By Qubad Jalil-Zada, translated from the Kurdish Sorani by Halo Fariq and Hannah Fox.
1.
The cool breeze of autumn is coming
but instead of covering herself,
the forest is undressing.
کزەی پایز بەڕێوەیە
دارستان لەبری خۆی داپۆشێت،
خۆی ڕوت دەکاتەوە.
2.
In the city, the wind
covers her neck and breasts
with the clothes on the line.
لە شار، ڕەشەبا
سنگ و مەمکی خۆی
بە جلی سەر تەنافەکان دادەپۆشێت.
3.
While bathing by the riverbank,
the moon hangs her silver lingerie
on the branches of the breeze.
لە قەراخ ڕووبارێک خۆی دەشوات.
دەرپێ زیوینەکەی بە لقی شنەوە هەڵواسیوە
_مانگ
Halo Fariq
Halo Fariq is from Sulaymaniyah, in Northern Iraq. He is a captain in the Kurdish peshmerga who works as a translator in his free time, and has translated several novels from English into Kurdish Sorani.
Hannah Fox
Hannah Fox is from the UK and is currently a postgraduate student of English Literature at Queen Mary University of London. She lived in Jerusalem as a child and hopes to live in the MENA region again in the future.
Qubad Jalil-Zada
Qubad Jalil-Zada was born in Koya in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq and studied at Baghdad University. He started writing in 1988 and is famous for his playful exploration of erotic themes as well as his introduction of the haiku form into Kurdish Sorani literature. His haiku explore the themes of nature and the seasons, as well as celebrating erotic love and addressing religious and cultural issues with a playful sense of humor.
