ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Kay - Poet
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.

Why you should listen

Plenty of 14-year-old girls write poetry. But few hide under the bar of the famous Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan’s East Village absorbing the talents of New York’s most exciting poets. Not only did Sarah Kay do that -- she also had the guts to take its stage and hold her own against performers at least a decade her senior. Her talent for weaving words into poignant, funny, and powerful performances paid off.

Sarah holds a Masters degree in the art of teaching from Brown University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell College. Her first book, B, was ranked the number one poetry book on Amazon.com. Her second book, No Matter the Wreckage, is available from Write Bloody Publishing.

Sarah also founded Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Project VOICE runs performances and workshops to encourage people to engage in creative self-expression in schools and communities around the world.

More profile about the speaker
Sarah Kay | Speaker | TED.com
TED2019

Sarah Kay: "A Bird Made of Birds"

سارا کای: باڵندەیەکی دروستکراوی باڵندەکان

Filmed:
1,727,091 views

گەردوون پێش ئێستا ئەو هۆنراوەیەی نووسیەوە کەوا پلانتان دادەنا بینووسن." سارا کای دەڵێت، قسەی هاوڕێیەکییەتی، کاڤا ئەکبەری شاعیر. بە پپێشکەشکردنی :باڵندەیەکی دروستکراوی باڵندەکان، پێمان دەڵێت چۆن و لە کوێ هۆنراوەکە دەدۆزێتەوە، ( هەروها کای خانەخوی پڕۆگرامی پۆدکستی تێدە، ئیکس گۆێ لە ئەستێرەی بەرنامەی بۆداکست بگرە لە ئەستێرە.
- Poet
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I have a friend named Kaveh Akbar,
who is a fellow poet.
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هاوڕێیەکەم هەیە ناوی کاڤا ئەکبار،
هاوەڵی شاعیرێکە.
00:18
And Kaveh found this photo online
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و کاڤا ئەو وێنەیەی لە
ئەنتەرنێت دۆزییەوە
00:21
of the anatomical heart of a blue whale
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دڵی نەهەنگێکی شینی توێکراو
00:25
that scientists had hung
on a hook from the ceiling,
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کەوا زاناکان بە بنمیچەکەوە
هەڵیانواسیوە،
00:29
which is how they were able to observe
that the heart of a blue whale
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چۆن توانیان تێبینی بکەن
کەوا دڵی نەهەنگە شینەکە
00:32
is big enough that a person
can stand up fully inside of it.
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ئەوەندە گەورەیە کەوا
کەسێک بتوانیت لەناوی ڕابوەستێت.
00:37
And when Kaveh shared this photo online,
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کاتێک کاڤا ئەو وێنەیەی
لە ئەنتەرنێت بڵاوکردەوە،
00:40
he did so with the caption,
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ئەوەی لەناو نیشانەکەی نووسی،
00:42
"This is another reminder
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ئەوە ئاگادارکردنەوەیەکی دیکەیە"
00:45
that the universe has already written
the poem you were planning on writing."
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کەوا گەردوون ئەو هۆنراوەیەی
نووسیوە کەوا پلاندادەنیت بینووسیت."
00:52
And when I first saw that,
I was horrified.
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و کاتێک سەرەتا بینیم،
ترسام.
00:55
I was like, "Come on, man!
I'm trying to invent new metaphors!
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بەوشێوەیە بووم، دەی، پیاو!
هەوڵدەدەم مێتافۆرێکی نوێ دابهێنم!
00:58
I'm trying to discover beauty
that hasn't been discovered yet.
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هەوڵدەدەم جوانی بدۆزمەوە
کەوا هێشتا نەدۆزراوەتەوە.
01:01
What do you mean, the universe
is always going to get there before me?"
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مەبەستت چییە، کەون هەمێشە
پێش من دەستی بەوێ دەگات؟"
01:05
And I know this isn't
a uniquely poet problem,
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و دەزانم گرفتێکی
دەگمەنی شاعیر نییە
01:08
but on days when the world
feels especially big
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بەڵام ڕۆژێک کاتێک جیهان هەستی
بە گەورەیەکی تایبەتی دەکرد
01:14
or especially impossible
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یان بەتایبەتی مەحاڵ
01:16
or especially full of grandeur,
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یانی بەتایبەتی پڕ لە جوانی،
01:19
those are the days when I feel,
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ئەو ڕۆژانەیە کاتێک هەست دەکەم،
01:22
"What do I possibly have to contribute
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پێویستە هاوبەشی بەچی بکەم"
01:25
to all of this?"
