Armenian children's music

[Tarkmanich]

Hello everyone, 

I have a young child to whom I wish to pass on our heritage.  As I journeyed into the realm of Armenian children's songs, I discovered more than just a way to teach our language: I saw it as a powerful medium for adults to learn about Armenian communities, both from recent times to pre-1915 era life in the villages.  It is also a way for Armenians to learn about the surroundings of Armenians in our historic lands, in modern Armenia and in various places of the diaspora.

It is my goal to encourage Armenians to write down the lyrics of as many of these songs as they can, in Armenian characters, latin transliteration, and in English (or whatever dominant language is spoken in by their diaspora community).  I have completed this process with one album by Ara Kekedjian (the famous one with Shokegarke) on lyricstranslate.com if you wish to see the format I am talking about.  I don't even write well in Armenian, but with careful research I am able to find the correct spellings of the lyrics using online tools such as nayiri.com and http://ma6.free.fr/ (for conjugation).

If you would like to collaborate on this project, let us know!  Songs are not always easy to translate, and it's easier if it's done collaboratively than individually.  Let us use our knowledge of Armenian to help one another.

Any contribution helps!  We need this music to be written and translated so that young generations can learn our language and culture in an enjoyable, musical way that helps them travel across time and space!  

Edited November 10 by Tarkmanich

[Yervant1]

Hi Tarkmanich, welcome to Hyeforum!

I hope that this site will be helpful in getting some traffic to  lyricstranslate.com. Today forums are not what it used to be, but we're trying and wish you good luck. 🙂

[Tarkmanich]

Thank you Yervant!  Even if social media is more popular these days, I still think forums are a reliable place for storing information of this sort in a conversational way.

Anyhow, here is the album I intend to translate next: 

Fortunately, the lyrics are written in Armenian already on the back of the album cover, which has been shared online by a vendor.  I downloaded it for my own purposes, and am including it here as an attachment.  Not every song on the back of the album is featured in the video however.

We don't need to translate Gakavig, it's already been contributed and is a common staple of singers of Armenian children's music.  Interestingly, the lyrics are derived from a pre-1915 poem in Vanetsi dialect and was simplified by Toumanyan.  If you look up the lyrics, they are written with different Armenian letters than seen on the back of Kekedjian's album (which tries follows standard Armenian orthographic conventions).

The next song I intend to translate an transliterate is #2: Tsooyne yegav.  
(A very nice song about appreciating the abundant snowfall so that we can go tobogganing)



Here is the back of the album:

Edited November 11 by Tarkmanich

[Tarkmanich]

Ձիւնը եկաւ Ձիւնը եկաւ շատ առատ Աշխարհն առաւ իրա տակ Մենք էլ սահնակներն առած Սարի գլխից իջանք ցած․ Մենք էլ սահնակներն առած Սարի գլխից իջանք ցած․  Չմուշկներով* սահեցինք Սղղացինք ու խաղացինք Ջան ինչ լաւ ես դու ձմեռ Ջան ինչ լաւ է խաղը մեր․ Ջան ինչ լաւ ես դու ձմեռ Ջան ինչ լաւ է խաղը մեր․  Ձիւնը եկաւ շատ առատ Աշխարհն առաւ իրա տակ Մենք էլ սահնակներն առած Սարի գլխից իջանք ցած․ Մենք էլ սահնակներն առած Սարի գլխից իջանք ցած․

Tsooyne yegav Tsooyne yegav shad arad Ashkharn arav ira dag Menk el sahnagnern aradz Sari klkhits ichank tsadz. Menk el sahnagnern aradz Sari klkhits ichank tsadz.  Chmooshgnerov* sahetsink Sghatsink oo khaghatsink Jan* inch lav es too tsmer Jan inch lav e khaghe mer. Jan inch lav es too tsmer Jan inch lav e khaghe mer.  Tsooyne yegav shad arad Ashkharn arav ira dag Menk el sahnagnern aradz Sari klkhits ichank tsadz. Menk el sahnagnern aradz Sari klkhits ichank tsadz

The snow came The snow came very abundantly It took the world underneath it And we with our sledges From the top of the mountain slid down. And we with our sledges From the top of the mountain slid down.  We slid with [its] skates We skidded and we played My dear winter, how great you are My dear, how great our game is. My dear winter, how great you are My dear, how great our game is. The snow came very abundantly It took the world underneath it And we with our sledges From the top of the mountain slid down. And we with our sledges From the top of the mountain slid down.

 

 

[Tarkmanich]

I found a previous discussion in this sub-forum that is quite relevant to this thread : Armenian Children Songs - Music - HyeForum.  It is a fascinating repository of information, and some users mention Ara Kekedjian, which demonstrates his relevance as a major source of Armenian children's music prior to Taline in the 1990s and 2000s.

I apologize for having duplicated the title, but my mission is to develop translations to make this music more accessible for today's Armenian youth and their parents.  Perhaps the title of my thread can be modified to reflect this intention?

