Sasountsi Davit

[Ashot]

JAMES RUSSELL OF HARVARD DISCUSSES

ARMENIAN EPICS IN LECTURE AT NAASR

 

The role and importance of Armenian epics was the subject of a well-attended and enthusiastically received talk Prof. James R. Russell, Mesrob Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University, on Thursday evening, April 19, at the Center and Headquarters of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont, Mass. The lecture, entitled "The Role of the Epic in Armenian Literature," covered a multiplicity of topics in Armenian history, literature, folklore, religion, and art.

Prof. Russell has written and lectured widely on the Armenian epic Sasuntsi Davit (David of Sasun) and other works of epic literature, both Armenian and non-Armenian, in addition to teaching courses on the Armenian epic, Armenian history, and Classical and Modern Armenian at Harvard. He is the author of Zoroastrianism in Armenia (co-published by NAASR and the Harvard Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations) and Hovhannes Tlkurantsi and the Medieval Armenian Lyric Tradition. His most recent work is An Armenian Epic: The Heroes of Kasht, a translation and commentary on a largely unknown but important work.

 

The Nature of Epics

 

Following an introduction by Robert O. Krikorian, Director of NAASR's Institute for Armenian Studies and Research, in which Russell's numerous accomplishments as a scholar and a spokesperson for Armenian issues were delineated, Prof. Russell began by briefly discussing what an epic is, at least for the purposes of his talk. "An epic is a poetic composition employing old, recognizable, respected features common particularly to the oral expression of the literature of a culture." Furthermore, such works, which deal "with matters of high and serious concern to the culture in which they are composed," are often "changed or reused over time, the same old stories being adapted to new conditions and situations -- cultural, religious, and political."

Epics are, furthermore, works which are legendary but not necessarily mythical; the difference, as Russell explained, is that legends tell of "human heroes who might have existed but who in the course of time have become themselves symbolic beings" whereas myths are outside the realm of the possible. Thus, while Odysseus or David of Sasun may or may not have really existed, they could have.

Starting with the one of the oldest known Armenian texts, the pre-Christian poem on the birth of the god Vahagn which is preserved in Movses Khorenatsi's History of the Armenians, Russell identified the motif of dragon-slaying which figures in the poem and can be traced through countless other works, Armenian and non-Armenian alike, including ones from Persia, Cappodocia, and on down to England, where the dragon-slaying Saint George (of Cappodocian origin) is the nation's patron saint.

 

Epics Cross Cultural, Religious Lines

 

One of the most revealing aspects of Russell's talk was the remarkable fluidity of components of various epics in moving across cultural and religious borders. Thus, he was able to identify aspects of the stories of two of the most important events in Armenian history - the mission of the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew to Armenia and the conversion of King Tiridates by St. Gregory the Illuminator - which have their roots in pre-Christian epic tales. In the case of the former, the pre-Christian epic is that of Artaxias (Artashes) from the second century B. C.; in the latter it is the Persian epic of Cyrus and Ardeshir. It is hardly surprising, nor unique to Armenia, that the stories told in one era and in one cultural mode should be built on those of earlier ones. As Russell stated, "Thus, in early Christian Armenia the language of expression of the new faith, at least in chronicles, was still inseparable from the previous epic tradition."

David of Sasun is seen as the Armenian epic par excellence, and Russell spent some time analyzing its connections to other epics. Aspects of the epic are very old - as far back as the Urartean period of pre-Armenian history - and other aspects are not so old - the ninth century uprisings against the Arab caliphate form the backdrop to much of the action. Two of the epic's heroes - Medz Mher and Pokr Mher - are named after the Iranian god Mithra (who is Mher in Armenian) and portions of the epic have analogues in the Persian epic The Shah-name. Likewise, Russell pointed out the similarity of the ending of the epic of Sasun, when Pokr Mher fights the angel of death before being confined to a cave in suspended animation, to the Greek myth of Alcestis as well as the reconstructed epic of Zariadris.

 

Heroes of Kasht Continues Tradition

 

Russell's translation of The Heroes of Kasht focuses attention on yet another epic with ancient roots, but which exists only in a modern retelling by the Armenian-American poet Karapet Sital, who was born in the Lake Van region of historic Armenia and settled in Philadelphia in the U. S. Just as in earlier times epic structures, themes, and plots were adapted, transferred, or borrowed wholesale, Sital collected and transcribed versions of this oral epic and recast it to reflect "the themes of class struggle and the Soviet Union's desperate struggle against the Nazi invader." However much Sital introduced elements which may seem anachronistic in a story set in time of Tamerlane, the motif of dragon-slaying recurs yet again, along with other elements which unmistakably tie the Kasht epic to ancient exemplars.

What Sital did was, in fact, in keeping with Soviet cultural policy regarding epics and other folk poetry. Russell noted that in the 1930s the publication of the long-awaited critical edition of David of Sasun was a major event in Soviet Armenia, and "T-34 tanks of the Red Army with the name of David of Sasun emblazoned on their turrets rolled into battle against the Germans" while in America the cover of the 1943 Baikar annual showed these same tanks, in the words of the artist, Zaven Melik, "pouring out from behind the great buildings and factories of Erivan" while overhead "the Spirit of the Great Vardan [Mamigonian] point the way toward the Axis storm."

Finally, Russell spoke about the little-known "Hymn of the Pearl," which is found in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. Calling it a "kind of stripped-down epic, a quest narrative reduced to formulaic essentials," with Manichean overtones, Russell detailed some of its similarities to the other epics under discussion. He concluded that although the author or even the religious sect of the author is unknown, "What is certain is that it was intended to be received by an audience whose ears were attuned to the recitation of heroic epics involving quests and dragon-slayings, letters that fly through the air, and demons and deceivers."

 

Enthusiastic Audience Response

 

Following his talk, Prof. Russell answered a large number of questions from the audience, who were clearly caught up in the remarkable sweep of his presentation. Questions covered such diverse topics as the relationship between Urartu and Zoroastrianism in Armenian history, the Caucasian Iranian ethnic group the Alans, some of whom, Russell explained, ended up living in Wales and transferring the legend of the sword and the stone from Irano-Armenian myth to the story of King Arthur. Discussion continued on as Prof. Russell signed copies of his new book and refreshments were served.

 

 

[AVO]

The entire epos can be found here

 

http://armenianhouse.org/sasuntsi-david/epic.html

 

 

[Ashot]

David Of Sassoun

 

"For centuries the people of the Great Armenia were in turmoil, their land was taken away, their wars were lost, their dreams crushed, and their hopes gone with the wind...Thus the distraught people turned to the gods, searching for answers... And then he came, with a sword in his hand, a barbarian, a gladiator, a mercenary, a warrior, with the courage and the strength of a hundred men, and his name was, David, of Sassoun."

 

The Myth

 

David of Sassoun is a national epic, the most popular hero of south-western Armenia, now part of Turkey.In Armenian he is known as Sasuntsi Davit', Armenian Hercules. For over a thousand years the legend of David was passed from granfathers to their grandsons, and it is difficult to classify his stories as ancient or medieval. The tales were collected and put into a novel only in the nineteenth century, a connected narative out of dozens isolated episodes and fragments.The ancestors of David is the Lady Dzovinar, who agrees to marry the 90 year old King of Baghdad to save her people. And they have two sons, Sanasar and Balthasar. Sanasar moves to Sassoun, the fortress-town of Armenia, and has three children, and eldest is the Great Meherr of Sassoun, with superhuman powers. Meherr's son is David of Sassoun, but Meherr also has another son from the Arabic queen of Egypt,his name is Misra Melik. Throughout the years the half-brothers fought, and eventually David chops his nemesis in half. David of Sassoun is mainly a benevolent hero,who travels the world on his steed, Dzelali, kills robber demons and punishes tax greeders. He is also a great womanizer, and is married to the most beautiful woman in Middle-East, Khandut Khanum.

 

The Legend

 

And finally the myth is told by me...My story is slightly different than the myth. In my novel he is portrayed like a normal human, with extreme powers, who fights normal people, not demons. In the novel he moves mountains aside, and crushes a thousand men, thats too much, in my novel hes portrayed like Conan, a powerful barbarian.David was never described in the saga,hes only told as a gigantic man, with Amenian features. In my point of view,David is between 6'0 and 6'3 feet high, because Armenians largely are small people. He has long, black hair down to his shoulders(like in the story),navyblue eyes(Only Mid-Easterners have those eyes), and dark, olive skin. He's built and cut like a powerhouse, with gigantic muscles like Arnold.He dressed like the northern people, in pants(During those ages those who wore pants were considered barbarians), and carried a large, Scythian sword.