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بە هەموو ئەمانە؟
ماوەیەکی کەمە، ئەو ڤیدیۆیەم بینی
لەوانەیە هەندێک لە ئێوش بینیبیتیان.
01:28
Not long ago, I saw this video
that some of you may have seen.
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01:31
It makes the internet rounds
every couple of months.
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ئەوە وادەکەت ئینتەرنێتەکە بخولێتەوە
هەموو دوو مانگێک.
01:34
There are these birds
that are called starlings,
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ئەو باڵندانە
کەوا پێیان دەڵێن ڕیشۆڵە،
01:36
and they fly in what's
called a "murmuration,"
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و دەفڕەن بەشێوەی
"پۆل ،"
01:40
which is generally
just a big cloud of birds.
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بەشێوەیەکی گشتی
تەنها هەورێکی گەورەی باڵندەکانە.
01:43
And someone happened to catch
a quick video on their phone
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و کەسێک ئەو هەلەی بۆ ڕەخسا
بە مۆبایلەکەی خێرا ڤیدیۆیان بگرێت
01:47
of these starlings flying.
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کاتێک ئەو ڕیشۆلانە دەفرن.
01:50
And at first, it's just an amorphous blob,
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و لەسەرەتادا. تەنها پەڵەیەکی نادیارە،
01:53
and then there's a moment
where the birds shift,
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و دوای کەمێک
باڵندەکان دەگۆڕێن،
01:56
and they form the shape of a starling
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و بۆ شێوەی ڕیشۆڵەکە
02:00
in the sky!
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لە ئاسمان!
02:02
(Laughter)
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(پێکەنین)
02:03
And as soon as I saw it, I was like,
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و کاتێک بینیم. من وەکو،
02:05
(Gasps) "The universe has already
written the poem
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(هەناسەبڕکێ)"
گەردوون پیشتر هۆنراوەکەی نووسیەوە
02:08
you were planning on writing!"
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کاتێک پلانت دادەنا بینووسیت!"
02:09
(Laughter)
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(پێکەنین)
02:10
Except, for the first time,
it didn't fill me with despair.
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بێجگەلە. یەکەم جار
نائومێدی نەکردم.
02:14
Instead, I thought, "OK.
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لەجیاتی، بیر، "باش.
02:17
Maybe it's not my job
to invent something new.
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لەوانەیە ئەوە کاری من نەبێت
شتێکی نوێ دابهێنم.
02:21
Maybe instead it's my job to listen
to what the universe is showing me
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لەوانەیە لە جیاتی کارەکەم گوێ لەوە بگرم
کەوان چیم پیشان دەدات
02:28
and to keep myself open
to what the universe offers,
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و خۆم بە کراوەیی هێشتەوە
بۆ ئەوەی گەردوون پێشنیاری دەکات.
02:33
so that when it's my turn,
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کەواتە کاتێک نۆرەم دێت،
02:35
I can hold something to the light,
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دەتوانم شتێک هەڵگرم بۆ ڕوناکییەکە،
02:38
just for a moment,
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تەنها بۆ ساتێک،
02:40
just for as long as I have.
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تەنها تا کاتم هەیە.
02:43
The universe has already written the poem
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گەردوون پێش ئێستا هۆنراوەکەی نووسیوە
02:48
that you were planning on writing.
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کەوا تۆ پلانت دادەنا بینووسیت.
02:51
And this is why
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لەبەر ئەمە
02:53
you can do nothing
but point at the flock of starlings
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ناتوانیت هیچ شتێک بکەیت
بەڵام پیشاندانی پۆلێک ڕیشۆڵە
02:59
whose bodies rise and fall
in inherited choreography,
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بەرز و نزمی لاشەیان
دەبێتە سەما،
03:05
swarming the sky in a sweeping curtain
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ئاسمانێکی جەنجاڵ لە گسکدانی پەردەیەک
03:09
that, for one blistering moment,
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کەوا، بۆ یەک خولەکی بەهێز،
03:12
forms the unmistakeable shape
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شێوەکەیان ئاشکرا و ڕوونە
03:14
of a giant bird
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وەک باڵندەیەکی زەبەلاح
03:16
flapping against the sky.
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شەقەی باڵ لە ئاسماندا.
