Abdurrahman Sharafkandi

Abdurrahman Sharafkandi, known by his pen name Hazhar or Hajar (Hejar, هه‌ژار; Hazhar) (April 13, 1921 – February 21, 1991), was a renowned Kurdish writer, poet, lexicographer, linguist, and translator, from Iran.

He was born in Mahabad.

He was also the brother of the late Kurdish politician Dr. Sadeq Sharafkandi (1938–1992).

Dr. Sharafkandi was the second General Secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI).

Hejar was born in Bukan in north-western Iran.

He began religious studies in early childhood, but was forced to abandon it when he lost his father at the age of 17.

He started writing poems in Kurdish around 1940.Through his readings, he came under the influence of famous Kurdish poets such as Malaye Jaziri, Ahmad Khani, Wafaei and Haji Qadir Koyi.

He was involved in the Kurdish movement led by Qazi Muhammad and was appointed as one of the official poets of the Republic of Mahabad in 1946.

After the fall of the republic, he was forced into exile.

For about 30 years, he lived in different countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

In Iraq, he became involved in the nationalist movement led by Mustafa Barzani, with whom he developed a close friendship.

In 1975, after the defeat of the movement, he moved back to Iran, and settled in the city of Karaj, where he lived until his death on February 22, 1990.

He is buried in Mahabad.

Hejar was one of the most prolific Kurdish writers.

He wrote 24 books and is credited with many works, among which are the editing and commentary of poems of Malaye Jaziri in Sorani Kurdish, a translation of Khani's works into Sorani Kurdish, a translation of Koran into Kurdish, the first Kurdish-Persian dictionary in Iran, and the translation of the poems of Khayyam into Kurdish, maintaining Khayyam's rhythm.

One of Hejar's most beloved poems, "Forever a Kurd," translated into English by Tyler Fisher and Haidar Khezri, appears in Essential Voices: Poetry of Iran and Its Diaspora (Green Linden Press, 2021), p. 133.