Zembîlfiroş
The basket-seller: the great moral love epic of the tradition.
- Type
- Epic (destan)
- ✦
- Traditional (folk repertoire)
Zembîlfiroş, the basket-seller, is one of the great destans of Kurdish oral literature: the story of a prince who renounces the world to live by selling baskets, and of the noblewoman Xatûn whose love he refuses. Part love story, part mystical parable about desire and renunciation, it has been sung for centuries in versions both earthly and sacred, and it remains standard repertoire for dengbêjs and modern singers alike. Few pieces show as clearly how Kurdish song carries philosophy inside melody.
Lyrics and translations for this song are being prepared. We publish texts only after editorial verification and a copyright check: traditional and public-domain works in full, modern protected works as context and meaning only.