Jagarkhween and his role in the renewal of Kurdish literature

 This Book...

Jagarkhween

and his role in the renewal of Kurdish literature

Human thought is an umbrella that gathers all nations under its vast shadow. The thought of each nation, like a contributing branch, takes its place beneath this shadow. It determines this position according to its own specific strategy. The more prominent and organized this distinctiveness is, the more the merit of that nation becomes apparent, establishing its vital weight among the collective of nations.

 This collective, in turn, constitutes the strategy of human thought. Based on the principle of above’s viewpoint, some nations are active, playing a vital role in strengthening and maintaining their [cultural and national] umbrella. Other nations, however, cling to the coat-tails of others, moving forward falteringly and with instability. Between the active and the stagnant, there exists a relative spectrum. All nations on earth navigate this strategic energy line according to their capacities, asserting their existence and performing their intellectual role based on the means available to them. They organize the foundations of this role within their own national culture.

One of the most effective tools for national organization, encompassing both human language and conduct, is the art of irony. Irony exists as a rhetorical phenomenon in the style of the learned and appears as a philosophical energy in the works of thinkers. In both cases, it becomes part of the ethical character of those with intellectual prowess, upon which their actions are constructed. Within this framework, solid foundations are laid, and grand objectives emerge on clear horizons. The steps of this transition toward those horizons represent the strategy of the continuous struggle of any nation seeking its intellectual independence. In this independence, the foundations of the free and active individual's personality are established within the rule of law.

From this perspective, I evaluated the thoughts of Cigerxwîn while reading all eleven of his poetry collections (Diwans). On this basis, only his poetic works were selected for this study. This selection was made to express the views on this subject with greater precision, ensuring that the identified examples align more closely with the research objectives.

At times, references were made to the works of other poets to clarify Cigerxwîn’s intentions or to contrast irony with other critical arts. Based on these distinctions, the unique characteristics of irony are analyzed. In general, the reasons for choosing Cigerxwîn’s experience with ironic criticism as a basis for the strategic reorganization of Kurdish thought are as follows:

• Regarding his personality, Cigerxwîn was a man of delicate sensibilities and a linguist, holding an unwavering stance regarding the freedom of his homeland. These traits are conducive factors for expressing ironic criticism. Any individual lacking these characteristics cannot navigate such a complex task, and even if they try, they cannot sustain it.
• Regarding his poetic talent, Cigerxwîn’s themes possess a simple style and a purposeful, straightforward content. They reflect the issues and intricacies of people's daily lives; most were composed to provide information and raise the level of cultural awareness, often taking the form of advice and guidance. Consequently, Cigerxwîn emerged in the field of Kurdish literature as a pedagogue. He is considered a great didactic counselor, and irony is a primary tool within didactic poetry.
• Regarding thought, Cigerxwîn possessed a unique philosophical path, seeing intellectual awareness through the principles of revolutionary realism. He analyzed this awareness through the strengths and weaknesses of his nation. By calculating both sides of this equation, he reached a correct and credible conclusion. Based on that conviction, he drove his path of "Kurdism" (Kurdayetî). A significant characteristic of his approach was the aim to replace tribal relations in villages with a collective (kolkhoz) system. In cities, he sought to replace the dependency and servitude to dominant states with a modern lifestyle.

Intellectually, Cigerxwîn did not succeed in the analytical sense because he was unable to formulate his ideas in an analytical style or engage in an open dialogue with the Kurdish mind; therefore, he resorted to the language of emotion and feeling. Through didactic poetry, he engaged with the events of his era. On this basis, didactic thought in daily affairs and the art of irony in literature are relevant to our subject. Through the union of these two aspects, his style of criticism took on a constructive and instructional form, which he beautifully employed in his poetic expressions.

Cigerxwîn’s lack of success in the purely philosophical realm was natural; it is impossible to explain, evaluate, organize, or implement philosophy solely by stirring emotions and provoking feelings. This is also a primary reason why other didactic Kurdish poets did not succeed in their specific paths—for example: Abdulkhaliq Asiri (1895–1962) in his national-didactic path, Ahmedê Nalband (1891–1963) in his religious-didactic path, and Pîremêrd (1867–1950) in his social-didactic path. This list could be longer if we meticulously evaluated the history of modern Kurdish poetry. However, what pertains to this subject is that while Cigerxwîn’s approach failed in the philosophical sense, it secured its place in the literary sense within an intellectual school that continues to have followers.

In addition to Cigerxwîn’s expertise in rural life and tribal relations, he also lived in several major cities such as Qamishlo, Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad, and Stockholm. He analyzed the foundations of twentieth-century civilization. It is normal that in developed cities, people’s social relations become highly complex, revolving around an unbalanced circle of individual and collective interests. Therefore, any didactic poet living in those circumstances is forced to resort to the art of irony, as this art becomes more active within a complex life. The hidden face of social relations is often stronger than the visible one. Moreover, irony serves the objectives of both the poet and the audience.

