdish literary history in terms of its practical impact. Written in 1938 when Dildar was 20 years old, it was adopted as the anthem of the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in 1946 and has served as the national anthem of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since its establishment.
The poem opens with the words 'Ey Reqib! Hewr u birûskê' ('Hey Enemy! Clouds and storms') and proceeds through a series of powerful declarations of Kurdish identity, pride in Kurdish land, and commitment to freedom. Its combination of natural imagery, historical reference, and emotional directness makes it effective both as poetry and as a collective expression of national feeling.
For Kurds everywhere, Ey Reqib is the song that binds them to each other and to their homeland — sung at weddings and funerals, at political rallies and cultural celebrations, in diaspora communities from London to Los Angeles.
Lyric Poetry
Beyond Ey Reqib, Dildar wrote lyric poems in the Sorani tradition — poems of love, beauty, and personal emotion that demonstrate a poetic gift that, had he lived longer, might have produced a body of work comparable to the greatest Sorani poets. His early death at 30 cut short a career that had barely begun.
Timeline and Key Events
Debates, Controversies, and Historical Questions
The attribution of Ey Reqib to Dildar is not disputed. The poem's status as the Kurdish national anthem is established both legally (as the official anthem of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq) and culturally (as the anthem sung by Kurds worldwide).
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Dildar's legacy is the anthem — a single poem that has become the emotional and political centre of Kurdish national identity. No other Kurdish poem has had comparable practical impact; no other Kurdish poet has contributed something so concretely to the daily life and collective feeling of their people. He died at 30 but left behind something immortal.
Kurdish History Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Dildar?
Dildar (1918-1948), born Yusuf Salih, was a Kurdish poet from Sulaymaniyah who wrote Ey Reqib — the Kurdish national anthem — at age 20. He died of tuberculosis at 30, leaving one of the most important poems in Kurdish history.
What is Ey Reqib?
Ey Reqib ('Hey Enemy') is the Kurdish national anthem written by Dildar in 1938. It is the official anthem of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is sung by Kurds worldwide at moments of national celebration and mourning.
Was Dildar Kurdish?
Yes. He was born and died in Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan and wrote exclusively in Sorani Kurdish.
Why did he die so young?
Dildar died of tuberculosis in 1948 at the age of 30. His early death gave his legacy the quality of tragic promise, and his national anthem remains the most enduring monument to a brief but extraordinary poetic career.
References and Further Reading
Wikipedia contributors. 'Dildar.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
Wikipedia contributors. 'Ey Reqib.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
Wikipedia contributors. 'Kurdish national anthem.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
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