 

The Saga

 

In the story, the time takes place 480 B.C. During the reign of the Great Persian Emperor, Xerxes. The story starts as King Xerxes's army marches for the invasion to Greece, and on their way quickly crushes the rebelion in Sassoun, thus killing Davids entire family, and destroying the entire town leaving 6-year old David all by himself. The Cimmerians, a barbarian tribe living north of Armenia raised the boy for 15 years. They were amazed by his superstrength and his warrior spirit.At age of 20 he decides to avenge by killing Misra Malek, the imperial vassal who massacred the town.David sets for for his quest, with his fathers sword by his side. He meets Khanda, a warrior woman, the type of woman he never seen before.He falls in love with her, but not for long. After he returned to Sassoun, Malek invaded again, this time David killed a hundred of the Persians, but then Rothgar The Scyth, a bodyguard to Xerxes who himself is 7'0 tall, and weighs 500 pounds, breaks Davids sword and captures David in a net. Malek kills Khanda in front of Davids eyes, and David is sold into slavery to the Greeks. There he helps them built castles by carriyng 3 ton stones on his back. Later the Greeks recognize his strenght and made him a gladiator. David defeated and killed his oponents, he even killed a lion. Then the queen of Athens fell in love with the barbarian, and freed him.One thing is on Davids mind, vengeance. He makes his own sword, and tames a wild horse, who he later calls Dzelali. He rides through the Middle -East, silently, distraught, and finally arives at Sassoun. The town is controlled by Persians, at every corner. And then all hell breaks lose, David attacks them all. He savagely chops the left and right, and the villagers, seeing the Son of Meherr, gained hope once more and raised their weapons againts the Persians.After Malek heard of the revolt, he himself send a huge Army to sack Sassoun. David silently planned the attack, and set traps. Finally Malek attacks, the Armenians tricke them, and after a day of fighting crushed and captured the remaining ones.David beats Malek, ties a rope around his neck, throws him off the wall of the tower, and holds the other end of the rope. He told the remaining soldiers to tell Xerxes that as long as David lives Armenia shall be free. Xerxes was mad about losing Malek, and sended a 60,000 man army to Sassoun. Xerxes did not prepare, for he underestimated the Armenian forces. All Armenians joined forces againts Xerxes. And the battle took place, the Armenians did not care whether they shall live or die, their only goal was to fight, David slaughtered people left and right, searching for Xerxes. By some miracle Armenians won and became free. The Armenians asked David to be their leader, but the barbarian disagreed, stating that he is no leader, he believes in no leaders, and that the way it should be. David leaves Sassoun, saying that he may never return again, but he promises that Xerxes shall never bother them again.So David rides to Babylon, where Xerxes is staying. David sneaks into the castle, there he battles the two sons of Xerxes, and Rothgar whom he defeats in hand combat and kills. David sneaks into the throne room right behind Xerxes, and quietly, after listening to the kings begs, slashes his head off in front of the entire royalty. Everyone is terrified of the Armenian, and he walks, silently out of the door, sits on his steed and rides away for further adventure...

 

The Hero

 

Above was biefly described the events in the story of David, so it kinda sound funny. It was tried to make a story as if there was a guy who inspired all these people to create a myth. In real life, Emperor Xerxex's murder is questionable, so that gave the opportunity to put David in there. By combining real life historical events and the myth there has been created a better hero. In the story hes not a Robin-Hood type of hero, hes neither good or evil, hes human. He savagely kills his enemies, he sleeps around, he steals, and honestly speaking hes not fighting for his country, he mainly fights for vengeance. This gives great strength to the character, makes him savage, and barbaric. David prays to Vahagn, the god of fire, and owes alegience to no one, and thats why he does not believe in leaders. In the story hes the type of hero whod be an icon to every Armenian and every other teen. The one who doesnt talk or brag, he just does it, and has no remorse or mercy. The only hero who reminds of David is Conan.

 

This is a story and a theory by a guy named -David

 

 

[Ashot]

Armenia is known to have been a nation often occupied by nearby powers, such as the Sassanid Empire. The beginning of the Medieval era was marked by the Arab occupation of Armenia. The people then start to talk of a great hero who would be able to liberate them and reestablish Armenian sovereignty. David of Sasun, known as Sasuntsi Davit', is the medieval Armenian equivalent of Hercules. For over a thousand years the legend of David was passed from grandfathers to their grandsons thanks to the Armenian oral tradition, and it is difficult to classify his stories as ancient or medieval. In 1873, the story was first written down by Archbishop Karekin Servantzdiants, who copied word for word the tale as told by a peasant storyteller from Moush named Grbo. Other versions of the tale from various regions of Armenia were copied down in the ensuing years, and during the early Soviet era in Armenia, the stories were collated into a "united version"; a connected narrative out of dozens isolated episodes, fragments, and near-complete though differing versions of the legend. One of the most famous treatments of the story was the verse rendition made by Hovhannes Toumanian in 1902. His poem only covers the story of David, which is actually only one of 4 parts of the story, although the central portion.The four portions of the story are named after their heroes: Sanasar & Balthazar (Sanasar yev Baghdasar), Lion-Mher (Aryudz Mher), David of Sassoun (Sassountsi Tavit), and Mher the Younger (Pokr Mher). Sansasar is the father of Lion-Mher, who is the father of David, who is the father of Mher the Younger. Mher the younger is cursed to never bear progeny and his superhuman powers are too much for the world to handle, so he is enclosed in a mountain cave where he waits until the end of the world to come out and restore order. (similar to the western legends of King Arthur or Barbarossa.)Despite the Christian flavor of the epic, numerous fantastic creatures, good and evil, influence the action.One of the ancestors of the legendary David is the Lady Dzovinar, who agrees to marry the 90 year old King of Baghdad in order to save her people. Sanasar and Balthasar were their two sons. Sanasar moves to Sassoun, the fortress-town of Armenia, now located in Turkey. He has three children, the eldest of them being the Great Mher of Sassoun, with superhuman powers. Mher's veritable son is David of Sassoun. However, he also gets another son from the Arabic queen of Egypt. He is known as Misra Melik, which literally means "The sovereign of Egypt". He is probably the figure of all of what the Armenians resented; traitors, and foreign oppressors.

 

[Ashot]

Translation of poem by Hovhannes Tumanian

 

(Sorry this going to be very long one!!!)

 

1902

 

 

 

 

I

Lion-Mher of fabled glory

For forty years at Sassoun reigned;

He reigned with might, and in his day

No flocks made flight o’er Sassoun's steeps.

Far and away from Sassoun highlands

His mighty name was rurnoured wide;

His name bespoke his valour, his fearsome deeds—

The single name, Lion-Mher.

II

Thus, seated like a fearful lion

In the Sassoun fastnesses, he had reigned

As lord for forty years. For forty years

He had never raised a wail of woe;

But now, fallen upon declining days,

Into that fearless heart there crept a sting.

Thus the legened-laden eld to thinking fell;

“Alack, the autumn days of my life are come,

The black earth soon will claim me for its own,

Like smoke will pass the glories of Lion-Mher,

Even my name, terror and fear;

Alas! On my unowned and orphaned realm

There rise a thousand upstart braves and fiends..

Upon my passing, Mack, no heir remains

To buckle on my sword, protector be to Sassoun.

Pondered thus the troubled childless grey-beard.

III

Thus on a day, his iron-grey eyebrows knitted,

Deep he pondered , when down from the sky,

Fronting the giant, stood a fiery angel,

His feet enwrapped in billowing clouds.

“Greetings! All-powerful giant of Sassoun,

Your voice has reached the throne of God,

Soon he shall grant to you a child.

But hearken well, O lord of the Mountains,

On that day, when God grants you an heir,

On that selfsame day will you die and your wife."

“His will be done,” spake Lion-Mher, “we are ever

Of death and death of us; but if of this world

We gain an heir, with him deathless we remain.

Here the fiery angel once more took aloft;

And onward from that happy day of joyous tidings,

When nine months did pass and nine hours more,

Lion-Mher a child did have; and David

He named his cub, and called to him his brother,

Big-Voiced Ohan: bequeathed his lands and scion

To him. That day died he and his dame, too.

IV

And in those times in Egypt there sat as king

Melik of Musr, mighty and unvanquished;

When he heard that Lion-Mher no more was,

Straight upon Sassoun he marched to fight. Ohan,

The Big-Voiced, set a-quake with fear, came before

The war-like hosts unhelmeted and bowed,

And seeking mercy, fell upon his knees.

“O Melik be you the master of our heads,”

He said, “while beneath your shadow we live;

Ever may we your servants be, our tribute pay,

Only lay not waste our tillage and our lands,

And with benignant ear hark you to us.

“Nay,” roared Melik, “your people all must pass

Beneath my sword and homage pay, so that

Henceforward whatever I will to do, not one

Sassounite may raise a sword against me.

Thus Ohan went and brought all Sassounites

Together and passed them all beneath the sword

David alone, despite whatever moves

Were tried, came not near the foeman Melik’s sword.

Vexed, the Sassounites came and tugged at him:

He bolted once, scattered the throng here and there,

The while his little finger grazed a rock

And drew from it a flight of fiery bolts.

