Yazidi literature

Part of a series on the Yazidi religion
Yazidism
Main topics Yazidis Yazidi social organization
The Heptad Tawûsî Melek Fexredîn Sheikh Shems Sicadîn Melik Şêxsin Sheikh Obekr Nasirdîn
List of Yazidi holy figures Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir Sultan Ezid Amadin Ezdina Mir Khatuna Fekhra Sheikh Mand Mehmed Reshan Musa Sor Sharaf ad-Din ibn al-Hasan Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir Pir Ali Rabia of Basra Shehid ibn Jerr
Holy places Lalish Sinjar Mountains Silat Bridge Mam Rashan Shrine Quba Mêrê Dîwanê Sharfadin Temple Sultan Ezid Temple
Festivals Batizmi Feast of Ezid Feast of the Assembly Tawûsgeran Tiwaf Yazidi New Year
Literature Yazidi Black Book Yazidi Book of Revelation
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Yazidi literature is literature produced by the Kurds-Yazidi people. Although Yazidi literature has traditionally been primarily oral, many Yazidi texts have been transcribed since the 1970s. Kurmanji is the main language used.^[1]

Unlike the other major religions of the Near East, Yazidism does not have a standardized canon of religious texts, since religious knowledge is traditionally transmitted orally.^[2]

Some of the largest text collections of Yazidi literature have been compiled by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (2005)^[3] and Khanna Omarkhali (2017).^[4] Other compilations of various Yazidi texts are those of Christine Allison (2001)^[2] and Teimuraz Avdoev, a Georgian Yazidi.^[5]

This section contains a comprehensive list of Yazidi oral religious texts as compiled by Omarkhali (2017).^[4]

Yazidi oral religious poetry can be categorized into the following categories.^[4]

Qesîdes of the Pîrs:

1. Qesîda Alû Bekir
2. Qesîda Êk Siwar
3. Qesîda Hacyal(î)
4. Qesîda Hecî ʿElî
5. Qesîda Hesil Meman (Hesin Meman) — The Qesîde of Hesen Meman
6. Qesîda Hesnaleka
7. Qesîda Îsîbiya
8. Qesîda Mehmed Reşan — The Qesîde of Mehmed Reshan
9. Qesîda Mehmedî Reben
10. Qesîda Memê Şivan
11. Qesîda Pîrê Cerwa
12. Qesîda Pîrî Kemal
13. Qesîda Pîr Mihemed – Pîr Afat – Xetî Pisî
14. Qesîda Qedî Bilban
15. Qesîda Sinî Behrî

Qesîdes of the Sheikhs:

1. Qesîda Adiya Şêxê Mine — “Adi is my Sheikh”
2. Qesîda Amadîn
3. Qesîda Nasirdîn
4. Qesîda Sicadîn
5. Qesîda Şerfedîn — The Qesîde of Sherfedin
6. Qesîda Şêşims û Melik Fexredîn — The Qesîde of Sheikh Shems and Melik Fekhredin
7. Qesîda Şêşimsê Tewrêzî
8. Qesîda Şêx ʿAdî
9. Qesîda Şêx Alê Şemsa
10. Qesîda Şêx Babik
11. Qesîda Şêx Cencer
12. Qesîda Şêx ʿEbdil Qadir
13. Qesîda Şêx Mend
14. Qesîda Şêx Sin — The Qesîde of Sheikh Sin
15. Qesîda Şêx û Bekir
16. Qesîda Xatûna Fexra

1. Qesîda Çopan
2. Qesîda Kes netê
3. Qesîda Nadîmî
4. Qesîda Sibhan e ji te Melkê Ekber
5. Qesîda Tawûsî Melek

1. Semaʿya Bilind
2. Semaʿya Maka Êz(î)
3. Semaʿya Merkeba (Semaʿ Miriya)
4. Semaʿya Qanûnî
5. Semaʿya Şerfedîn û Şêx Hesen
6. Semaʿya Şêşims
7. Semaʿya Zerza(yî)

1. Lavij (Dîroka Lavijê Pîrê)
2. Xizêmok – Song of the Xizêm ("Nose-Ring") of the Beloved
3. Payîzok – Autumn Song
4. Robarîn – Song of the Rivers
5. Xerîbo

Mishabet texts are sermons:

1. Derwêşê Baçarê Besrayê
2. Divê mirovê êzdi çawa be
3. Li Ser Derwêşiyê û Dilê Paqij
4. Medh û Sena ji Şîxadî da
5. Mirin û Axiret
6. Mishabet û Şiret
7. Nijandina Adem
8. Pesna Şerfedîn
9. Şiret û Karê Baş

