Armenian Legends and Poems 15

Armenian Legends and Poems 15

I sob and weep the livelong night;

Till dawn I watch—I watch and write;

Arax, ere sunrise gild thy waves

To thee I bring my spirit’s blight.

 

Upon the rocks the sunbeams dart,

Red flames devour my mourning heart;

Those eyes and brows have left with me

A sorrow which shall ne’er depart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PARROT’S SONG

 

By RAFFI

 

(1837–1888)

 

 

With nuts and sweets and dainty fare,

My lady feeds me oft.

She decks my cage with tender care,

And hands so white and soft.

 

But not a moment’s joy can give

This pampering care to me,

Since as a prisoner here I live,

In gilded misery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EARTH AND SKY

 

By HOVHANNES TOUMANIAN

 

 

The Sky bent down his piercing gaze one day

On Mother Earth, that far beneath him lay.

And as he looked on mountain, sea, and grove,

On hill and dale, he burnt with thoughts of love.

 

Earth lying numbed and frozen ‘neath the snow,

Sudden awoke to springtime’s ardent glow,

And flames of fire her beating heart consumed,

While myriad flowers the air around perfumed.

 

And thus they loved, though never side by side,

Though Nature willed they should be parted wide—

The Earth and Sky.

 

But when has love accepted with content

An obstacle? When o’er the earth steals night,

The starry Sky, his vision downward bent,

Opens his thousand eyes of shining light,

And gazes on his love in worship still,

Gazes till dawn, and cannot take his fill.

 

And as he gazes, all his starry eyes

Are strewn into Earth’s breast of waters blue,

Which foam, and heave, and swell, and strive to rise,

Longing to reach and join her lover true.

 

He, more and more inflamed by passion’s fire,

In all the splendours of the night arrayed,

Pours in her ear his longing and desire,

And shows her all his pomp and pride displayed;

Towards her turning

And ever yearning.

 

But when he finds his love is out of reach

He turns away, nor utters sound nor speech;

And in the dark the tears that dim his sight

Fall on earth’s cheeks in showers of dewdrops bright,—

Dewdrops of pearl—the tears that heaven weeps,

And then Earth’s bosom swells. Her thousand deeps,

Her boundless oceans, rise once more to meet

The far-off loved one; and her mountain peaks

Like myriad lips rise up the clouds to greet,—

To kiss their gloomy forms, and sullen cheeks.

 

And love torments her with its ceaseless fire.

Her waters foam, and writhe, and are convulsed,

Yet never may they reach their heart’s desire,—

Restlessly sobbing, ever more repulsed.

 

And from her gloomy throne,

Behind the clouds, alone,

The moon beheld it with her sleepless eye.

And told the Poet how she did espy

That in the darkness of the silent night

Earth heaved her bosom up to Heaven above;

And that the sky smiled on her with delight,

As they exchanged the secret kiss of love;

And for each other sweetest songs they sing

And they embrace each other and caress,

Like living souls, each other gladdening.

 

Then on the Poet fell a deep distress,

A jealous sorrow—for he fain would, too,

Possess a love as noble and as true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O’ER THE MOUNTAINS HIGH HE WENT

 

FOLK SONG

 

 

O’er the mountains high he went,

Love, love!

In the meadows above

I seek for my love.

With a weary sigh he went.

Love, love!

To fight thou art gone

While I stay here alone.

 

Neither quail nor partridge stirred.

Love, love!

In the meadows above

I look for my love

And he left without a word.

Love, love!

To fight thou art gone

While I stay here alone.

 

Like a flower’s fragrance sweet

He came past, and vanished fleet.

I beheld him and I loved—

But we never more shall meet.

 

When my lover rode away

Not a farewell did I say;

None there is to help him now—

Sourb Carapet, [11] bless his way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPLAINTS

 

By BEDROS TOURIAN

 

 

Farewell, thou Sun, and Thou, O Power Divine,

That far above my spirit dimly shine.

I go to add another star to heaven:—

For what are stars, but anguished curses, riven

From innocent and hapless souls, that fly

To burn the brow of Heaven? and they supply

Fresh armaments, and jewels fiery red,

To God, the source of lightning flashes dread!

 

Alas, what do I say? Send forth thy fires,

O God! Consume this brain that thus aspires

To soar, and dares to pierce the depths of heaven;

And e’en to climb unto the stars has striven!

 

Creator of our trembling beings, hail!

Of light and youth, of age when forces fail;

Thou that the roses from my brow hast wrenched,

Hast stilled my trembling lips, my longings quenched;

Mist to mine eyes hast given, sobs to my breath:—

Yet thou hast sworn to smile on me in death!