Language expert Shivan Fazil singing the Kurdish national anthem:
The Kurdish national anthem is from a poem by the revolutionary poet Yunis Rauf better known for his poetic name (Dildar), who wrote under the name Dildar, written in 1938. The title has been said to be written about the guards in the prison where Rauf was imprisoned at the time for his political beliefs. It was originally written in the Kuridsh dialect of Soranî, but was later translated into the Kurmancî dialect for those Kurds living in the areas (eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, Armenia) that speak that dialect.
Its use as an anthem for the Kurdish people started soon after its original composition, and was a natural choice for the national anthem of the short-lived Kurdish Republic of Mahabad (a self-proclaimed Kurdish nation in western Iran; created in early 1946, but forcibly incorporated back into Iran later the same year.) Upon the close of the Gulf War in 1991, the Kurds in Iraq were given greater autonomy and use of “Ey Reqîb” grew in those areas of Iraq; the Kurdistan Regional Government of the area has proclaimed it the official anthem of the Kurdish areas in northern Iraq that it controls. Both of these areas use the original Soranî words. Below is the poem and its equivalent in Latin script and translation in English.
| Sorani Script | Latin | English |
| ئەی رەقیب ھەر ماوە قەومی کورد زمان، نایشکێنێ دانەریی تۆپی زەمان. کەس نەڵێ کورد مردووە، کورد زیندووه، زیندوە قەت نانەوێ ئاڵاکەمان. لاوی کورد ھەستایە سەرپێ وەک دلێر، ئێمە رۆڵەی میدیا و کەیخوسرەوین، ئێمە ڕۆڵەی ڕەنگی سوور و شۆڕشین، لاوی کورد ھەر حازر و ئامادەیه، -دڵدار |
Ey reqîb her mage qewmi kurd ziwan Niyeşkinêgey gerdişi çerxi zeman Kes neüşê kurd mirdige, kurd zînige Zînige her ewşekê allageman Ême rûlley rengi sûr u şûrişîm Rûlligi kurd hellsase pa wêney dilêr Ême rûlley mîdiya u keyxesrewîm Rûlligi kurd her hazir u amadeye |
Oh, enemy! The Kurdish people live on, They have not been crushed by the weapons of any time Let no one say Kurds are dead, they are living They live and never shall we lower our flag We are descendants of the red banner of the revolution The Kurdish youth rise bravely, We are the descendants of the Medes and Cyaxares The Kurdish youth are ready and prepared, |