For the reasons outlined by Slal, Cigerxwîn’s entire body of work appeared to me as a school of thought, particularly because he masterfully used the art of irony in his critical poems. As a result of these analyses, this current study was produced. Irony and didactics became the core of its content, structured across the pages of this book, which consists of five parts:

Part One concerns the strategy of intellectual awareness in Kurdish literature. This is an extensive subject that, in its comprehensiveness, provokes several philosophical questions of energy, especially since "thought" is a natural intersection between literature and science. In this highly complex equation, it is not easy to balance both poles, yet for sensitive thinkers and sharp-witted writers, the balance of this scale is maintained. Both sides attempt to integrate one pole into the other. On this basis, the intellectual history of humanity is analyzed, providing a gateway to interpreting Cigerxwîn’s thoughts. Strategy relates to the organization of human ideas within a robust scientific framework; thus, several sciences participate in strategic plans, whether directly or indirectly.

Part Two is dedicated to introducing irony and analyzing its characteristics, consisting of two sections:

• The first section defines irony, shedding light on the status and impact of this art on human thought and behavior from three angles: terms, concepts, and the reasons for its emergence.
• The second section deals with the characteristics of irony when used as criticism in poetry. These characteristics only become clear when irony is distinguished as an independent art from other similar or sometimes opposing arts. These differences are identified point by point, and eight distinctions are categorized in a logical order, including the differences between irony and satire, paradox, humor, joking, fantasy, sarcasm, understatement, and the grotesque.
  This classification achieved two goals: first, clarifying irony as a literary art, and second, defining related or opposing arts to prevent linguistic and practical confusion with irony.

Part Three discusses the era of the emergence and spread of irony. Much work has been done on this in the studies of other nations, but among us Kurds, while it existed as texts, it lacked extensive study, particularly in classifying its types. To better understand and analyze it, several types of irony used by Cigerxwîn in his poems are defined, and their place in Kurdish literature is clarified. These eight types include: Socratic irony, verbal irony, irony of fate, romantic irony, analogy irony, dramatic irony, tragic irony, and comic irony. Each type is briefly explained, supported by one or more examples.

Part Four presents Cigerxwîn as an instructional and didactic poet. He performs this national and humanitarian task in two ways:

• First, through the art of irony, criticizing improper or tasteless conditions, such as political circumstances, discord, social ills, and psychological ailments.
• Second, through a didactic style within the framework of educational science. He explains and corrects some of his views regarding: the end of oppression by the ruling class, the expulsion of occupiers and liberation of the country, equality in rights and duties, the establishment of the Kurdish individual’s personality, and the building of a modern civilized society.

Part Five concerns the meters of Kurdish poetry, featuring a deep and comprehensive comparison between the "Meters of Farahidi" and "Cigerxwîn’s Steeds" (his rhythms). A mutual relationship is observed; while some researchers believe Kurdish poetic meters—especially classical ones—followed Arabic prosody (aruz), innovation occurred in the first quarter of the 20th century, returning to indigenous folk meters. Cigerxwîn believed that Kurdish poetry has existed and continued since its inception, though at one time, in the madrasas and courts of princes away from the people's culture, foreign poetry with its specific meters was adopted by the educated. However, in the early 20th century, as formal schools in the Kurdish language increased, Kurdish poetry reclaimed its natural place among the literate through its own authenticity.

Part Six focuses on Cigerxwîn’s works and products, which, during a very delicate period, became a successful field for mobilizing the potential of the Kurdish nation. These capabilities encompass most aspects of urban and rural life. He evaluates these relations, making the love of country and humanity the core of a hopeful desire for the 20th-century Kurdish generation. To further clarify this, the analysis of Cigerxwîn’s legacy is divided into three themes:

• The first theme categorizes the stages of Kurdish intellectual assembly and how it developed and flourished through Cigerxwîn’s fifty years of struggle.
• The second theme evaluates the thoughts of Kurdish writers regarding Cigerxwîn’s works, where each has discussed a specific aspect. These views shed light on the history of Kurdish literature in general.
• The third theme concerns the mobilization of the capabilities of various Kurdish social classes and how they gathered around Cigerxwîn’s thought. Through a balanced comparison, the rights of the Kurdish individual and the organization of Kurdish society became clear to them—a subject worthy of follow-up by Kurdish historians.

Part Seven addresses the biography and works of Cigerxwîn, which are two complementary poles in a guiding personality with an intellectual status in Kurdish literature. This balanced equation is explained in two themes:

• The first theme briefly analyzes the foundations of his literary school.
• The second theme evaluates his biography through his works, considering it an encyclopedia of the existence and flourishing of the Kurdish nation.

Finally, these seven subjects are analyzed, and the results are summarized in several points. This is followed by a bibliography of all sources used and an index of names mentioned in the book who influenced the events narrated or the opinions expressed within the six sections of Slal.

To introduce this work, a summary of the book’s content is provided in both Arabic and English. For further clarification, several useful appendices are attached at the end: one in Arabic and another featuring a poem by Cigerxwîn in which he masterfully weaves the stages of his own biography.

I hope that through this small effort, I have been able to serve my nation, that readers of the Kurdish language may benefit from it, and that the holy soul of Cigerxwîn may find joy in it.