The following poem was read to me by my friend’s Armenian grandmother first in Armenian, and then in English:

Armeninan:

English:

Analysis: This poem written in the 1920s by Yeghishe Charents speaks to the beauty not only of the culture and land, but also of the language.  This is Mary’s (my friend’s grandmother) favorite poem that she heard from her mother growing up in Beirut, Lebanon.  The poem is beautiful in English but even more beautiful in its original language: Armenian.  This poem is a fantastic piece of folklore because it explains some of rich history of the Armenians and their land. It exemplifies Armenian national pride which is very big in the culture.  The poem touches on mournful traditional Armenian music which Armenians take pride in because it tells their long story of how they have persevered throughout history.