ԴԱՆԻԷԼ ՎԱՐՈՒԺԱՆ: Առկայծ Ճրագ

Click the link to hear the audio clip of Daniel Varoujan's Առկայծ Ճրագ read by the Yeraz Markarian.

Յաղթանակի գիշերն է այս տօնական . -
Հա՛րս, եղ լեցո՛ւր ճրագին ։
Պիտի դառնայ կռիւէն տղաս յաղթական . -
Հա՛րս, քիթը ա՛ռ պատրոյգին.

Սայլ մը կեցաւ դրան առջեւ, հորին քով . -
Հա՛րս, վառէ՛ լոյսը ճրագին ։
Տղաս կու գայ ճակատն հպարտ դափնիով . -
Հա՛րս, բեր ճրագը շեմին ։

Բայց… սայլին վրայ արի՞ւն եւ սո՞ւգ բեռցեր են…
Հա՛րս, ճրագը ասդի՛ն երկարէ ։
Հերոս տղաս հոն զարնուա՜ծ է սրտէն . -
Ա՜խ, հա՛րս, ճրագըդ մարէ՜…

Daniel Varoujan/ԴԱՆԻԵԼ ՎԱՐՈՒԺԱՆ (1884-1915)



LA LAMPE


C'est aujourd'hui nuit de fête et de victoire,
- Ma bru, remplis d'huile la lampe!
Mon fils va venir de guerre couvert de gloire,
- Ma bru, racle le bec de la lampe!


Un char s'arrête sous le portail, près du puits,
- Ma bru, allume voir la lampe!
Il rentre couronné de lauriers, c'est lui,
- Ma bru, approche vite la lampe!


Mais ... le char est chargé de sang et de deuil...?!
- Ma bru, allonge donc ta lampe!
Mon fils est là, frappé au cœur, sur le seuil,
- Oh! ma bru, éteins ta lampe...

Traduit par
Benjamin TCHAVOUCHIAN

Introducing poet Artsvi Bakhchinyan

ARTSVI BAKHCHINYAN (born 1971, Yerevan), philologist, film researcher, Ph. D. In 1988-1993 studied at Yerevan State University (department of Armenian language and literature). In 1993-1996 studied in post-graduated masters in Institute of Literature of National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia (Ph. D. in 1996). Contributed to periodicals of Armenia and abroad with articles on film, culture and various fields of Armenian studies. He is the vice president of Armenian branch of FIPRESCI (International Union of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists). Co-editor of "Armenian Cinema 1924-1999: a complete filmography" catalogue (Yerevan, 2001). Author of books: “Armenians by Origin” (a biographical dictionary of Armenian Diaspora: Yerevan, 1993), "Figures of Armenian Origin" (Yerevan, 2002), “Napoleon Bonaparte and the Armenians” (Yerevan, 2003), “Armenia-Scandinavia: Historical and Cultural Relations” (Yerevan, 2003), "Armenians in World Cinema" (Yerevan, 2004), “Armenia-Sweden” (in English, 2006). Participated in international conferences and meetings in various countries.

Leo Hamalian: Home Thoughts from Abroad

Click here to hear Leo Hamalian's Home Thoughts from Abroad read by Harry Koundakjian.

Sometimes on Friday evenings,
I say to myself,
“To Hell with this jazz, “
and I drift over to Al-Cazar,
where I drink too much Scotch,
talk very loudly,
and slap the sumptuous behind
of the belly-dancer.
Afterwards I get the eye
From the pimp with a crooked smile.
Al-Cazar is a nice place
To visit on a Friday,
But no place to live.

The next morning,
Cursing a small hangover,
I am at work again
In the confines of my study.
I pause from my pursuits,
And wait for the children
To return from school,
The quiet cocktails before dinner,
And the pleasant talk afterwards.
This is no place to visit,
But it’s a nice place to live.

This poem has appeared in "ARMENIAN-NORTH AMERICAN POETRY: AN ANTHOLOGY" (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Manna Publishing, 1974), Lorne Shirinian, editor.

Helene Pilibosian: Souvenir

Click to hear Souvenir read by Lola Koundakjian.

