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Axtamar


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Axtamar

 

Tsitsaghaxit Vana tsovi

Poqrik gyughits arapnya,

Tsovn e mtnum gaghtagoghi

Amen gisher mi t@gha.

 

Tsovn e mtnum arants navak,

Bazuknerov arnatsi

Jur@ joghpum, logh e tali

Depi kghzin dimatsi,

 

Xavar kghzuts parz u paytsar

Mi luys kanchum e nran,

Mi var paros nra hamar,

Ch@molori ir jampan.

 

Sirun Tamarn amen gisher

Ayntegh krak e anum,

Yev spasum e anhamber

Ayntegh - motik daranum.

 

*****

 

Tspum e tsovn aletsatsan,

Tspum e sirt@ t@ghi -

Gorum e tsovn aheghadzayn,

Na krvum e kataghi.

 

Yev Tamar@ srtatrop

Arden lsum e motik

Jri joghpyun, u voghj marmnov

Siruts ayrvum e sastik.

 

Lrets. Tsovi xavar apin

Kangnets sev-sev mi stver...

Aha yev na... irar gtan...

Kaskatsavor lur gisher...

 

Miayn aliq@ Vana tsovi

Meghm dipchum en aperin,

Hrhrelov heranum en

Shrshrunjnerov anmekin.

 

Nranq ases pspsum en...

U astgher@ kamarits

Aknarkelov bambasum en

Lirb, anamot Tamarits...

 

Bambasum en kusi krtum...

Jamn e arden... u krkin

Minn alekots tsovn e mtnum,

Myusn aghotum yezerqin...

 

*****

 

"Ov e jahel en xizax@?

Vor hents harbats ir sirov,

Srtits hanats ahn u vax@

Tsovn antsnum e gisherov.

 

Tsovn antsum e myus aperits

Mer Tamarin hamburum...

Aghjik xli na mer dzerits?

Inchi tegh e mez dnum..."

 

Espes asin viravorvats

Kghzu miji jahelner

U Tamari dzerqov varats

Luys@ hangtsrin mi gisher.

 

Molorvetsav xavar tsovum

Loghord t@ghan sirahar,

U berum e hoghm@ berum,

Harachanqnern - "Ax, Tamar..."

 

Mot e dzayn@, xol xavarum,

Jayreri tak sepatsats,

Ur amehi tsovn e gorum,

Mert korchum e xlatsats,

U mert lsvum ujaspar,

"Ax, Tamar..."

 

*****

 

Aravotyan tsov@ tspats,

Ap@ dzgets mi diak,

Nra shurtin, pagh, karkamats,

Ases merats jamanak

Sarel ein yerku bar -

"Ax, Tamar..."

 

Ayn orvanits sra hamar

Kghzin kochvets AXTAMAR.

 

Hovhannes Tumanyan

 

1891

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Lusnyak Gisher

 

Lusnyak gisher

Bolorovin Qun Chunem

indz tesnor@ kartsum e, te

qun chunem , Ax qun Chunem

 

Ax inch anem ?

tsnorners chen tornum ,

get mi varkyanHangstanam

Qo grkum , ax ko grkum

 

Mi larr , Mi Larr

Merrnem Kamar Unqerit,

Artasunkt vanas Kuda

Achkerit, Ax Achkerit

 

Lusnyak Giser

Bolorovin qun chunem

indz tesnor@ kartsum e te

Tun chunem, Tun chuncem :

 

HAy Jor. Yerg,

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  • 7 months later...
I came across an english translation of this poem recently, and was going to post it here - but the words are so cloyingly sentimental that I gould not bring myself to type them in! There is also not a word of truth to the story told in the poem!
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  • 2 weeks later...
quote:
Originally posted by Kazza:
Well what makes you say that?


Sorry, Kazza, I must have been feeling a bit grumpy when I posted what I said!

The poem is "true" to the extent that it represents what Armenians in the 19th century thought was the origin of the name - and the same story is still told by local Turks and Kurds today. But as a proper explanation of the origin of the name, it is a romantic fantasy - and is identical to stories from other parts of the world (in the same way as the tallest tower in every inaccessible castle is always said to have been the home of a beautiful virgin princess). It is also not realistic in that it would be physically almost impossible to swim to the island.

Steve
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  • 7 months later...

An English translation:

 

"Akhtamar" By Hovhaness Toumanian, a rendition from the oral tradition, 1891. Translated by Diane Der Hovanessian

 

Every night, in secret

a boy walks from his village

on the shore of Lake Van

into its sea.

 

Without a boat or a sail

with virile arms parting

the water, he swims toward

the island floating in front,

 

where a single, bright light

like a beacon from a lighthouse

on the dark island

guides him on his way.

 

Beautiful Tamar builds the fire

on the beach nightly,

and waits impatiently

in the shrubbery nearby.

 

The heavy sea curls and roars

but the boy’s heart is buoyant.

He fights the pounding water

that shouts in his ears.

 

Tamar’s heart heaves with the water

as she hears the waves breaking

as she burns with the taper

burning in the dark

 

Silence now. On the dark shore

one black shadow

finds the other

and there is one shadow again.

 

Only the waves of Lake Van

touch the shore and move now.

They go back to sea grumbling

with muffled news.

 

As if they were whispering

to the stars arched above them

about the virginal Tamar

calling her shameless names.

 

While the waters murmur and gossip

time runs out for the two.

One enters the rough sea

the other prays, left behind.

 

"Who is he anyway

so brave and so brash

so drunk with his love

that he dares the sea by night?

 

He crosses from foreign shores

to kiss our Tamar?

What does he think we are

to give her up?"

 

The sullen boys of the island

defy the stranger

and one night stamp down the fire

that Tamar has lit.

 

And Tamar's lover

swimming, is lost in the dark.

The wind lifts his sighs.

"Akh! Tamar", he calls.

 

Under the steep rocks

in the frightening darkness

where the wild sea shouts

"Akh! Tamar", he cries.

 

ln the morning the waters,

rippled only now, and calm,

wash him ashore.

On his cold lips two words

are frozen forever,

"Akh! Tamar"

the island's new name.

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