Zartir lao
"Zartir lao" (Armenian: Զարթի՛ր, լաօ) is a popular Armenian revolutionary folk song. Composed in the 1890s, it praises the prominent fedayi leader Arabo and is a wake up call for struggle against the Turks.
| "Զարթի՛ր, լաօ/լաո" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Armenian |
| English title | Zartir lao |
| Written | Fahrat |
| Published | 1890s |
| Songwriter(s) | See text |
Origin
The song was originally written by Fahrat, an Armenian ashugh from Mush. The song's hero is Arabo, the famed fedayi, who is now presented as a symbol of the Armenian liberation movement. He mainly operated in Mush Plain and Sasun. In 1893, while returning from the Caucasus, his group was surrounded in a gorge near Bulanikh. Everyone in his group was killed, including Arabo himself.[1][2]
Over time its connection to Arabo's death was forgotten. This was traced in the evolution of the song's title: "Arabo's song" («Արաբոյի երգ»),[3] "Brave Arabo's song" («Քաջ Արաբոյի երգ»),[4] "Mshetsi's song" («Մշեցու երգ»),[5] "Zartir lao" («Զարթիր լաօ»),[6] etc.
Composition
The song is stylistically similar to other traditional Armenian lullabies, but with the purpose of a wake up call. The mother is the central character. She tells her son about the miserable conditions of Armenians and calls him to a military struggle against the genocidal Turks. The mother points out Arabo as an example for her son to enlist as a fedayi (resistance fighter) for the liberation of Armenia. The song's tone is revealed with the doublet line «զարթիր լաօ, մեռնիմ քեզի» ("Arise my child, I beseech you"; literally Arise my child, I will die for you), which is a call for struggle to all Armenians.
Recorded versions
- Hovhannes Shahbazyan (2004)
- KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir (2008) video
In popular culture
- The song appears in 1967 film Triangle, directed by Henrik Malyan. Triangle is a story which takes place in Leninakan during World War II, and "Zartir lao" is used as a call to fight against Nazi Germany.
- During the 2013 Armenian anti-government protests opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan sang the song in front of the Presidential Palace in Yerevan.[7][8]
Lyrics
This one is the most common version of the song's lyrics in Armenian, its transliteration and the English translation:[9]
| Armenian | Latin transcription | English translation |
|---|---|---|
|
|
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Other variants
Many variants of the song exist nowadays.
«Քաջ Արաբոյի երգը»[10]Գրող տանի քուրդ Հասոյին,
Դեն իրիշկե գալող ո՞րն է,
Ելեք կայնե՛ք, կտրիճ Խերան,
|
«Մշեցու երգը»Չուր ե՞րբ մնանք զէլու դռներ, Խըղք (Խեղճ) մշեցին մեռավ լալով, Գրող տանի քուրդ Հատոյին, Դեն իրիշկե՝ գալող ո՞րն ա, |
«Մշեցու մոր օրորոցային երգը»Խուժան ասկեր զգեզ պաշարե,
Ի՞նչ անիծեմ թուրք ըսկարին,
Չուր ե՞րբ մնամ էլու դռներ, |
«Մշեցու երգը»Խեղճ մշեցիք մնացին լալով, Զարթնի՛ր, զարթնի՛ր, գնա Սասուն, Բոբիկ ոտքով չուր Ախթամար, Գրողը տանի քուրդ Հասոյին, Զարթնի՛ր, զարթնի՛ր, գնա Սասուն, |
See also
References
- (in Armenian) «Մուրճ», 1895, համար 7, 1017-1018
- (in Armenian) «Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն», հատոր 6-րդ, էջ 238-240
- (in Armenian) Ա. Բրուտյան, 1898, էջ 95-96
- (in Armenian) Ա. Մխիթարյան, էջ 39-40
- (in Armenian) «Վազգեն» երգարան, էջ 316
- (in Armenian) «Ծաղկեփունջ» երգարան, Թիֆլիս, 1907, էջ 141
- «Զարթիր, Լաո». երգը կատարում են Զարուհի Փոստանջյանը և Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանի համակիրները (տեսանյութ) (in Armenian). 168 hours. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- 8 March 2013 protests
- "Զարթիր լաո" (PDF). Arak-29 Charitable Foundation. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- Garabedian, Kerovbe. The Songbook of Daron,1930, p. 39
- Ghaziryan, A. (1989). Հայ ժողովրդական ռազմի և զինվորի երգեր] [Armenian folk military songs] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian SSR Academy of Sciences Publishing. pp. 33–34, 146–148.