To the wise men gathered all about him,

Spoke the King: “I must kill this little fool!”

“O King,” they said, “beneath your sword today

All Sassoun stands; sure you are the mighty one.

What is there a mere child could do against thee,

Though he were instead altogether fire?”

“You know best,” said the Egyptian king, “but if,

On a day some harm should fall upon my head,

This day be witness

From him will it come.”

V

When this event occurred our husky David

A mere child was, seven or eight years old,

I say a child, but one with so much strength,

Man to him or mosquito was the same.

But, alas! for the poor orphan on this earth,

Though he come forth from the lions of a iion.

Now Big-Voiced Ohan had a waspish wife;

Once or twice she held her tongue, but one day

Thus she began fighting with her helpmeet;

“A lonely soul I, heir to a thousand ills,

Why have you brought another’s orphan here,

Weighed me down with a useless trencherman...

Would that I could cast sod upon his head!

No handmaid I, dancing attendance upon others!

Find a way to lose him, put him to a task,

Pack him off that he may labour for himself.”

Saying thus, she ‘gan to wail and weep,

To mourn her hapless days, to curse her fate,

That she luckless was to be on earth,

That nor master her did own, nor pitying spouse.

Ohan set out and brought back a pair

Of iron boots for the child’s feet,

Placed an iron staff upon his shoulders,

And made him the shepherd of Sassoun-town.

VI

The mighty shepherd drove his flock of sheep

And mounted Sassoun’s peerless fastnesses

“O endearing highlands,

Highlands of Sassoun. .

When he called, of such force was his voice,

That canyons and highlands sounded with it,

Wild animals sprang from their lairs, scattered

From rock to rock, and became homeless.

David went after them all, those from the valleys,

And those from the hills—fox, hare, wolf, and deer

He gathered and brought and mixed with his flock,

And at night drove them all on Sassoun-town.

The noise and the din, the sounds and the roars,

The charging of numberless beasts let loose,

The townspeople suddenly saw and heard.

“Oh! Help! Run.

Old and young,

Panic-stricken,

Away did run

From their chores,

Some ran home, some to church, some to shops,

All bolted doors fast and closed shutters tight.

Boldly David strode and stood in the town square—

“Well! How early these people are gone to sleep.

Ho there! Goat-owners, sheep-owners,

Get up, swiftly unbar your doors;

He who had one—I’ve brought him ten,

He who had ten—I’ve brought him scores.

Up, get up swiftly, come and take them,

Take your sheep to the barns and your goats.”

When David saw that no one stirred, no one

A door unbarred, he placed his head upon

A stone, lengthened out himself upon the square

And soundly slept until the break of dawn.

At dawn the nobles arose together

And went to Big-Voiced Ohan and said:

“Thou Big-Voiced Ohan, be thou taken by Death,

You it was who brought this fool, made him herdsman;

He parts nor sheep nor wolves, nor foxes,

Thus with wild beasts has he filled our town.

If lovest thou God, put him to another task,

Else he’ll burst the galls of all our townsfolk.”

VII

Ohan arose and went to see David.

“Uncle Ohan, take care, tread softly,

Else the goats will scamper off.” And hard by

An ash-coloured hare, its ears fixed rigid,

Aff righted became and bolted away.

David was up in a trice and after it:

In the hills he caught the hare and brought it back

And placed it once again among the goats.

“Oh, how hard it is, Uncle Ohan. ...

God has blessed those black-black goats, but these that be

Ash-coloured goats, are ever escaping

And ever scattering into the hills.

So much did I scurry yesterday,

Until I gathered them and brought them back.”

Ohan saw that David’s boots were not what

They were, his goatherd’s staff worn to the butt,

So much in a single day had he run.

“David, my soul, I cannot leave thee thus,

The ash-coloured goats are torturing you.

Tomorrow take the flocks to the pasture,"

Ohan said. And the next morning he went

And brought still another pair of iron boots

For David’s feet, and brought an iron staff

A hundred pounds in weight, and made David

The pasture-keep of Sassoun-town.

VIII

The mighty shepherd drove his herd of cattle

And mounted Sassoun s peerless fastnesses.

“O endearing highlands,

Highlands of Sassoun,

How sweet the slopes rise

Against thy rock—ribbed sides..."

When David sang, of such force was his voice,

That canyons and highlands sounded with it,

Wild beasts from their lairs sprang forth and scattered

From rock to rock, became homeless. David

Fell after them all, those from the valleys,

Those from the hills—wolf, leopard, lion, bear, tiger

He caught and brought and mixed with his herd,

And at night drove them all on Sassoun-town.

The noise and the din, the sounds and the roars,

The charging of numberless beasts let loose,

The townspeople suddenly heard and saw.

“Oh! Help! Run....

Old and young,

Panic-stricken,

Away did run

From their chores,

Some ran home, some to church, and some to shops,

All bolted doors fast and closed shutters tight.

Boldly David strode and in the town square stood. ...

“Well, how early these people are gone to sleep!

Ho there, oxen-owners, cow-owners,

Get up, swiftly unbar your doors;

He who had one—I’ve brought him ten,

He who had ten—I’ve brought him scores.

Up, get up swiftly, come and take them,

Take your oxen to the barns and your cows."

When David saw that no one stirred, no one

The doors unbarred, he placed his head upon

A stone, himself lengthened out upon the square,

And soundly slept until the break of dawn.

At dawn the nobles arose together

And went to Ohan, the Big-Voiced, and said:

“Big-Voiced brother Ohan, alas, Death take you,

You it was who brought this fool, made him herdsman;

Our cows and our oxen, unshepherded

Let them be, but rid us of this madcap lout.

He parts nor bear nor ram nor ox;

Some day he’ll bring great harm upon our town,

Make it a lair for bears, a forsaken land.”

IX

A nuisance David! No peace from the lad!

Put to it, and to his wit’s end driven,

Ohan fashioned and to David gave

Bow and arrows. “Go you forth, hunt among the hills.”

From Ohan David took the bow and arrows,

Went forth beyond the bounds of Sassoun-town,

Huntsman he became. Into a barley field

He sallied forth, killing quail, shooting sparrow.

And at dusk, he took haven in a hut

Cared for by a poor and childless beldam,

Betimes to his father known. There, alongside

The fire, like an immense dragon and long,

He would lengthen himself out and sleep.

On a day, when he was from the hunt returned,

The beldam raged at him. “Goodness, David!” she said,

“Death take you! Are you indeed your father’s son?

That field alone and I remain below

The skies and God. An old lady, I, weak

Of hand and foot—Why do you trample

My field under foot, and lay it waste,

Cut off my whole year's living? If you are

Huntsman, take up your bow and arrows—bctake

You to the headlands of Zudsmaga, all

The way to Seghansar—your sire held there

Of an entire domain the tenancy;

Well-stocked are its highlands with roaming game;

There be deer there, mountain-goat and wild sheep.

If you can, begone, go seek your game there.”

“What is it, you hag, that makes you curse me?

Still a stripling I, now only have I heard.

Where be then the fastness of our game preserve?”

“To your uncle go, Ohan will tell it thee.”

X

Next day at sunrise David stood before

His uncle’s threshold with bow in hand.

“Uncle Ohan, why have you not told me

My father owned a mountain game preserve?

There be mountain goats there, rams and deer.

Up, Uncle, bestir yourself and take me there.”

“What!” cried Ohan, “These are not your words.

Whoso told them you, may his tongue be tied.

That mountain game preserve, my son, is lost

To us, as also the game of that range....

No more are there mountain goats, rams, deer.

In the days when your father was still quick,

(O what wondrous days, whence are ye fled?)

Oft have I eaten there the flesh of game...

Your father died, God forsook us, Egypt’s king

Gathered soldiers, came upon us, ruined

Our country, and the game from this mountain

He took, he plundered: the deer, the hind are gone...

Hence our fate’s scroll has thus been written.

All is past, my son, go back to your work,

The king of Egypt else will hear your voice.”

“What can the king of Egypt do to me?

What do I ask from the king of Egypt?

Let the king of Egypt stay in Egypt.

To my father’s highlands what right has he?

Up, Uncle, take up your bow and arrows,

Your quiver buckle on, to the highlands

Let us go, to the mountain game preserve!”

Ohan stood up, not knowing what to do.

They went, and what a game preserve they saw..

The high walls demolished, thick forests felled,

The high turrets made level with the earth.

XI

Night fell and there they remained fast. Big-Voiced

Ohan placed beneath his head the quiver

And the bow and peacefully snored. David

Was plunged into a sea of reckonings.

And soon he saw, in the distant darkness,

A strong and flaming fire burning bright.

Toward the fire David moved, and held by

Its spell, straightway was borne upward upon it;

Upward and upward he went, alighted on

A rock, ascended again, saw a great

Cleft marble stone, from its centre belching forth

A pure flame, rising and falling, billow

Upon billow, on the selfsame stone.

