Ey Reqîb is sung in Soranî, written here in the Hawar Latin alphabet. This guide gives you the letters first, then every line in three forms: the Latin text, a simplified pronunciation for English readers, and the exact IPA transcription.
Instrumental recording: TheFlagandAnthemGuy (2022), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Most letters sound as an English reader would expect. These are the ones to learn:
| Letter | IPA | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| E | [ɛ] | e as in bed |
| Ê | [eː] | a long ay as in they, without the glide |
| Î | [iː] | ee as in see |
| Û | [uː] | oo as in moon |
| Ş | [ʃ] | sh as in ship |
| Ç | [tʃ] | ch as in church |
| C | [dʒ] | j as in jam |
| X | [x] | ch as in Scottish loch |
| Q | [q] | a k pronounced deep in the throat |
| J | [ʒ] | s as in measure |
| W | [w] | w as in water |
Each line is shown three ways: the Hawar Latin text in italics, a simplified pronunciation (stressed syllables in capitals), and the IPA transcription in brackets.
Ey reqîb, her mawe qewmî kurdziman,
ey reh-KEEB, her MAH-weh KOW-mee kurd-zih-MAHN
[aj ɾaqiːb haɾ maːwa qawmiː kuɾdzamaːn]
Nayşikênê danerî topî zeman.
nay-shih-KEH-neh dah-neh-REE toh-PEE zeh-MAHN
[naːjʃkeːneː daːnaɾiː toːpiː zamaːn]
Lawî kurd hestaye ser pê wek dilêr,
lah-WEE kurd hes-TAH-yeh ser PEH wek dih-LAIR
[laːwiː kuɾd hastaːjaː saɾ peː wak dɯleːɾ]
Ta be xwên nexşî bika tacî jiyan.
tah beh KHWAYN nekh-SHEE bih-KAH tah-JEE zhih-YAHN
[taː ba xweːn naxʃiː bɯkaː taːdʒiː dʒiːjaːn]
Ême roley Mîdya û Keyxusrewîn,
EH-meh roh-LEY MEED-yah oo key-khus-reh-WEEN
[eːma roːɫaj miːdjaː uː kajxusɾawiːn]
Dînman, ayînman, her nîştiman.
deen-MAHN, ah-yeen-MAHN, her neesh-tih-MAHN
[diːnmaːn aːjiːnmaːn haɾ niʃtɯmaːn]
Ême roley rengî sûr û şorişîn,
EH-meh roh-LEY ren-GEE soor oo shoh-rih-SHEEN
[eːma roːɫaj raŋgiː suːr uː ʃoːrɯʃiːn]
Seyrî ke, xwênawî ye rabirdûman.
sey-REE keh, khway-nah-WEE-yeh rah-bir-doo-MAHN
[sayɾiː ka xweːnaːwiːja raːbɾduːmaːn]
Lawî kurd her hazir û amadeye,
lah-WEE kurd her HAH-zir oo ah-mah-DEH-yeh
[laːwiː kuɾd haɾ ħaːzɯr uː aːmaːdaːja]
Giyanfîdaye, giyanfîda, her giyanfîda.
gyahn-fee-DAH-yeh, gyahn-fee-DAH, her gyahn-fee-DAH
[gjaːnfiːdaːja gjaːnfiːdaː haɾ gjaːnfiːdaː]
Kes nelê kurd mirdûwe, kurd zîndûwe,
kes neh-LEH kurd mir-DOO-weh, kurd zeen-DOO-weh
[kas naɫeː kuɾd mɾduːwa kuɾd zinduːwa]
Zîndûwe, qet nanewê alakeman.
zeen-DOO-weh, ket nah-neh-WEH ah-lah-keh-MAHN
[zinduːwa qat naːnawaː aːɫaːkamaːn]