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ԽՈՐԵՆ ԱՐՔ. Ն&#13


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ԽՈՐԵՆ ԱՐՔ. ՆԱՐԲԷՅ

aka Խորեն Գալֆայան Լուսինեան/Lusignan.

Պոլիս 1832-1892. Հայ բանաստեղծ, դրամատուրգ, թարգմանիչր հրապրակախօս, եկեղեցական գործիչ:

Abp. Khoren , just like many other Lusignans was born into a Catholic family. Primary education in his birthplace, higher education at the Mkhitarist institution at Venice. He re-embraced the Armenian Apostolic Church, was installed as a bishop at Ejmiatsin by none other than Khrimian Hayrik. He was offered the patriarchate at Polis which he declined and devoted himself to literature and linguistics. He was, at times a diplomat of sorts, as such he was delegated to the palace at Petersburg. In that capacity he accompanied Khrimian Hayrik at the Berlin Conference as diplomat, but more so as a translator.. His literature is such revolutionary and nationalistic, so much so, as attested by the biography by Alice Stone Blackwell, his demise is suspected to be poisoning by the ottoman powers to be.

ARCHBISHOP KHORENE NAR BEY DE LUSIGNAN was a descendant of the last dynasty of Armenian kings. Nar Bey studied at the celebrated convent of the Mechitarists in Venice, but early left the Roman Catholic for the Armenian Church. He became an Archbishop, and was elected Patriarch of Constantinople, but declined to serve. He. was an eloquent preacher, and a distinguished poet, author, and linguist. Nar Bey was a friend of Lamartine, whose poems he translated into Armenian. He was one of the Armenian delegates to the Berlin Congress of 1878. He died at Constantinople in 1892, poisoned, it was commonly believed, by the Turkish government, for political reasons.

His most memorable poem. It seems, as attested by Alice Stone Blackwell the poem is much longer.

This is what I remember from a song book. Obviously , this is a selectively abbreviated version. See the corresponding highlighted stanzas in the translation below.

ՀԱՅ ԱՊՐԻՆՔ

Խորեն Արք Նար-Պէյ

Հայ ապրինք եղբայրք, մարդկութեան մէջը,

Հայ կնքեր է մեզ պատմութեան էջը.

Հայ անուամբ զմեզ կ’ողջունէ երկինք,

Եղբայրք Հայ ապրինք:

 

Հայ ապրինք, որ ազգ կայ Հայու նման?

Որ ունենայ հին պարծանք այսքան,

Որ ազգ Հայուն պէս շքեղ Հայրենիք.?

Եղբայրք Հայ ապրինք:

 

Ոչ, ճակատագիր մեր, չէ միշտ տխուր,

Զթշուարութեան ուտել հացն ու ջուր,

Նոր երջանկութեան աբագայ մ’ունինք.

Եղբայրք Հայ ապրինք

 

Հայ ապրինքոր մեր որդիք ալ, եղբայրք,

Կարենան պարծիլ որ զմեզ ունին հարք,

Չըլլանք Հայ անուան, չըլլանք նախատինք

Եղբայրք, Հայ ապրինք:

See his other works in translation here;

http://armenianhouse.org/blackwell/armenian-poems/lusignan.html#1

LIVE as Armenians, brethren, in this world!

That name to us do history’s pages give ;

The heavens above salute us by that name :

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

Armenians we ! That hero was our sire

Who taught mankind for freedom first to strive ;*

He gave us for our portion a great name :

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

Our land is holy; on its -sacred soil

God walked, what time he Adam forth did drive; **

Our language he devised; he spoke it first:

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

We have one cradle with the human race;

Our land salvation to the world did give ;

Faith’s earliest altar was Mount Ararat:

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

Noble our name is; not on earth alone,

But in the heavens it shines forth gloriously.

The stars of valiant Haig are deathless there :

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

Live as Armenians ! From the past what land

So many ancient glories doth derive ?

What nation has so beautiful a home ?

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

Unto what nation did the King of heaven

Send four apostles as an embassy,***

And with what monarch did he correspond ?

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

Who can count o’er the names of all our saints ?

One roll of martyrs is our history ;

Our church on earth is like to heaven itself:

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

To us was Christ’s first benediction given ;

The champions of the faith for aye were we ;

Armenia’s deeds astonished earth and heaven :

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

Our nation, ever following the Lord.

Has borne the cross for many a century;

No, she will not be a deserter now !

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

Yes, sorrowful is life beneath the cross ;

Yes, as Armenians we with pain must strive;

Yet wears the cross the seal of victory :

Then, brethren, as Armenians let us live !

Our home beloved, our sceptre and our crown,

With clouds are covered in obscurity :

Have hope ! the heavens yet shall give us light:

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

No, not forever shall our fate be sad,

Our lot, to eat and drink of misery;

A new and happy future waits for us !

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be!

Live as Armenians, that our sons as well

May boast that they are our posterity;

Let us do no dishonor to our name !

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be!

Live as Armenians! Some day, over death

Armenia yet shall rise in victory.

Soon may that glad day dawn for us, O heaven !

Brethren, Armenians let us ever be !

Edited by Arpa
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Once again the English translation from the original by Blackwell is more inclusive than the song version I have found. I wish someone could find the full original Armenian versions.

[i added the parentheses around the letter (Յ) to bring out the main words like յուս/ (h)ous/ ուս/shoulder, յիմ/(h)im/ իմ/my.]

----

“Wishes”

ԸՂՁԱՆՔ

 

Թէ տային ինծի

Թագ եւ ադամանդ, գաւազան,

Քեզ զայն ձօնէի,

Թագուհեաց դշխոյ, Հայաստան:

 

Թէ տային ինծի

Ծիրանի շողշող պատմուճան,

Քո (յ)ուս ձգէի,

Ով թշուառ Հայաստան:

 

Թէ տային ինծի

Պսակ (յ)իմ ճակատ մարգարտեան,

Զաչքիդ ընտրէի

Արտասուածց մի շիթ, Հայաստան:

 

Թէ տային ինծի

Գոռ ազատութիւն անսահման,

Ես վեր ընտրէի

Քո վեհ գերութիւն, Հայաստան:

----

By Alice Stone Blackwell

(Wishes for )ARMENIA

IF a sceptre of diamond, a glittering crown,

Were mine, at thy feet I would lay them both down,

Queen of queens, O Armenia!

 

If a mantle of purple** were given to me,

A mantle for kings, I would wrap it round thee,

Poor Armenia, my mother!

 

If the fire of my youth and its sinews of steel

Could return, I would offer its rapture and zeal

All to thee, my Armenia!

 

Had a lifetime of ages been granted to me,

I had given it gladly and freely to thee,

O my life, my Armenia!

 

Were I offered the love of a maid lily-fair,

I would choose thee alone for my joy and my care,

My one love, my Armenia !

 

Were I given a crown of rich pearls, I should prize,

Far more than their beauty, one tear from thine eyes,

O my weeping Armenia !

 

If freedom unbounded were proffered to me,

I would choose still to share thy sublime slavery,

O my mother, Armenia!

 

Were I offered proud Europe, to take or refuse,

Thee alone, with thy griefs on thy head, would I choose

For my country, Armenia!

 

Might I choose from the world where my dwelling should be,

I would say, Still thy ruins are Eden to me,

My beloved Armenia!

 

Were I given a seraph’s celestial lyre,

I would sing with my soul, to its chords of pure fire,

Thy dear name, my Armenia !

** Purple=ԾԻՐԱՆԻ/Apricot (color).

Edited by Arpa
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