They Stole My Years Away

Kurdistan's Joan Baez

Edwina Charles, London, 18 February 2014

A composer and singer based in London, Aygül Erce is nicknamed the Joan Baez of Kurdistan. Her protest songs, with lyrics in Kurdish and Turkish, subtitled in English, have recently been made into a video clip for YouTube by H. I. Pilikian, a polymath professor and author of many books.

The song's lyrics are based on a Turkish newspaper report about a Kurdish student who was imprisoned in Turkey for merely being at a … bus-stop, on the route of a political demonstration.

The scarf Erce is wearing (the title of her Song Pushi means scarf) in the clip is a reference to the Palestinian "fashion-item" symbolizing the struggle of Palestinian youth (the Intifada) for freedom and democracy.

Erce’s composition is hauntingly melodious and easily memorable. 

 

Kurdistan's Joan Baez

Edwina Charles, London, 18 February 2014

A composer and singer based in London, Aygül Erce is nicknamed the Joan Baez of Kurdistan. Her protest songs, with lyrics in Kurdish and Turkish, subtitled in English, have recently been made into a video clip for YouTube by H. I. Pilikian, a polymath professor and author of many books.

The song's lyrics are based on a Turkish newspaper report about a Kurdish student who was imprisoned in Turkey for merely being at a … bus-stop, on the route of a political demonstration.

The scarf Erce is wearing (the title of her Song Pushi means scarf) in the clip is a reference to the Palestinian "fashion-item" symbolizing the struggle of Palestinian youth (the Intifada) for freedom and democracy.

Erce’s composition is hauntingly melodious and easily memorable. 

 

Click here for Turkish version

Puşi (Kurdish) PUŞİ (Turkish) Scarf (English)
Hewa pir sare îro Hava cok soguk bugun The weather is cold today
Min puşîya xwe gireda Taktim yine Pusimi I wore my scarf called Puşi
Otobus jî nema hat Otobuste gelmedi  
Dereng mam ji dibistanê xwe Gec kaldim okuluma The bus did not arrive on time
    and I was late for my Uni
Xistin zindane Xistin Tiktilar iceriye  
Avêtin puşîya min erdê Attilar Pusimi yere Suddenly, the Police put me in prison
Qey min puşî gredayî Pusi takmisim diye They threw my Puşi on the floor
şewitandin biqesdanî Yaktilar bile bile  
    Because I wore a large scarf
Oy eman eman eman Oy aman aman aman They wanted to ruin my life on purpose
Oy eman eman eman Oy aman aman aman  
şewitandin dayê eman Oy aman yaktilar anam They did ruin my life indeed
Salên min dizîn eman Yillarimi caldilar Ai yaman yaman yaman
     
Ciwanîya min dest diçe Gencligim gidiyor elden Ai yaman yaman yaman
Dibistana min zu qetîya Okulum bitti erken Ai yaman they burnt me alive
Ewa ku serê min hat Basima gelenlere They stole my years away
manayek Hên nikaribum Bir anlam veremeden  
Dadgehê ava kirine   My Life’s time is wasted
Cezayê min birîne Mahkemeyi kurmuslar My Uni is over
Çi govan heye çi selmin Cezamida kesmisler  
Salên min dizîne eman Ne tanik var ne delil And I really have no answer
  Yillarimi calmislar As to what happened to me
Xistin zindane Xistin    
Avêtin puşîya min erdê   They put me on trial
Qey min puşî gredayî   They sentenced me
şewitandin biqesdanî   Without any evidence of what my guilt was
     
Oy eman eman eman    
Oy eman eman eman    
şewitandin dayê eman    
Salên min dizîn eman    

 

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