Did you bring me
a handful of soil from the homeland,
forgetting that it's earth
from the same planet as the American,
not Venus nor Mars
nor Saturn but only
dark soil with its own minerals--
the old kings and queens
still melting out memories
like party favors,
the sisters directing
the roundness of eternal bread,
the brothers coaxing the seeds
with unlearned plow and buffalo,
the merchants mingling
with magnificent ships?
Did you bring me
a hint of the breeze
that teased your hair
as no other breeze would dare
or the stares of the mountain paths
the Armenian aura
outlined with such clarity?
Did you bring me
that little bit of love
that boiled down from cooking
over the stove of history
in the clay pot of living?
Did you bring me the day
that sports debates of employment
and whistle-wails of work
or the night which highlights
an owl's or cat's eyes
prowling as animal rights,
their definition of the word
influenced by the heard,
the seen, the void, the tried?

The amber necklace you brought
reveals these passions congealed.


Copyright 2004 Helene Pilibosian

--
Helene Pilibosian is the author of two collections of poetry: Carvings
From an Heirloom and At Quarter Past Reality (a prizewinner) and has
many poems published in American literary journals such as the North
American Review, Willow Review and The Cape Rock. She is the owner of
Ohan Press whose bilingual website is at http://home.comcast.net/~hsarkiss

Լօլա Գունտաքճեան՝ Դիմակ. Lola Koundakjian: Mask

Ես եմ ես-- իսկ դուն, ո՞ր դիմակդ
հագած ես այս գիշեր:



Լօլա Գունտաքճեան

Me; it's me.
And you, which mask are you wearing tonight?


Copyright Lola Koundakjian 2006. Translation by the author.

Վահան Թէքէեան: ԱՆՈՒՆԴ

Click to hear Vahan Tekeyan's romantic poem, "Your Name" read by Lola Koundakjian.


Ինչո՞ւ անունըդ այստեղ չըկարենամ գըրել ես
Եւ աշխարհի չըյայտնեմ թէ քեզ ինչպէ՜ս սիրեցի…
Երկու վանկե՜րը անոր ես կը զուրցեմ գաղտնապէս,
Եւ ան ամբողջ կը թուի սիրոյ մատեա’ն մը ինծի…
Ինչո՞ւ անունըդ այստեղ չըկարենամ գըրել ես…:


Հիմա, հեռո’ւ իրարմէ‘ միայն անո’ւնըդ ունիմ
Բերնիս վըրայ, համբոյրի մը պէս աննիւթ եւ անոյշ…
Գիշեր ատեն, սենեակիս մենութեան մէջ մըտերիմ,
Ես զայն կ’ըսեմ եւ ահա‘ քեզ կը տեսնեմ քաղցրայուշ,
Հիմա, հեռո’ւ իրարմէ‘ միայն անո’ւնըդ ունիմ…:


Գեղեցկութիւնդ ու իմ սէ’րս յօրինեցին զայն կարծես…
Սիրտս իր անդուլ տըրոփմամբ անընդհատ զա’յն կը հեգէ,
Թէպէտ վաղո՜ւց մտքիս մէջ քեզ ամբողջ գոց գիտեմ ես…
Քեզ չըճանչցած ունէի՞ր դուն այդ անո’ւնը միթէ…
Գեղեցկութիւնդ ու իմ սէ’րս յօրինեցին զայն կարծես…:


Ո’չ, չեմ ուզեր, չեմ կրնա՜ր ես զայն յանձնել աշխարհի.
Երկու վանկովն իր կ’ուզեմ խնկել իմ կեա’նքըս միայն,
Եւ երբ վերջին արեւիս վերջին ճաճա’նչը մարի‘
Անունըդ ի շուրթ դեռ կ’ուզեմ ողջունել ա’յը մահուան.
Ո’չ, չեմ ուզեր, չեմ կրնա՜ր ես զայն յանձնել աշխարհի…:


1914


YOUR NAME
By Vahan Tekeyan


Why can’t I write your name upon this page
And declare to the world how I loved you?
In secret, I whisper its two syllables,
And it seems to me a rare book of love...
Why can’t I write your name upon this page?


Now, parted with you, I have only your name,
A sweet ethereal kiss upon my lips.
At night, in the intimate solitude of my room,
I murmur your name and you appear before me...
Now, parted with you, I have only your name...


Your beauty and my love invented your name...
My heart in endless palpitation spells it out forever,
Though I have always known you by heart,
I wonder if the name was yours before I knew you.
It is your beauty and my love that invented your name...


No, I cannot—do not want to tell the world.
With its two syllables I want to anoint my life
And when the last ray of my last sun subsides,
I’ll greet the dawn of my death with your name on my lips.
No, I cannot and do not want to reveal it to the world.


Վահան Թէքէեան


Translated from the Armenian by Berge Turabian.
Used here by kind permission.