03:19
It is why your mouth forms an "o"
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ئەوکاتەیە کە دەمت شێوە
"ئۆ" وەردەگرێت
03:23
that is not a gasp,
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ئەوە هەناسەبرکێ نییە،
03:24
but rather, the beginning of,
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بەڵام زیاتر، لە دەست پێکەکەیدا
03:27
"Oh. Of course."
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ئۆ . بەدڵنییایەوە".
03:30
As in, of course the heart of a blue whale
is as large as a house
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وەک لە، بیگومان دڵی نەهەنگە شینەکە
گەورەیە هێندەی خانویەک
03:36
with chambers tall enough
to fit a person standing.
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لەگەڵ درێژی ژووری نووستن
گونجاوە کەسێک تێدا ڕابوەستێت.
03:40
Of course a fig becomes possible
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بیگومان هەنجیرەکە بەردەست دەبێت
03:44
when a lady wasp lays her eggs
inside a flower,
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کاتێک خانمێکی زەردەواڵە هێلکەکانی دادەنێت
لە ناو گوڵێک،
03:49
dies and decomposes,
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دەمرێت، بە هۆکارێک دەمرێت،
03:52
the fruit, evidence of her transformation.
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میوەکە، بەڵگەیە بۆ گۆڕانەکانی.
03:55
Sometimes, the poem is so bright,
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هەندێک جار، هۆنراوەیەک زۆر درەوشاوەیە،
03:59
your silly language will not stick to it.
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زمانە بێکەڵکەکەت لەسەری ناوەستێت.
04:02
Sometimes, the poem is so true,
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هەندێک جار، هۆنراوەکە زۆر ڕاستە
04:06
nobody will believe you.
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کەس باوەڕت پێناکات.
04:08
I am a bird
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من باڵندەیەکەم
04:11
made of birds.
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دروستکراوی باڵندەکانم.
04:13
This blue heart a house
you can stand up inside of.
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ئەو دڵە شینەی خانووەکە
کە دەتوانیت لە ناوی ڕابوەستیت.
04:17
I am dying
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من دەمرم
04:20
here
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لێرە
04:21
inside this flower.
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لەناو ئەو گوڵە.
04:26
It is OK.
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ئەوە باشە.
04:27
It is what I was put here to do.
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من بۆ ئەوە لێرەم.
04:30
Take this fruit.
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ئەوە میوەیە بگرە.
04:33
It is what I have to offer.
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من ئەوەم هەیە بیبەخشم
04:36
It may not be first,
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لەوانەیە یەکەم جارم نەبێت،
04:38
or ever best,
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یان تا ئێستا باشترین نییە،
04:40
but it is the only way to be sure
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بەڵام ئەوە تاکە ڕێگەیە بۆ ئەوەی دڵنیابیت
04:43
that I lived at all.
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کەوا من بەو شێوەیە ژیاوم.
04:46
(Applause)
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(چەپڵەرێزان)
Translated by mabbast chato
Reviewed by Koya University

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Kay - Poet
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.

Why you should listen

Plenty of 14-year-old girls write poetry. But few hide under the bar of the famous Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan’s East Village absorbing the talents of New York’s most exciting poets. Not only did Sarah Kay do that -- she also had the guts to take its stage and hold her own against performers at least a decade her senior. Her talent for weaving words into poignant, funny, and powerful performances paid off.

Sarah holds a Masters degree in the art of teaching from Brown University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell College. Her first book, B, was ranked the number one poetry book on Amazon.com. Her second book, No Matter the Wreckage, is available from Write Bloody Publishing.

Sarah also founded Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Project VOICE runs performances and workshops to encourage people to engage in creative self-expression in schools and communities around the world.

More profile about the speaker
Sarah Kay | Speaker | TED.com

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