Now David came down from the place, came down

And called Big-Voiced Ohan. “Up, Uncle, up

And see that bright fire, burning brightly there.

How long wiii you sleep! A light has come down

From the steep hill, the steep hill of marble stone.

Arise, Uncle, from your sweet sleep. What light

Be that that issues forth from yon marble stone?”

Ohan stood up and made the sign of the cross

Against his face. “Alas, my son,” he said,

“How I cherish that light! That be the light

From our great peak Marouta. In the place

Of that light there once did stand our Sassoun’s

Patroness (what wondrous days!), Sassoun’s guardian,

The blessed Madonna’s monastery

Of charghopan. Always, when to war he went,

It was there your father made his prayers.

Your father died, God was wroth and forsook us,

The king of Egypt gathered up soldiers,

He marched upon our abbey on that hill,

He levelled it, but from the altar still

The sacred flames of our patroness rise.

XII

When David heard this, too, “Sweet Uncle,” he said,

“Uncle sweet, orphan I be and liegeless

In this world. Lacking a father, be you

To me a father good. I’ll not again

From Marouta’s heights come down until

Once again our abbey stands as it used.

From you I ask five hundred artisans,

Five thousand toilers, too, with them to work

So that this very week they come and build

Our former abbey as it erewhile stood.”

Now Ohan went forth and with him brought back

Five thousand toilers, five hundred artisans,

Who, mid sound and fury, builded again,

Much as before with glories overlaid,

Our Blessed Mary’s abbey, Marouta.

The scattered clergy once again came back,

And once again the sound of canticle

And prayer re—echoed through the abbey’s walls.

When once again his father’s monastery

Full-peopled was and merry, David came down,

And only then came he, from Marouta’s heights.

XIII

This news was taken to Egypt’s Melik.

“Well, don’t tell me! So David has rebuilt

His father’s abbey and become the ruler,

While I have yet the seven years’ tribute to

Collect!” Now Melik was exceeding wroth:

“Go,” he said, “Patin, Gouzpatin, Sitvin,

Charghatin, Sassoun’s earth and stones lay waste.

To me bring back my seven years tribute rich.

Bring forty virgin girls, nimbus-lit,

Forty short women to turn the millstones,

And forty tall, to load the camel trains,

To be at beck and call my household slaves.”

Gouzpatin marshalled up his soldiers true.

"Gladly, my Lord,” he said, "so be it.

I go to Sassoun even now to lay

It bare, to bring back groups of forty women,

Forty camel-loads of yellow gold,

And ruin the home of the Armenian race."

Thus he spoke. Egyptian maids and women

Together danced and raised their voice in song:

“Our Gouzpatin has to Sassoun gone...

‘Groups of forty women have I brought,

Forty saddle bags of gold,

Before my eyes in serried order

Have I brought mitch-cows red...

In the springtime let us butter churn,

O Gouzpatin, brave Gouzpatin,

Cast is David in the dust.”

Now Gouzpatin, swollen with pride, roaring said,

“I thank you sisters all, but patient be

Till I return—it’s then that you should dance.”

XIV

Thus with a song,

With soldiers strong

Haughty Gouzpatin entered Sassoun;

Straight when Ohan heard this he was tongue-tied:

With salt and bread,

With cries and tears,

He bowed his head

Before the spears,

For mercy prayed.

“Have whatever you wish, so be it; take

Rosy-cheeked girls, of Sassoun-town the womenfolk,

The yellow gold that’s hard come by, take these,

Take these but mercy show our hapless race.

Do not cut us down nor do us in to death,

Above is God, below are you,” he said.

He brought row on row of rosy-cheeked girls

And womenfolk of Sassoun—town. Uu stood

Gouzpatin and gleaned; he lodged the likelier of them

Deep within the hayloft and locked the door.

Forty virgin girls beauteously nimbus-lit,

Forty short women to turn the millstones,

And forty tall, to load the camel-trains,

To be household slaves of Egypt’s Melik.

And from its hold mound on mound of yellow gold...

A pall of mourning hung on the Armenian race.

XV

Where are you, O David, you guardian of

The Armenian race, O let the rock be rent,

Only come you out into the open!

Once David had repaired the abbey of

His sires, he dropped down from Marouta’s peak,

He found a tarnished, helveless blade and stepped

Into the grandam’s turnip field. The hag

Came forth with cries and curses. “Fool David,”

She said, “may you one day eat fire and pain

Instead of turnips. in this wide world

Do your eyes see only me and what are mine?

My field you’ve levelled to the ground, you have,

This only had remained my winter’s hoard,

This too have you cut off; how shall I live?

If you be brave, take your bow, begone,

Hold sway over your father’s domains,

Eat from the treasures of your father

Which you have so long unprotected left

That Egypt’s king has sent to pack them off.”

“Why be you so angered with me, grandam?

I know not a thing of what you say.

What is it that Egypt’s king takes from us?”

“The Egyptian king, heavy-footed David,

Gouges your very eyes: already is

He here. On Sassoun-town have come Patin,

Gouzpatin, Sitvin, Charghatin; the whole

Of Sassoun-town they plunder even now.

Forty saddle-bags of gold for tribute,

Forty beauteous virgin girls, nimbus-lit,

Forty short women to turn the millstones,

Forty tall women to load the camel-trains,

All to be slaves to the Egyptian king.”

“O grandam why do you curse me? But show

And let me see—these demands, where are they made?”

“Death take you David! ‘Where are they made!’

Are you really the son of that father.

You who are come here to munch on turnips?

In your very house Gouzpatin measures

Out your gold, while the pretty girls

Are together herded in your hayloft.”

David left off eating turnips. He went

He spied Gouzpatin in his home, counting

The gold before him spilled, and Charghatin

And Sitvin holding back the barking dogs,

While at a distance, his neck to one side bent,

His arms folded across his breast, Ohan stood.

David saw, and his eyes were gorged with blood.

“Stop! Gouzpatin, stand apart. My father’s

Gold this be. I’m the one to count it out.”

Gouzpatin said: “Well, Big-Voiced Ohan,

This seven years’ tribute will you give or not?

If not, may my whiskers witness be, I’ll leave

And tell Musra-Melik, and he will come,

He will lay waste your Sassoun countryside,

Burn it down and plant a garden over it.’’

“Begone, you unfeeling Egyptian dogs.

Have you yet to hear of Sassoun's madcap braves?

Think you we are dead, or mere shadows all?

Think you to place our country under tribute!”

David’s wrath was great. At once he clapped

The weighing scales, which smashed Gouzpatin’s head,

Their fragments flew beyond the walls: till now,

To this very day, still are they in flight.

Now they rose up, let be the scattered gold,

Left far behind the Armenian world and fled..

Patin, Gouzpattn, Sitvin, Charghatin.

XVI

“Well, well, Uncle, what shall I say to you?

We have here mound on mound of gold.

Of me a servant of the town you've made,

Abandoned me before an alien’s door."

“You crazy fool,” his uncle said, “I've kept

For Melik all this gold that he might kindly

Look upon us. Now that you gave it not,

Who is there will front his wroth, fight with him,

When he comes forth with soldiers and with fire

To lay in ruins Sassoun’ s earth and stones?”

“Stay, Uncle, let him come forth, I shall go,

I shall go forth and answer make to him.”

He smote the door against the dark hayloft,

Let out the pinioned girls and set them free.

"Go," he said, “in freedom live, and fail not

To pray long days for David of Sassoun.”

XVII

So, battered in this way and bathed in blood,

Homeward bound they fled and reached their native land,

Patin, Gouzpatin,

Sitvin, Charghatin.

Egyptian women saw them in the distance,

Saw them in the distance and were right glad. ...

From the rooftops they clapped and cheered them home.

“They come, they come... they bear, they bear...

Our Gouzpatin has come from Sassoun-town

Brought back groups of forty women, red milch cows,

In the spring we’ll butter make and chortaan.”

But once they saw

At closer range

Gouzpatin bloodied,

They ceased giggling

And wagged aloud:

“Well Gouzpatin, you loud-mouthed runaway,

Down what dales and over what mountains have you fled,

Your thick head cleft in half? Did you not say,

‘To Sassoun I go to fetch groups of forty women,

To fetch forty saddle—bags of yellow gold

To lay waste the country of the Armenian race?’

As a breathless, fleeing hound have you returned!”

Gouzpatin, now angered much, began to speak:

“Silence, you brats, you’ve seen only your breed

Of men and not the madcap Sassoun braves.

Sassoun's madcap braves are mountain-like,

Their arrows thick as stakes, and their country

Withal a stony fastness: canyon-walls,

Impenetrable, abound and deep hollows....

Even their blades of grass stand curved as swords.

They slaughtered three hundred men, Egypt’s best.”

