Bird calls and omens (1)

Text
Lady Drower notes that the cries of birds and beasts are often thought to convey a warning, or are translated into human speech by tradition in modern Iraq. The swallow is supposed to chatter the Qur’ānic Surat al-Qāf. The owl cries ’Yā ghāfilīn! Idhkaru Allah!’ – “Oh, heedless ones, remember God!” The bulbul murmurs: ’Jīb, baba, jīb! Shedda warid warid! Jīb warid, abu al-warid’ – “Bring, daddy, bring a bunch of roses! Bring roses, father-of-roses!” (i.e. rose-seller). The hen pigeon cries ’Yā karīm’ – “O Merciful One”; the cock pigeon replies ’Yā Allah’. There is an omen concerning crow’s calling: “Whenever a poor man goes out of his house in the morning to win bread for himself and his family, you wish him bad luck by saying, ’Qa-qa-qa!’ in your ugly voice!’ To meet a crow first thing in the morning has been considered unlucky in Iraq.

Source (list of abbreviations)
Iraqi folktales

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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