Latif Helmat dedicates poem ‘This Year’s Newroz in Kobani’ to Syria’s Kurds

SULAYMANIYAH — Renowned Kurdish poet Latif Helmat has presented his latest poem, “This Year’s Newroz in Kobani,” to the Syrian Kurds, reflecting profound themes of Kurdish identity, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a nation amidst hardship. Through vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, Helmat portrays the struggles and strength of the Kurdish people.

The Syrian Kurds, primarily represented by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, are currently facing major challenges due to increased hostilities with Turkish-backed militias. Following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, these tensions have escalated, with Turkish-backed Syrian militants seizing territories previously under SDF control, such as the town of Arab-majority town of Manbij.

In the opening verses, Helmat describes children transforming the shattered remains of Turkish bombs and tanks into places of life and shelter. What was once a symbol of destruction becoming a home for birds, turning remnants of war into symbols of hope and survival.

“Now in Kobani, the children
Turn Turkey’s shattered tanks
Into homes for chickens and chicks.”

Helmat employs metaphor to depict the transformation of instruments of violence into symbols of peace and art. The barrel of a Turkish gendarme’s rifle, once a tool of death, becomes a ney [a traditional flute], producing melodies instead of bullets.

“They turn the barrel of the Turkish gendarme’s rifle
Into a flute, into a Ney.”

The poet draws on the symbolism of Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, as a beacon of resistance and renewal. The flames of Newroz are fed not only by tradition but also by the burning remains of the Kurd-killing rifles.

“They burn the Kurd-killing rifles
As the flame of this year’s Newroz festival.”

Helmat concludes his poem with an image of the Kurdish flag rising high above the mountains.

“The flag of Kurdistan is raised high,
Above thousands of peaks.”

Born in 1947 in Garmian, Sulaymaniyah, Latif Helmat has become one of the most influential voices in Kurdish literature. With over 20 poetry collections, including works dedicated to children, as well as contributions to Sufi literature and cultural studies, Helmat’s words continue to inspire generations.

The poem’s full text:

This Year’s Newroz in Kobani

Keep listening, keep listening,
To the briefest of news:
Now the sky belongs to pigeons,
Not to the jets with a thousand wings
Now in Kobani, the children
Turn Turkey’s shattered tanks
into homes for chickens and chicks
They turn barrel of the Turkish gendarme’s rifle
into a flute, into a Ney
They burn the Kurd-killing rifles
As the flame of this year’s Newroz festival.
The flag of Kurdistan is raised high,
Above thousands of peaks.