Thus he spoke and, once he had, he tarried not,

But ran fast, head over heels, pell-mell,

Ran right up to the king. The king laughed from

His throne. “Live, O live, brave Gouzpatin

The famed medallion of Ghouzghoun richly

You deserve, and from your neck shall it hang.

A guerdon for your great triumphal stroke.

But where are they? Bring Sassoun’s girls and gold.”

Thus Melik spoke: but Gouzpatin had bowed

His head clear to the very ground. He said.

“Long live, O great king! Barely did I flee

Though mounted on my horse. How could I

Have borne Sassoun’s yellow gold? A fool is

Born among the Armenian race who brooks nor

Lord nor fear nor mighty men. See how he’s

Had at my bloodied head and smashed it through.

‘I will not give,’ he said, ‘my father’s gold.

Nor will I give the womenfolk of my

Armenian people. In Sassoun-country

There is no room for you. Your king,’ he said,

‘Let him come, let him come and fight with me.

If brave he be, let him come and take by force.~

The Egyptian king, enraged, boiled over and over.

“Call,” he said, “call all my soldiers together:

A thousand thousand males, young greenhorns,

A thousand thousand males, beardless, without rnoustach’

A thousand thousand males, downy-lipped,

A thousand thousand males, fresh from the couch,

A thousand thousand males, black-moustachioed,

A thousand thousand males, grey-haired,

A thousand thousand males, to sound trumpets,

A thousand thousand males, to strike the war-drums,

Have them come forth, take up arms, get into mail, —

I go to wage war on David, desolate

Sassoun-town and plunder it to the ground.”

XVIII

Thus he assembled an innumerable

Host, marched on the plains of Sassoun and encamped

In full solemnity, did the Egyptian king.

So great a population did they make,

That those who came to Batman’s banks bent down

And drank their fill till the river went dry,

And Sassoun’s townspeople were parched with thirst

Big-Voiced Ohan was taken by surprise.

His fur-skin on his shoulders, he scaled the heights,

He scaled the heights, and, lo, what a sight he saw:

The white tents had so whitened all the plains

That one might say mid-winter night had come,

And with white snow had covered Sassoun-town.

His gall to water turned, his tongue stood tied,

And shouting ‘Halloo’ he rushed hack home.

"Halloo, run, it’s come.... Holla, soho, it’s come..."

“What, Uncle, what? What has come who has come?”

“(Fell fire-and-pain has come to David’s nose.)

Egypt’s king has risen and come, come and pitched

His tented armies on our plain. The stars

May be numbered but not his numberless hosts.

Alas, for our lives, alas for our world!

Come, let us take the gold, let us take the girls,

Let us fall on the ground before him, say prayers,

Perchance he may relent, forbear the sword.”

“Stay, Uncle, be not afraid; get you to

Your restful room and sleep on peacefully.

But now I’ll get up, gain the Sassoun plain

And make answer to the Egyptian king.”

Straight went David to his wonted grandam.

“Granny, my soul,” he said, “give me some scraps

Of iron, tarnished and old, a grate, a spit

Gather whatever you can and give it to me...

Also find me an ass on which I may sit...

Against the Egyptian hosts I go to war.

“My goodness, David,” she said, “Death take you!

Can you indeed be the son of that sire?

Your father had in war a fiery steed,

Fully caparisoned, with a bellyband of gold:

A club of steel, a pearled saddle, helmet

Hardy, and a ready cross on his right arm,

Mailed vest, and a sword lightning-laden.

And now here have you come, O you warped fool,

Asking from me an ass and an old spit.”

“O granny, not yet have I heard such things.

Where is now the armour of my father?”

“Go now to your uncle, ask it of him,

Say, ‘Where are they? Find, bring them, give to me."

If willingly he gives them not to you,

Gouge his eyes, she said “and take them forcibly.”

XIX

And David went to see his uncle Ohan.

"O Uncle, he called angered , "for battle

My father had a fiery steed fully

Caparisoned, with a bellyband of gold:

A club of steel, a pearled saddle, helmet

Hardy, and a ready cross on his right arm,

Mailed vest, and a lightning-laden sword.”

“Oh David, my soul,” Ohan roared in fear,

“Since from the day of your father’s death

I have not brought forth the steed from the barn,

Nor from the arms-chest the sword of lightning.

The mailed vest, the golden bellyband.

For goodness sake, let me be, plague me not,

If these you want scamper off and get them.”

XX

David clapped on his armour and his mail,

Buckled on, too, the belt of his lightning-sword

And, with the cross on his all-conquering arm,

Mounted his lion-hearted father’s steed,

Mounted his father’s steed and lashed it forth.

Weeping, Big-Voiced Ohan sang:

“Mercy, a thousand mercies

For the steed,

Alas, the fiery steed,

Mercy, a thousand mercies

For the bellyband,

Alas, the golden bellyband,

Mercy that the rich array is lost,

Alas, the rich array is lost.”

David flew into a rage,

Turned his horse and drove it back;

Poor Ohan paled, stood sore afraid,

And changed the burden of his song:

“Alas, my infant David’s lost,

Alas, my David’s lost. .

This when David heard,

His temper cooled—

He dismounted and kissed Ohan’s hand;

And Big-Voiced Ohan, as a father should,

Blessed him and gave him paternal counsels,

And put him on the road to Sassoun plain.

XXI

Now David of Sassoun an uncle had—

Toros by name—a fearful, giant-like man.

When he, too, heard of the rumors of war

With an elm-tree on his shoulder, he strode forth.

From afar he comes; roaring aloud he cries:

“Why are you come upon this field? Who are you,

How many heads may there be among you?

Have you no knowledge of David of Sassoun,

Have you not heard he’s on his way here,

And brings his winged horse to pace him around?

Clear away, David will be coming here,

Wherever he is—I’ve come to make a clearing.

As thus he spoke, he brought the elm-tree down

From his shoulder and swept off some twenty

Pitched tents of the army, the while David stood

On a fearsome height and roared a dragon s roar.

“You who are asleep, wake up,

You who are awake, get up and stand,

You who are afoot, take up arms,

You who are armed, saddle your horses,

"You who are saddled, mount your horses—

That you may not later say that while asleep

David stole stealthily upon you and left.. .

Thus he roared, and goading his fiery steed,

Came down like a lightning-bolt as from a cloud,

Spread terror among the Egyptian armies,

On all sides brandishing his lightning-sword.

He smashed and slew and slaughtered till high noon,

At high noon the blood rose in a floodtide~

He rounded up and drove off together

Thousands among those quick, among those dead.

Among the soldiers was an ancient man,

A sage, and one well-travelled in this world;

“Men,” he said, “make way for me, make way,

I must go to David and with him speak.”

He went to David and stood before him;

And this is how the elder spoke to him:

“O brave one, may your fist stay ever strong,

And in your hand always the stubby sword.

“But listen to the words of an old man

And see if there be any sense to them.

Pray tell, what have these men done unto you

That drives you on pell-mell to slaughter them?

“Each one among them is a mother’s son,

And each one a burning light in his home,

Far behind some have left their forlorn wives,

Wives whose eyes look on the road for their return,

“Some have left a home with many children filled,

Some have left behind parents old and poor,

And some in tears, with veils across their faces,

Are the young brides of only yesterday.

“Under sway of sword and by might, their king has

Gathered them up and marched them here together.

We are men to be pitied, with hastening days,

What harm have we brought to you, in what ways?

“Your foe’s the warring king, the king himself,

If you must fight, go fight with him instead.

Pray leave off drawing your lightning—laden sword

Spare these people—helpless, unprotected.”

“You speak right well and true, O ancient man.

Said David to the eld. “But where is the

Warring king? What can he now be doing?

Bring him forth that I may wreathe his days in black.”

"He has sent out from the great-tent, the one

That has the smoke issuing forth from its centre;

Yonder smoke is not smoke rising to the sky,

It is vapour from the king’s fuming mouth.”

Thus they spoke. Now David goaded on his

Horse and rode straight to where the great-tent stood.

He rode, and rode up to the entrance-door.

Thus he roared upon the Arabs standing guard:

“Where is he?” he said. “Why has he become scarce?

Call him out, into the open call him out;

If he knows not death, I have brought him death,

If he knows not his nemesis, she am I.”

"Melik," they said, "has fallen asleep.

For seven days must he sleep. Three days only

Have yet passed, four days more there now

Remain ere he will have had his share of sleep.”

“What! Has he brought these poor and pitiful folk,

Dumped them on this field, spilled their blood in seas,

While he seeks shelter under cover of

His great-tent, and sleeps peacefully for seven days!

“I cannot abide whether he sleeps or no.

Quick! Get him up and out into the open;

In such wise I’ll put him to sleep before

His entrance-door, he’ll never again awake.”

The men arose, crestfallen, then heated

An iron rod on the fire; they rapped upon

The open heels of the Egyptian king

Who was sunk in a deep peaceful sleep.

“How now! A body can no longer have

A peaceful sleep, the fleas are so noisome..."