Çîrok and Çîvanok texts are stories or narratives:

1. Çîroka Birahîm Xelîl (û Nemrûd)
2. Çîvanoka Hezretî Seîd Fesil (Fezl)
3. Çîroka Miskîn Tajdîn
4. Çîroka Nebû Xed Nesir û Qewlê Êzîd û Medehê
5. Çîroka Peydabûna Sura Êzî — The Story of the Appearance of the Mystery of Ezi
6. Çîroka Pîr Alî û Batizmî
7. Çîroka Pîr Mendî Gor — The Story of Pir Mend of the Grave
8. Çîvanoka Pîr Şerefê Mêravê û Sultan Şêx Mus
9. (Qewl û) Çîroka Qedî Bilban
10. Çîroka Silêman Pêxember û Bilqîzê
11. Çîroka Şîxadî û Siltan Zeng, Bedredîn û Şêx Hesen û Şêx Mend — The Story of Sheikh Adi and the Zangid Sultan, Bedredin, Sheikh Hesen and Sheikh Mend
12. Çîroka Şêx Fexr û Aqûbê Mûsa
13. Çîrok û Beyta Şêxê Sen’an

Dastan texts are tales:

1. Dastana Aşiq Xerîb û Şah Senem
2. Dastana Gêla Mîr Etles
3. Dastana Mîr Mih
4. Dastan (û Beyta) Mîr Mihê — The Tale and Beyt of Mir Mih

This section lists Yazidi oral religious texts that have been translated into English.

Some representative samples of Yazidi oral religious poetry transcribed and compiled by Khanna Omarkhali (2017) include the following.^[4]

• Qewlê Padişa — The Hymn of the Lord
• Qewlê Zebûnî Meksûr — The Hymn of the Weak Broken One
• Qewlê Pişt Perde — The Hymn ‘Behind the Veil’
• Beyta Heyî Malê — The Beyt of ‘O Home’
• Beyta Şêşims or Beyta Sibê — The Beyt of Sheikh Şems or the Beyt of the Morning
• Dirozga Şêxşims — The Dirozge of Sheikh Şems
• Şehdetiya Dîn — The Declaration of the Faith
• Duʿayê Dewrêşê ʿErd — The Prayer to the Dewrêş of the Earth
• Duʿa Çevşûştinê — The Prayer of Washing One’s Face
• Duʿa Hîvê — The Prayer of the Moon
• Duʿaya Tawûsî Melek — The Prayer of Tawûsî Melek
• Qesîda Pîrê Kemal — The Qesîde of Pîr Kemal
• Qesîda Şêx Babik — The Qesîde of Sheikh Babik

Yazidi literature compiled by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (2005):^[3]