Edited November 14 by Tarkmanich

[Tarkmanich]

Նուագածուներ   Ահա մենք խումբ մը ճարտար երաժիշտ․ Կը սիրենք երգել ու նուագել միշտ․ Ունինք առանձին նուագարաններ․ Եւ շատ ալ վարպետ ղեկավարը մեր։ Մեր նուագնեռը ոռանկիւններ են․ Պիտի նուագենք եթէ մեզ ներեն․ Շատ անուշ [կ'] հնչէ ձայնը ականջին․ Չին չին չին չին չին չին չին ձայնը ականջին։ Լա լա լա․․․   Ահա մենք խումբ մը նարտար երաժիշտ․ Կը սիրենք երգել ու նուագել միշտ․ Ունինք առանձին նուագարաններ․ Եւ շատ ալ վարպետ ղեկավարը մեր։   Մեզ ալ լսեցէք նուգենք ծնծղայ․ Ջայն շատ կը սիռէ քիչ մ՛ամէն տղայ․ Պէտք է հետեւիլ չափով հարուածին, Ծին ծին ծին ծին ծնծղային չափով հարուածին։   Լա լա լա․․․   Ահա մենք խումբ մը նարտար երաժիշտ․ Կը սիրենք երգել ու նուագել միշտ․ Ունինք առանձին նուագարաններ․ Եւ շատ ալ վարպետ ղեկավարը մեր։   Մեր թմբուկներով կեանք կու տանք խումբին, Խաբանենք ձայնը ծնծղային․ դափին, Երբ ուժգին հարուած տանք ամէն անգամ, Պամ պում պամ պում պիմ պում պամ, Տանք ամէն անգամ։    Լա լա լա․․․

Nvakadzooner   Aha menk khoomp me djardar yerazhishd Ge sirenk yerkel oo nvakel misht Oonink arantsin nvakaranner Yev shad al varbed ghegavare mer. Mer nvaknere erangioonner en Bidi nvakenk yete mez neren Shad anoosh hnche tsayne aganchin Chin chin chin chin chin chin chin, tsayne aganchin   La la la…   Aha menk khoomp me djardar yerazhishd Ge sirenk yerkel oo nvakel misht Oonink arantsin nvakaranner Yev shad al varbed ghegavare mer.   Mez al lsetsek, nvakenk dzndzgha Tsayn shad ge sire kich m’amen dgha Bedk e hedevil chapov harvadzin Dzin dzin dzin dzin dznzdghayin, chapov harvadzin.   La la la…   Aha menk khoomp me djardar yerazhishd Ge sirenk yerkel oo nvakel misht Oonink arantsin nvakaranner Yev shad al varbed ghegavare mer.   Mer tmpoognerov gyank goo dank khoompin Khapanenk tsayne dzndzghayin tapin Erp oozhkin harvadz, dank amen ankam Bam boom bam boom bim boom bam Dank amen ankam.    La la la…

Musicians   Here we are, a group of skillful musicians We always like to sing and play We each have our particular instruments And also our very expert maestro. Our instruments are triangles We will play if they indulge us to It sounds very nice to the ear Chin chin chin chin chin chin chin, sound to the ear   La la la…   Here we are, a group of skillful musicians We always like to sing and play We each have our particular instruments And also our very expert maestro.   Listen to us too, we play the cymbal Its sound is well liked by most boys [We] must follow with the beat of its strike Dzin dzin dzin dzin of the cymbal, with the beat of its strike. La la la...   Here we are, a group of skillful musicians We always like to sing and play We each have our particular instruments And also our very expert maestro.   With our drums we give life to the group We make the sound of the cymbal sound like [that of] the tambourine. When we give a hard hit each time Bam boom bam boom bim boom bam [We] give each time La la la…

 

 

Edited November 25 by Tarkmanich

[Tarkmanich]

Փոքրիկ կենդանիները   Ճանճիկները տըզ տըզ տըզ․․․ տըզտըզան, Մեղուները պըզ պըզ պըզ․․․ պըզպըզան, Թիթեռները թիռ թիռ թիռ․․․ թռուըռան, Թռչունները ճիւ ճիւ ճիւ․․․ ճըլուըլան, Հաւիկները կըտ կըտ կըտ․․․ կըտկըտան, Լալկան տղաք իւհ իւհ իւհ․․․ կու լան, Զուարթ տղաք հա հա հա․․․ կը խնդան․   Փիսիկները միաո՛ւ միաո՛ւ միաո՛ւ․․․ մլաւեն, Շնիկները հա՛վ հա՛վ հա՛վ․․․ կը հաջեն, Գառնուկները մէ՛հ մէ՛հ մէ՛հ․․․  կը մայեն, Հորթուկները մօ՛ մօ՛ մօ՛․․․ բառաչեն, Իշուկները եա՛հ եա՛հ եա՛հ․․․  կը զռնչեն, Լալկան տղաք իւհ իւհ իւհ․․․ արցունք կը թափեն, Առիւծները մըռ մըռ մըռ կը [մռտան]։

Pokrig Gentaninere   Djandjignere dez dez dez... dezdezan Meghoonere bez bez bez... bezbezan Titernere tir tir tir... trveran Trchoonnere djiv djiv djiv... djelvelan Havignere ged ged ged... gedgedan Lalgan dghak iv iv iv... gou lan Zvart dghak ha ha ha... ge khntan.   Pisignere miaoo miaoo miaoo... melaven Shnignere hav hav hav... ge hachen Karnoognere meh meh meh… ge mayen Hortoognere moo moo moo barachen Ishoognere yah yah yah... ge zrnchen Lalgan dghak iv iv... artsoonk ge tapen Arioodznere mer mer mer ge mrdan.

The Little Animals   The flies "dez dez dez"... buzz* The bees "buzz buzz buzz"... buzz* The butterflies "tir tir tir"... become excited The birds "chirp chirp chirp"... chirp The chickens "cluck cluck cluck"... cluck Crying boys "iv iv iv"... cry Happy boys "ha ha ha"... laugh   The cats "meow meow meow"... mew The dogs "how how how"... bark The lambs "meh meh meh"... bleet The young calves "moo moo moo" bellow The donkeys "yah yah yah" … bray Crying boys "iv iv iv”… drop tears The lions "mer mer mer" roar.