Lola Koundakjian: Dada Poem

Տուն
Քուն

Մութ
Շու՜տ

Ան /կո /ղին


Լօլա Գունտաքճեան


This poem has appeared in PAKIN Armenian literary journal in its September 2009 issue.




Copyright 2006 Lola Koundakjian

Introducing: Gohar Khachatryan

Gohar Khachatryan was born in Yerevan in 1987. She’s currently studying psychology at the Moscow State University. Gohar started writing poems in Armenian and Russian at the age of 16-17. She has diverse interests.



Չեմ ժխտում ցավս ուսերիս վրա
Հանգիստ եմ կարծես ամոքաց հոգի
Դրել են գլխիս վերևում վրան
Ժպիտ են ուզում ժպիտ չեն տեսնի:

Ու հովհարներ են գալիս երազում
Թևերի անհոգ ազատ թռիչքներ
Ու ետ եմ գալիս պայքարի սրով
Ինձ նմանների հոգիներ փրկել:


5/09/2006

Գոհար Խաչատրյան

Copyright Gohar Khachatryan

Vivian Kurkjian: Poem of Love

I will pull my hair back
In an old maid's knot
And don the widest rimmed spectacles
I can find
To hide from you
And the other men until you see
What does not show
And only then
Will I let
These long brown locks fall
As you see fit.

This poem has appeared in "ARMENIAN-NORTH AMERICAN POETRY: AN ANTHOLOGY" (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Manna Publishing, 1974). Lorne Shirinian, editor.

Lorne Shirinian: Gélinas

Lorne Shirinian's Gélinas read by Paula Fedeski-Koundakjian.

L’Hôpital du Haut Richelieu
St-Jean, Québec
10:32 am

the waiting room is full
waiting
in the waiting room
full of waiting
waiting

surrounded
some fat
some ruddy-faced
blue-veined and
hacking
some light up yet another
to draw the thick blue smoke
deep into the dead alveoli
of their lizard lungs
they are waiting

I am waiting

then at 10:32
the electric crackle static
through the thin speaker
announces a new list
of hopeful names

Grégoire, Tremblay, Lefebvre,
Baillargeon (long fretful pause)
Lrn Sh-Sha-Sha-rn-nan
Allez a la sale numero 1

At room 1 another roll call
Grégoire, Tremblay, Lefebvre,
Baillargeon (long fretful pause)
Mon Dieu, chui pas chanceuse ce matin

Instinctively I rise
What is it, Miss

The nurse steps back embarrassed
But not enough
Pourtant c’est bien facile I say
Vous le prononcez comme vous le lisez
Shirinian Voyez-vous

And when you say it
And when my name fills your mouth
Think of massacred Armenia
Then think of the Turkish peasants
Whom you adopted
Think of Montreal’s Armenian cabbies
In front of Café Van Houtte on McGill College
Think of crafty business men you couldn’t trust
Think of terrorists
Think of the strange food you don’t like
Think of the earthquake packaged for you
In the Canada Français
Think this land is my land
This land’s not your land

Tell yourself this Armenian’s
Only renting space
And, Miss, if it’s still too much for you
To say Shirinian
Just call me Gélinas


From the volume, Earthquake: Poems by Lorne Shirinian
Mellen Poetry Series, Volume 16, The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY 1991. Printed here by kind permission of the author.

Lorne Shirinian

Lorne Shirinian needs no introduction to North American readers.

Born in Toronto in 1945, he completed an Honours BA in French language and literature from the University of Toronto, an MA in Comparative Literature at Carleton University and a PhD. in Comparative Literature at l'Université de Montréal. He founded and edited Manna: a review of contemporary poetry (1971 to 1974). He lived, taught and wrote in the Montreal area for 20 years. In 1994, he moved to Kingston (Ontario), where he is Professor and Head of the Department of English at the Royal Military College of Canada.
Selected Publications:

Prof. Shirinian is the author of over 20 works. Here's a partial list:

Poetry:
Rough Landing. Kingston: Blue Heron Press, 2000.
Earthquake. Lewiston, NY: the Edwin Mellen Press, 1991.
Poems of Dispersion and Other Rites of Movement. Toronto: Manna Publising, 1977.

Fiction:
Memories Orphans. Kingston: Blue Heron Press, 2003.
History of Armenia and Other Fiction. Kingston: Blue Heron Press, 1999.
Beginnings and Ends. Toronto: the Zoryan Institute, 1991.

Drama:
This Dark Thing: Two One Act Plays. Kingston: Blue Heron Press, 2004.
Exile in the Cradle. Kingston: Blue Heron Press, 2003.

Books are available through bheron@kos.net