So the great husky murmured to himself,

Turned around and once more fell asleep.

They went and with a great plough they returned,

In the strong and burning fire they placed its share,

And red-hot when it was, reddened and sparkling,

Straightway they clapped it on his naked back.

“How now! A body can no longer have

A peaceful sleep, mosquitoes are so unjust.

Slowly the great husky opened his eyes,

He wanted so to fall asleep again,

But David he saw. Muttering to himself,

He lifted his great head from where he slept.

A great blast of air he blew, on David,

Thinking in this way to set that giant to flight.

And when he saw that David stood stock-still,

Surprise and dread struck through his very soul.

His menacing, bloodshot eyes he cast sidelong

Gloweringly at David’s unblinking eyes.

But just as soon as he had looked, he felt

From him had ebbed the strength of half-score oxen.

So on the place he slept he now sat up,

And smiling, thus began to speak with him:

“Hello, well-met, David, you are still tired...

Come, sit down a bit—let’s talk as is proper,

Later we may still engage in combat,

That is, if you seek another combat.

The scheming tyrant, within his great-tent

Had caused a deep pit of forty spans to be dug,

Of which the black mouth had been covered over

With a screen and, over yet that, some bright throw-rugs.

His was ever the habit fawningly to lure

Unto him all those he failed to vanquish;

He coaxed them to sit within his great-tent,

Directly over that black and deadly well.

Dismounting from his horse, David came down,

He went in, he sat, he fell into the well.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho-ho, ho-ho, hee-hee,

Laughed Egypt’s merciless king, the king of Egypt.

“There, now let him go and stay in that dark

Well till he rots away and then some more.

Saying this, he brought an immense millstone,

A millstone immense, and rolled it over the well.

XXII

On that selfsame night Big-Voiced Ohan slept.

He dreamt that there appeared, up in the sky

Over Egypt, a bright sun, bright with rays,

But over Sassoun's fastnesses, a black cloud.

Ohan was terror-stricken. From his bed

He sprang. “O wife,” he said, “bring up a light.

Our artless David is in trouble again,

"And a black cloud hangs over Sassoun-town.”

 

“May the sod fall on your head!” said his wife.

“Who knows how or where David’s having fun...

Yet here you are asleep in your cozy home,

Seeing dreams and about others worrying.”

Ohan fell asleep. Again he started up:

“O wife, David is come to narrow straits.

So brightly glimmers Egypt’s brilliant star,

But sicklied over glows our star and yellow.”

“What’s come over you, man, in the middle of

The night?” his wife shouted in a fury.

Ohan again crossed himself upon the face,

Turned around and slept, though with a troubled heart.

He saw another dream, more fearful than

Before from heaven’s high arch there now sparkled,

Full-resplendently, Egypt’s star; Sassoun's

Waning little star sank slowly, toward the dark.

He woke up, afraid: “Wife, may your house be wrecked!

How could I listen to your witless brains!

Alone unto himself our young and orphaned

David now is lost. Up! Bring me my arms.

XXIII

Ohan arose and went forth to the barn

And gave his white horse a pat on the back.

"Well, white horse,” he said, "how long will it be

Ere you betake me to where David fights?”

“By dawn you shall be there,” and saying this,

The white horse stooped for him to mount.

“Your back be broken! What’ll I do at dawn,

View his corpse or his funeral attend?”

He gave the red horse a pat on the back.

That horse, too, stooped for Ohan to mount.

“O red horse,” he said, “how long will it be

Ere you betake me to where David fights?”

“In one hour you shall be there,” the red horse said,

“In one hour I’ll take you where David fights.”

“May you burst your gall! Pain and Death take you!

Alas for all that barley you have eaten.”

And now to the black horse the turn came around;

The black horse, too, stooped for him to mount.

“O my black little one, how long will it be,’’

He said, “ere you take me where David fights?”

“If on my back you can stay fast,’’ the black

Horse said, “No sooner your one foot’s in the

Stirrup and before the other one s thrown over,

I will have brought you where David fights.”

XXIV

Swiftly the black horse bore Big-Voiced Ohan:

He placed his left foot in the stirrup,

By the time he threw his right foot over,

The black horse had brought him to the highlands.

Now Ohan saw David’s steed, unmounted,

A-roaming in the highlands and neigbing aloud;

Below, he saw the Egyptian encampment,

Undulating endlessly like the sea.

And that he might not burst with his straining,

Ohan put on the skins of seven oxen.

And Ohan stood, like a cloud, atop the

Topmost peak in Sassoun’s highlands, and roared.

“O David, O David, where can you be!

But call to mind the cross on your arm, give

The name of Our Blessed Madonna

And come you out into the hnad daylight.”

His voice floated, reverberatingly,

And into David’s inner ear blared strong.

“Ho-ho! That is my uncle’s voice,” he said,

“From Sassoun's fastnesses he calls for me.

“O blessed Madonna of Marouta,

O intrepid cross of our litany,

I call on you—succour David now...

He called, and from his place rose to his feet:

In such strength, in such wise he smote the millstone,

The stone was smashed into a thousand pieces,

The pieces upward flew to high heaven,

And still to this day are they in flight.

Melik, formidable, came out of his lair;

By fear his fiendish spirit was possessed.

“Brother David, do still come over here,

Let us sit at board together and parley..."

“Never again at board will I sit with you,

You base, you crooked, you poltroonly man;

Get up, quick, take up your arms, mount your horse,

Come out into the open and let us fight.”

“Indeed let’s fight, let us fight,” Melik said,

“But mine is the right to strike the first blow.”

“Oh very well, it’s yours, strike,” David called.

He rode and stopped in the middle of the plain.

Musra-Melik arose, came to his feet,

He took up his lance and mounted his horse,

And dashed off all the way to Diarbekir,

And from that place yet again returned.

Three thousand boulders was Melik drawing

By the handle of his gigantic lance.

He charged and struck a blow—at once the dust

Arose and the world’s globe trembled strong.

“There’s been an earthquake or the world’s destroyed,”

Said many people throughout the world;

"No," others said "bloodthirsty giants,

Men of might, are having at each other.”

“From but this single blow hath David died,”

Musra-Melik told his myriad soldiers,

But David from beneath a cloud called forth,

“Musra-Melik, yet am I among the quick!”

“Well, from short distance only did I charge,

But you’ll see now from where it is I come!”

Arose the mighty one, came to his feet,

And sprang on his mount for a second time.

Clear to Aleppo he rode the second time,

On his way back from there he left free the reins.

Reins came and hail, and a strong hurricane

With its tremendous force, shook the whole world.

He came, he struck, and from the clamour of

The blow, standers-by were fully deafened.

“Lost is David to the House of Sassoun,”

Announced the haughty Egyptian monarch.

“Among the quick am I,” shouted David,

“Charge once again — ’tis still your turn.”

“Well! From short distance only did I charge,”

Melik shouted, and sprang upon his mount.

The third time now that he mounted his horse,

Out and away he rode to Egypt’s own soil,

And from that distance, the lance in his hand,

Back he rode, charging full-tilt on David.

He charged on David and struck with all his strength,

Struck with a crushing and formidable blow:

The dust went up as high as Sassoun s steeps,

So dense it was the sun’s face stood beclouded.

For three nights and for three days, the dust lay

Like a cloud over all the countryside.

For three nights and for three days, the rumours

Went forth that David of Sassoun had died.

When there had passed three days, like the dust

That stood cloudlike, David too did stand;

Yea, as the peak, the peak of Mount Kur-Kur

Stood David, fog-shrouded, majestic.

“O Melik,” he roared, “whose turn is it now?”

The proud soul of Melik was terror-stricken:

Death’s tremors now possessed his very heart,

His haughty, puffed-up spirit was now let down.

Melik strode forth and dug himself a deep well,

He let himself down into the dark grot,

He covered its opening with forty skins,

And covered these again with forty millstones.

That lion-hearted son of the lion hearted,

David, stood up from where he sat, grumbling,

Mounted his stormy steed, made it career,

As aloft he held his gleaming Lightning-Sword.

There now came forth, her hair loosed before her,

The mother of Melik, a mean old crone:

“O David, by my hair draw me beneath

Your heels, but deal thy very first blow on me.

The second time he lifted high his sword,

There came running Musra-Melik’s sister:

“O David, if it be your wish,” she called,

“Strike your second blow on my fainting heart.”

Now the hour had come for the final blow;

And for the third time David raised his sword.

“Now one blow have I left. I must strike for God’s sake,”

He said, “I must strike... no one else remains.”

Saying thus, he mounted, careered his horse.

His fiery steed took flight and sailed high,

In the heavens careered, defiantly—

Then downward came the lightning-laden sword.

Through forty hides of oxen did it pass,

Also through forty millstones did it pass,

Clear through the loathsome monster did it cleave,

Cut into his flesh seven feet deep.

“I am among the quick! Strike once again!”

Melik roared from deep within the well.