• Creation and early history of the world
  • Qewlê Zebûnî Meksûr — The Hymn of the Weak Broken One
  • Qewlê Afirîna Dinyayê — The Hymn of the Creation of the World
  • Qewlê Bê Elîf — The Hymn of B and A
  • Qewlê Hezar û Yek Nav — The Hymn of the Thousand and One Names
  • Qewlê Îmanê — The Hymn of the Faith
  • Qewlê Qendîla — The Hymn of the Lights
  • Qewlê Qere Ferqan — The Hymn of the Black Furqan
  • Dûʿa Bawiriyê — The Prayer of Belief
  • Dûʿa Ziyaretbûn — The Prayer of Pilgrimage
  • Dûʿa Tifaqê — The Prayer of Agreement
• Early history of the faith and community
  • Çîroka Siltanî Zeng û Şîxadî, Bedredîn û Şêx Hesenû Şêx Mend — The Story of the Zangid Sultan and Sheikh Adi, Bedredin, Sheikh Hesen and Sheikh Mend
  • Qewlê Pîr Dawud — The Hymn of Pir Dawud
  • Çîroka Pêdabûna Sura Êzî — The Story of the Appearance of the Mystery of Ezi
  • Qewlê Mezin — The Great Hymn
  • Qewlê Mela Abû Bekir — The Hymn of Mullah Abu Bekir
  • Qewlê Şêxadî û Mêra — The Hymn of Sheikh Adi and the Holy Men
• Stories about holy figures
  • Qewlê Êzdîne Mîr — The Hymn of Ezdina Mir
  • Çîroka Pîr Mendî Gor — The Story of Pir Mend of the Grave
  • Qewlê Rabiʿe il-ʿEdewiye — The Hymn of Rabiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya
  • Duʿa û Qewlê Şêşims — The Prayer and Hymn to Sheikh Shems
  • Beyta Sibê yan Beyta Şêşims — The Beyt of the Morning or The Beyt of Sheikh Shems
  • Bêta Şêx û Pîra — The Beyt of Sheikhs and Pirs
  • Adiye Şêxê Mine — “Adi is my Sheikh”
  • Qesîda Şêşims û Melik Fexredîn — The Qesîde of Sheikh Shems and Melik Fekhredin
  • Qesîda Şêx Sin — The Qesîde of Sheikh Sin
  • Qesîda Şerfedîn — The Qesîde of Sherfedin
  • Qesîda Hesin Meman — The Qesîde of Hesen Meman
  • Qesîda Mehmed Reşan — The Qesîde of Mehmed Reshan
• Stories deriving from the Islamic or Judaeo-Christian tradition
  • Çîroka Birahîm Xelîl ligel Qewlê Birahîm Xelîl û Nemrûdû Qewlê Nebî Ismaîl — The Tale of Ibrahim the Friend including the Hymn of Ibrahim the Friend and Nemrud and the Hymn of Ismail
  • Beyta Bilbila — The Beyt of Nightingales
• Religious life and symbols
  • Misbabet: Derwêşê Bacarê Besrayê — Mishabet: The dervish of the city of Basra
  • Dûʿa Mirazê — The Prayer of Wishes
  • Diroze
• Moralistic texts, proper behaviour
  • Mishabet û Şîret — Sermon and Exhortation
  • Qewlê Mirîdiyê — The Hymn of the Mirids
  • Qewlê Şeqeserî — The Hymn of Proper Conduct
  • Beyta Nesîheta — The Beyt of Advice
• Death, grief and consolation
  • Dastan û Beyta Mîr Mihê — The Tale and Beyt of Mir Mih
  • Qewlê Seremergê — The Hymn of the Moment of Death
  • Qewlê Cumcumî Siltan — The Hymn of the Sultan’s Skull
  • Qewlê Şêxê Hesenî Siltane — The Hymn of Sheikh Hesen the Sultan
  • Qewlê Mûsa — The Hymn of Moses
• End of times
  • Qewlê Tercal — The Hymn of the False Saviour
  • Qewlê Şerfedîn — The Hymn of Sherfedin
• Mystical themes
  • Qewlê Babekê Omera — The Hymn of Babeke Omera
  • Qewlê Aşê Mihbetê — The Hymn of the Mill of Love
• Other themes
  • Qewlê ʿErd û ʿEzman — The Hymn of Earth and Sky
  • Qewlê Keniya Mara — The Hymn of the Laughter of Snakes
  • Xizêmok
  • Payîzok
  • Robarîn

Philip G. Kreyenbroek (1995) includes the following Yazidi texts:^[1]

• Qewlê Zebûnî Meksûr — The Hymn of the Weak Broken One
• Qewlê Afirîna Dinyayê — The Hymn of the Creation of the World
• Qewlê Îmanê — The Hymn of the Faith
• Qewlê Behra — The Hymn of the Oceans (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Şêxûbekir — The Hymn of Sheykh Obekr (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Du‘aya Sibeykê — The Morning Prayer (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Du‘aya Hêvarî — The Evening Prayer (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Şehda Dînî — The Declaration of Faith (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Beyta Cindî — The Song of the Commoner (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Ṭawûsî Melek — The Hymn Of Melek Tawus (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Melek Şêx Sin — The Hymn of Melek Sheykh Hesen (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Şêşimsê Tewrêzî — The Hymn of Sheykh Shems of Tabriz (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Pîr Şeref — The Hymn of Pîr Sheref (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Şêx ‘Erebegê Entûşî — The Hymn of Sheykh Erebeg Entûsh (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Pîr Dawûd — The Hymn of Pîr Dawûd
• Qewlê Şêxadî û Mêra — The Hymn of Sheykh Adi and the Holy Men
• Qewlê Qiyametê — The Hymn of the Resurrection (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Miskîno Jaro — The Hymn of the Poor Miserable One (not in Kreyenbroek 2005)
• Qewlê Seremergê — The Hymn of the Moment of Death

• Kurdish literature
• Qasida
• Dastan
• Dua
• Yazidi social organization