Wednesday, November 12, 2008

We are few but we are called Armenians



We are very big fans of Paruyr Sevak, who is one of the greatest Armenian poets of this century, and perhaps the most popular among Armenians all over the world.
Here we post one of his works about
He used posetry to explore the Armenian identity and spirit on a spiritual and emotional level. The new touch brought into light of Armenian literature by Paruyr Sevak reflected the changing culture in the face of newly emerging and re-emerging concepts, ideas, spiritual values an social norms, undergoing within the Armenian people during that time period.
His significant contributions to Armenian culture and betterment of Armenian literature was unique in its own way, which shaped the hearts and minds of many Armenian generations who were there with him, as well of those who came later, after his martyrdom.


A Mother's Hands


These very hands, a mother’s hands,
These old and new hands.

Whatever do you want to say
That haven’t been done by these hands?
When I got married
How gracefully these hands had danced,
And with whatever dreams these hands had danced.

Whatever do you want to say
That haven’t been done by these very hands?
The light was not put off till dawn
By these very hands,
When the first baby was born,
It was fed the righteous milk by these very hands.

Whatever do you want to say
That haven’t been done by these very hands?
They are like pillars
Directed to the heavens,
These very hands
Avoiding the pillar of her house
Till her son returns from the battle front.

Whatever do you want to say
That haven’t been done by these very hands?
These very hands
Even though a granny’s hands,
These very hands, having lost their power,
They have regained power
When being with her grandson....


Let us today, as children do,
Kiss these very hands
Which gave birth into this world
And also fed us,
Which in this world they have won usAnd also kept us,
That have never felt full of us
These very hands,
That have wiped the dust
And also did the washing up
Always judging, always working
These very hands.

Paruyr Sevak Quote:


"We are few but we are called Armenians
We do not put ourselves above anyone
Simply we also admit that we, only we have Mount Ararat
And that it is right here on the clear Sevan
that the sky could make its exact duplicate
Simply David has indeed fought right here
Simply the Narek was written right here
Simply we know how to build from the rock, a monastery
How to make fish from stone, how to make man from clay
To learn to become the student of the beautiful,
the kind, the noble, and the good...."

2 comments:

Veronika Azatyan, Vahe Arsenyan, Armen Danielyan said...

Thank you for this GREAT posT !!! I think that publishing Sevak on english is very important in order to know about him through the countries !!! everyone finds something especially for him in poetry of Sevak !

hope to C U soon ;)

Anonymous said...

Paruyr Sevak is my favourite poet. Thank you for such a great post!