David heard, and was much astonished

At the blow he’d struck and his Lightning-Sword.

"Melik," he said, "do move about a bit."

And Melik made a stir within the well.

Right down the middle his body split,

One section falling here, another there.

The Egyptian soldiers, when they viewed that sight,

Terror-stricken, their blood to water turned.

David called: “Be none of you in fear,

But listen yet to what I have to say.

“You are but tillers of the soil, farmers,

Benighted and denied, hungry, naked,

With a thousand and one ills and pains,

With a thousand and one troubles to boot;

“Why have you taken up the bow and arrow,

Spilled over onto far and alien plains?

Know you not that we too have homes and hearths,

We too have tender babes and the aged?

“Have you tired of the quiet and peaceful life,

The quiet and peaceful life of the husbandman?

Are you tired of the threshing-floor, the field,

Tillage and sowing, your harvests and greens?

“Return you by the paths that brought you here

Return to the native soil of Egypt;

But if once again by might and in arms

You should dare to march against these freeborn men,

“Be the wells you dig forty measures deep,

Be they covered up with forty millstones,

Against you will rise, just as today,

David of Sassoun and his Lightning-Sword.

“And at that time, only God will know

Who between us shall the sorrier be...

We who rise to wage a battle great,

Or you, who’ve made of us your enemy.

Translated by Aram Tolegian

 

[Ashot]

«ՍԱՍՈՒՆՑԻ ԴԱՎԻԹ» ՀԵՐՈՍԱՎԵՊԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ

«Սասնա ծռեր» կամ «Սասունցի Դավիթ» հայ ժողովրդական հերոսավեպը վիպասացների և բանահավաքների կողմից կոչվել է նաև «Սասնա փահլևաններ», «Սասնա տուն», «Ջոջանց տուն», «Սասունցի Դավիթ կամ Մհերի դուռ», «Դավիթ և Մհեր», «Դավթի պատմություն», «Դավթի հեքիաթ» և այլն:

 

Էպոսի հերոսներից Սանասարի և Բաղադասարի մասին հնագույն գրավոր ավանդությունը պահպանվել է Աստվածաշնչում (թագավորաց չորրորդ, ԺԹ), հետագայում Մովսես Խորենացու (գիրք Ա, ԻԳ) և Թովմա Արծրունու (Թովմա Արծրունի և Անանուն, Պատմություն Արծրունյաց տան) երկերում: Իսկ Դավթի և Խանդութի մասին զրույցների, Սասունում եղած իրեղեն ապացույցների հիշատակություններ կան XVIդ. պորտուգալացի ճանապարհորդների (Ա. Տենրեյրո, Մ. Աֆոնսո) ուղեգրական նոթերում: Ուշ հայկական աղբյուրների թռուցիկ հիշատակությունները վերաբերում են XIX դ. հանդիպող վեպի հերոսների անուններով տեղավայրերին (Խանդութի ձոր, Խանդութի բերդ, Դավթի թշնամիների գերեզմանները Խլաթի մոտակայքում):

 

«Սասնա ծռերը» հայտնաբերել և ամբողջությամբ գրառել է Գարեգին Սրվանձտյանը, 1873-ին, Մշո Առնիստ գյուղում, երեսփոխան Կրպոյից և հրատարակել Կ. Պոլսում («Գրոց ու բրոց և Սասունցի Դավիթ կամ Մհերի դուռ», 1874թ.): Երկրորդ տարբերակը 1886-ին Էջմիածնում գրի է առել Մանուկ Աբեղյանը` Նախո քեռի Մոկացուց և հրատարակել Շուշիում («Դավիթ և Մհեր», 1889թ.): Նորանոր տարբերակներ են գրառել Գ. Հովսեփյանը, Խ. Դադյանը, Ս. Հայկունին, Ա. Աբեղյանը, Ե. Լալայանը, Կ. Մելիք–Օհանջանյանը, Ա. Ղանալանյանը և ուրիշներ:

 

1938–39թթ. «Սասնա ծռերի» 1000-ամյա հոբելյանի առթիվ մինչ այդ գրառված 60-ից ավելի պատումների հիման վրա, Մ. Աբեղյանի, Գ. Աբովի, Ա. Ղանալանյանի խմբագրությամբ հյուսվել-կազմվել է մեկ միասնական համահավաք բնագիր («Սասունցի Դավիթ», 1939թ.): Վեպի մեկ այլ համահավաք բնագիր է կազմել Տ. Չիթունին Փարիզում («Սասունական», 1942թ.):

 

Էպոսի վիպասացների բուն հայրենիքը Վանա լճի ավազանն ու նրանից հարավ-արևմուտք և հյուսիս-արևելք ընկած գավառներն են` Սասուն, Մուշ, Բաղեշ, Մոկք, Շատախ, Վան, Հայոց ձոր, Խլաթ, Արճեշ, Մանազկերտ, Ալաշկերտ, Բայազետ: XIX-XX դդ. գավառներից պանդխտած և գաղթած վիպասացների ու նրանց սերունդների միջոցով «Սասնա ծռերն» անցել է Արևելյան Հայաստան, մասամբ պարսկահայերի մեջ և Թիֆլիս: Դրանց լեզուն հիմնականում արևմտահայ բարբառներն ու ենթաբարբառներն են, երբեմբ նկատելի է նաև արևելահայ բարբառների ազդեցությունը:

 

«Սասնա ծռերը» ավանդվել է բանավոր և նրա բնագրերը XIX–XX դդ. տարբեր վիպասաններից գրառված տարբերակներ են, որոնք կառուցվածքով, լեզվաբարբառային և վիպական ներքին հատկանիշներով բաժանվում են տիպաբանական–տեղագրական երեք մեծ խմբի` Սասնա, Մշո և Մոկաց: Սրանցից բացի, կան նաև խառը: Նախնական պարզ ու կուռ տիպը, հավանաբար, եղել է Սասունինը, որի տարածումից էլ ստեղծվել են մյուս տարբերակները:

 

Էպոսում գործում է վիպական հերոսների չորս հիմնական սերունդ. Սանասար և Բաղդասար, Մեծ կամ Ջոջ Մհեր (երբեմն` Առյուծաձև Մհեր), Դավիթ (Թլոլ, Թլոր, Թլվատ, Թառլան մականուններով) և Փոքր կամ Պստիկ Մհեր: Հերոսների այս չորս սերունդը միմյանց հետ կապված են ազգակցական կապերով:

 

«Սասնա ծռերի» ամենաբնորոշ գիծը հերոսական անպարտելի ոգին է` պայմանավորված նրա նախահիմքում ընկած առասպելական դյուցազունների սխրանքներով և հայ ժողովրդի` իր ոսոխների, հատկապես արաբական բռնակալության դեմ մղած դարավոր պայքարով:

 

«Սասնա ծռերի» գրական մշակումները սկսվել են դեռևս 1890-ական թվականներից, սակայն Դավթի ճյուղի լավագույն մշակումը համարվում է Հովհաննես Թումանյանինը («Սասունցի Դավիթ», 1903թ.): Փոքր Մհերի ճյուղը բանասետղծական մշակման են ենթարկել ռուս բանաստեղծ Ա. Կուլեբյակինը («Մհերի դուռ», Թիֆլես, 1916թ.) և Ավ. Իսահակյանը («Սասման Մհեր», 1922թ.): Դավթի ճյուղը մշակել է նաև Եղիշե Չարենցը («Սասունցի Դավիթը», 1933թ.) և ուրիշներ:

 

Էպոսի ամբողջական, մշակված տարբերակը 1939թ. թարգմանվել է ռուսերեն: Համահավաք բնագիրը թարգմանվել է ֆրանսերեն, չինարեն, անգլերեն (թարգմանիչ` Լևոն–Զավեն Սյուրմելյան), գերմաներեն, վրացերեն, ադրբեջաներեն և այլ լեզուներով:

 

[Ashot]

ЭПОС ДАВИД САСУНСКИЙ

 

В VII веке нашей эры Армения подверглась арабскому нашествию. Армения, разбитая на феодальные враждующие княжества, поделенная к тому же между Персией и Византией, не могла отстоять свою государственную самостоятельность. Вслед за падением персидской монархии арабы вторглись в армянские земли. Армения пыталась было найти поддержку против арабов у византийских императоров, но песледние меньше всего думали об интересах армян, они смотрели на Армению так же, как и арабы, только как на объект завоевания и ограбления. Предоставленная самой себе, Армения не могла противостоять могущественному и воинственному халифату. В середине VII века арабы взяли приступом важнейший центр страны — город Двин, перебив при этом 12000 человек и уведя в плен 35000. Армения была обложена большой данью. Попытки уклониться от уплаты вызывали жестокие репрессии.

