Luc Vartan Baronian -- Armenian Song Translations


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The lines of the songs below are written three times:

a) phonetic transcription from either Eastern or Western Armenian (depending on the source);
My transcriptions are not direct transliterations, they are phonetically adapted to render such sounds as epenthetic vowels (that don't show up in standard Armenian orthography) in order to maximize their recognition by people who do not read or speak Armenian.

b) translated word for word;
The goal of this line is to allow intermediate speakers of Armenian to recognize the words, especially if they are only familiar with one of the two modern varieties of the language. The glosses do not render gender, number or other agreement suffixes when they do not show up in the structure of Armenian. Pronominal subjects are often omitted in Armenian; when that is the case, I cite them in parentheses.

c) translated.

Yes ch'gitem (I don't know), Saya Nova / Arthur Meschian
Im Tarinerë (My years), Hrachya Tamrazyan
Bedk er ësei (I had to say it), Vicken Tarpinian
Hayastan Ashkharh -- k'o karotits' (Land of Armenia -- thinking of you), Varand
Handipum (Encounter), Armen Movsisyan
Dzyun-dzyun (Snow-snow), Vahram Tatikyan
Giligia (Cilicia), Nahabed Rusinian
Born in Armenia, Hayk Markaryan (HT Hayko) and Narek Petrosyan (Mets Hayq)
Yerevi Verevum (It appears from above), Narek Petrosyan (Mets Hayq)

Transcription system

Yes ch'gitem (I don't know), Sayat Nova / Arthur Meschian
Translation: © Luc Vartan Baronian, 2013

Yerku tun unim, p'ak arats

Two home (I) have, closed made

I have two homes, locked up

Yerku sirt unim, kang arrats

Two heart (I) have, pause taken

I have two hearts, held up

Yerku t'ev unim, kap arats

Two arm (I) have, tie made

I have two arms, tied up

Yerku ter unim, mi Astvats

Two lord (I) have, one G-d

I have two lords; one G-d

Im hogus larov, khagh ara

My of my soul with string game make

With the strings of my soul, make a game

Im sërtis zarkov, par ara

My of my heart with beat dance make

With the beat of my heart, make a dance

Im vank'is zangov, kanch' ara

My of my monastery with bell call make

With the bell of my church, make a call

En Sayat Novin, hush ara

That of the Sayat Nova memory make

Of that Sayat Nova, make a memory

Duduki shunch'ov hagenam

Of duduk with breath (I) become peaceful

With the breath of my flute, I am sate

Im vogus ts'avin dimanam

My of my soul of the pain (I) face

With the pain in my mind, I go on

Ashkharhk'i sëtov kuranam

Of the lands with lies (I) go blind

With the lies of the lands, I go blind

Nakhandzi t'uynits' herranam

Of envy from the poison (I) go far

From the poison of envy, I move away

Kargets'in gusan tsaghrank'ov

(They) named gusan with derision

They called me gusan with derision

Yergerës patand viravor

My songs hostage wounded

My songs became a wounded hostage

Kokordis dzaynë khëlats'av

Of my throat the sound became silent

The sound from my own throat was muted

Es mardots' khighchë verats'av

These from men the conscience went up

The conscience of these men was lifted

Transcription system

Vowels

a ball, talk

e bell, set

ë taken, arise

i beak, feel

o mock, bought

u cool, food

ü as in French tu, German Müller

Consonants foreign to English

kh as in German machen, Spanish ojo

gh as in Turkish ağa

r as in Spanish

rr as in Spanish

Consonants with special spellings in English

' the aspiration after the initial consonants in pot and tall (contrast with spot and stall)

ch chill, stitch

g go, rogue (never as in gel or magic)

j jet, bridge

sh shock, Chicago

zh genre, measure

y yellow, you

Consonants with the same general phonetic value as English

b, d, dz, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, ts, v, z

Yerku	tun	unim,	p'ak	arats
Two	home	(I) have,	closed	made
I have two homes, locked up
Yerku	sirt	unim,	kang	arrats
Two	heart	(I) have,	pause	taken
I have two hearts, held up
Yerku	t'ev	unim,	kap	arats
Two	arm	(I) have,	tie	made
I have two arms, tied up
Yerku	ter	unim,	mi	Astvats
Two	lord	(I) have,	one	G-d
I have two lords; one G-d

Im	hogus	larov,	khagh	ara
My	of my soul	with string	game	make
With the strings of my soul, make a game
Im	sërtis	zarkov,	par	ara
My	of my heart	with beat	dance	make
With the beat of my heart, make a dance
Im	vank'is	zangov,	kanch'	ara
My	of my monastery	with bell	call	make
With the bell of my church, make a call
En	Sayat Novin,		hush	ara
That	of the Sayat Nova		memory	make
Of that Sayat Nova, make a memory

Duduki		shunch'ov	hagenam
Of duduk		with breath	(I) become peaceful
With the breath of my flute, I am sate
Im	vogus	ts'avin	dimanam
My	of my soul	of the pain	(I) face
With the pain in my mind, I go on
Ashkharhk'i		sëtov	kuranam
Of the lands		with lies	(I) go blind
With the lies of the lands, I go blind
Nakhandzi		t'uynits'	herranam
Of envy		from the poison	(I) go far
From the poison of envy, I move away

Kargets'in		gusan	tsaghrank'ov
(They) named		gusan	with derision
They called me gusan with derision
Yergerës		patand	viravor
My songs		hostage	wounded
My songs became a wounded hostage
Kokordis		dzaynë	khëlats'av
Of my throat		the sound	became silent
The sound from my own throat was muted
Es	mardots'	khighchë	verats'av
These	from men	the conscience	went up
The conscience of these men was lifted

Vowels
a	ball, talk
e	bell, set
ë	taken, arise
i	beak, feel
o	mock, bought
u	cool, food
ü	as in French tu, German Müller


Consonants foreign to English
kh	as in German machen, Spanish ojo
gh	as in Turkish ağa
r	as in Spanish
rr	as in Spanish


Consonants with special spellings in English
'	the aspiration after the initial consonants in pot and tall (contrast with spot and stall)
ch	chill, stitch
g	go, rogue (never as in gel or magic)
j	jet, bridge
sh	shock, Chicago
zh	genre, measure
y	yellow, you


Consonants with the same general phonetic value as English
b, d, dz, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, ts, v, z