 

Уже в конце VII века народные массы Армении отвечают на притеснения арабов упорными восстаниями. Армянский народ пользуется всяким случаем — междуусобицами в самом халифате, его военными и международными затруднениями, чтобы выступить за свободу и независимость своей родины. Арабам так и не удалось заставить армян подчиниться окончательно их владычеству. Их двухсотлетняя военная власть в Армении все время потрясалась восстаниями, в которых армянский народ проявлял замечательное мужество и упорство и которые приводили к очень существенным результатам. Арабы вынуждены были ослаблять свои поборы, целые районы на долгий срок получали полную самостоятельность, временами повстанцы освобождали крупные города. Всякая попытка арабов усилить гнет вызывала новый взрыв народного негодования. Во второй половине VIII века жадный и жестокий халиф Мансур стал особенно донимать армян денежными поборами, которые он выколачивал самыми свирепыми мерами. Армянский народ ответил на притязания Мансура усилением своей борьбы. Мансуру понадобились сильные подкрепления из глубины халифата, чтобы справиться с народным движением, с которым не могли совладать оккупационные гарнизоны.

 

Народ не мирился со своим подчиненным положением — он непрерывно восставал против завоевателей. Страна была разорена непрерывными войнами, набегами, уводами и переселением населения городов. Культурные и торговые центры были разрушены. Положение Армении еще ухудшилось феодальными междуусобицами и дипломатическими комбинациями, в которых нередко господствующие классы приносили в жертву интересы страны.

 

В этой борьбе особенно проявил себя округ Сасун, хорошо защищенный труднопроходимыми горами. Народ, никогда не считавший свое порабощение окончательным, сложил вокруг эпизодов борьбы Сасуна ряд замечательных сказаний, воплотивших его стремление к национальной независимости.

 

Так сложился былинный эпос «Давид Сасунский» (Давид из Сасуна; на армянском языке — Сасунци Давид). Эпос этот до сих пор рассказывается в деревнях и городах Армении. Его исключительная популярность объясняется совершенно определенными причинами: «Давид Сасунский» посвящен борьбе с нашествием иноплеменных завоевателей за национальную независимость Армении, а тема эта имела для армянского народа колоссальное значение непосредственной актуальности на протяжении многих и многих столетий. В «Давиде Сасунском» воплощены замечательные черты армянского народа — мужество, доблесть, героическое бесстрашие в борьбе с врагами — и, наконец, в этой былине народ выразил свои, еще недостаточно оформленные, представления о довольной и счастливой жизни. Былина о Давиде Сасунском по своему художественному совершенству является одним из лучших образцов мирового народного эпоса.

 

Историческую основу эпоса очень легко разглядеть. Иноземный завоеватель Мысрамэлик обирает родину Давида:

 

Мысрамэлика ж посол, именем Козбадин,

Пришел, отворил ворота казны

И казну считал, унести хотел...

Как завидел Давид, Кровью взор налился,

Рассердился, сказал:

«Ты встань, Козбадин, а я буду считать!»

Не встал Козбадин.

Занес руку Давид, его за руку взял

Да как бросит его до самых дверей,

А сам присел и меру — вверх дном,

Палкой дно высадил,

Золото высыпал;

Не оставил ни денежки,

Пустую меру повернул, сказал: «Это — раз!»

Козбадин говорит:

«Ован, отгони мальчишку прочь.

Надо платить, так плати подать за семь лет,

Коли нет, так пойду, Мысрамэлику скажу.

Он придет и Сасун разгромит, разобьет,

За Мысыром другой он построит град».

Рассердился Давид, он на ноги встал,

Козбадина в лоб он мерою — хлоп,

И губы прочь отрезал ему,

И зубы в лоб ему вбил да сказал:

«К Мысрамэлику ступай, ему дай ответ,

Пусть что хочет он, то теперь и творит».

 

(Пер. В. Брюсова.)

 

Исторические факты свидетельствуют, что народ очень часто подымался против арабских властителей вследствие деспотического гнета, непомерных и жестоких поборов.

 

В дальнейшем сюжет сказания представляет собой историю борьбы Давида с нашествием Мысрамэлика и историю его победы. Мысрамэлик выведен сильным врагом, у него большое войско, он сам богатырь, человек исполинской силы, но Давид все же побеждает его.

 

Давид побеждает, потому что он выражает силу и правду народа, потому что он обладает многими качествами, физическими и нравственными, в которых народные массы видят воплощение своего идеала. Как былинные богатыри у других народов, в том числе и у русских, Давид обладал неимоверной физической силой; он мужественен, храбр, любит свою страну и свой народ, — не щадя трудов и усилий, не щадя своей жизни, он защищает их независимость и благоденствие. Давид честен, прям, даже по отношению к врагам, — он не хочет одолеть Мысрамэлика хитростью, он зовет его на открытый честный бой, он добр, жалостлив к страданиям других. Слабость Давида — его легковерие, Давида нельзя победить в открытом бою, но его можно взять хитростью.

 

Легковерие и погубило Давида — уже после того, как он уничтожил Мысрамэлика и освободил армян.

 

Давид уже с детства проявлял богатырскую силу. Замечательно, однако, что народный эпос превращает его в сложившегося богатыря только после того, как он выступил на защиту национальной независимости. Вначале богатырские доспехи оказались Давиду не по мерке. Пояс обвил его стан сорок раз, меч-молния стучал по земле, головной убор сползал на глаза. Чтобы одеть этот убор на себя, Давиду пришлось подложить сорок пудов ваты. Когда же Давид выступил против Мысрамэлика, он напился из молочного ключа, на который ему указал его боевой конь. Волшебная вода преобразила Давида:

 

Так-то он пополнел,

Так-то он растолстел,

Столько силы вошло, столько мощи в него,

Что и выше он стал, чем был до того.

Тогда взял Давид головной убор,

Ваты сорок пуд на землю швырнул,

Шапка и тогда до бровей не дошла!

Молнию-меч, что стучал по земле,

Надел: не дошел он ему до колен;

Пояс-ал, что его сорок раз обвивал,

Надел: только раз он спину обвил.

 

(Пер. В. Брюсова.)

 

Так народная символика изображает, как национальное воодушевление и патриотическое сопротивление завоевателю удесятеряют силы народа.

 

Очень характерно отношение народа к женщине, проявляющееся в былине. Женщина на Востоке была более порабощена, чем в европейских странах. В «Давиде Сасунском» женщина выступает как уважаемый и деятельный человек. Давид не захотел жениться по сватовству на Чымышкик-султан, хотя она была богатырша и хороша собой. Он женился по любви на Хандут-хатун. Хандут-хатун выходит за Давида не насильно, не по правилам обычая, а по своему свободному выбору. Женщина в народном представлении умеет владеть оружием, — Хандут-хатун принимает участие в сражениях. Зато свободная любовь независимой женщины рисуется как навеки верная и нерушимая. Хандут-хатун не пожелала пережить Давида:

 

Хандут-хатун чашу с ядом взяла,

От тоски по Давиде она умерла.

 

(Пер. М. Лозинского.)

 

Есть еще одна замечательная черта в «Давиде Сасунском», на которую следует обратить внимание. В эпосе, родившемся в борьбе за независимость, нет националистической ненависти. Армянский народ, перенесший столько страданий от иностранных нашествии, не видел врагов в крестьянах, пастухах, ремесленниках-арабах и других пришельцев-завоевателей. Они понимали, что людей труда согнали в военное ополчение насильно. Давид, опустошительной бурей сея смерть, обрушился на стан врагов:

 

Два раза проскакал и вперед и назад,

Словно крови поток поднялся и потек,

Скольких меч порубил, стольких конь потоптал.

Был в том войске мудрец, седой старик,

Пред Давидом он стал, Давиду сказал:

«Ты зачем, Давид, убиваешь людей?

У всех-то у них ведь матери есть;

Сюда Мысрамэлик нас силой привел,

Коли ты удалец, поди, с ним повоюй».

 

(Пер. В. Брюсова.)

 

Давид отказывается от борьбы с ополчением врага, согнанным силой, а решает спор единоборством с Мысрамэликом. Победив хищного врага своего народа, Давид обращается к войску арабов со следующими превосходными словами: «Я не хочу чужого добра, я не стремлюсь завоевать чужие земли, вернитесь в свои края и займитесь честным трудом».

 

Давид хотя и был сыном царя, прошел школу подлинно народной жизни. Он жил гонимым пасынком у своего врага, он был пастухом.

 

В «Давиде Сасунском» много особенностей, вообще характерных для былинного эпоса. Персонификация событий народной жизни и черт характера целого народа, при младенческом уровне его мировоззрения, с естественной необходимостью приводит к гиперболическому выражению физических и психологических свойств богатыря. В этих гиперболических преувеличениях выразилось представление о силе и мощи народа. Они объясняются уровнем сознания народа и легко сочетаются с общим реалистическим характером языка. Язык его прост, ясен, точен, действие не затемнено, эпопея пронизана сознанием подлинности и исторической важности развертывающихся в ней событий.

 

В. Кирпотин