Zartir lao

"Zartir lao" (Armenian: Զարթի՛ր, լաօ) is a popular Armenian revolutionary folk song. Created 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
LanguageArmenian
English titleZartir lao
WrittenFahrat
Published1890s
Songwriter(s)See text

Origin
Arabo, the hero of Zartir lao.

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 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] "Msheti's song" («Մշեցու երգ»),[5] "Zartir lao" («Զարթիր լաօ»),[6] etc.

Composition

The song is stylistically similar to other traditional Armenian lullabies, but with a 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 for a military struggle against the Turks. The mother points out Arabo as an example for her son to enlist as a fedayi for the liberation of Armenia. The song's tone is revealed with the doublet line «զարթիր լաօ, մեռնիմ քեզի» ("wake up my dear son, I'll die for you"), which is a call for struggle to all Armenians.

Recorded versions
External video
KOHAR - Zartir, Lao - All Time Armenian Favorites on YouTube
23 January 2012, a group of Armenians sings "Zartir lao" in front of the French Senate, after it passed the genocide law on YouTube

Lyrics
Mush
Mush (Moush), now Muş in modern Turkey

This one is the most common versions of the song lyrics in Armenian, its transliteration and the English translation:[9]

Armenian Latin transcription English translation
Խուժան ասկեար զօրք է ժողուեր
Եկեր Մշոյ դաշտն է պատեր։
Սուլթան կ՚ուզէ ջնջել մզի.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Խեղճ մշեցին մեռաւ լալով,
Օտար երկիրներ ման գալով
Մեռաւ թուրքի հարկը տալով.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Ի՞նչ անիծեմ թուրք ասկեարին,
Որ սպաննեց ջոջ Աբոյին։
Մեր յոյս թողեց օրօրոցին.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Khuzhan askyar zork e zhoghver
Yeker msho dashtn e pater.
Sultan k'uze jnjel mzi;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
Kheghch mshetsin merav lalov,
Otar yerkirner man galov
Merav turkin partkê talov;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
Inch anitsem turk askyarin,
Vor êspanets joj Aboyin.
Mer huys toghets ororotsin;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
Mobs of soldiers have gathered
And surrounded the plain of Moush.
The sultan wants to wipe us out;
Awake, my son, I die for you.
Poor Moushetsi died drowned in tears,
Walking through foreign lands
Died paying taxes to the Turk;
Awake, my son, I die for you.
What shall I say to curse the Turk soldier,
Who killed our own chief Arabo.
And left our hopes in the cradle;
Awake, my son, I die for you.

Other variants

Many variants of the song exist nowadays.

See also

References
  1. (in Armenian) «Մուրճ», 1895, համար 7, 1017-1018
  2. (in Armenian) «Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն», հատոր 6-րդ, էջ 238-240
  3. (in Armenian) Ա. Բրուտյան, 1898, էջ 95-96
  4. (in Armenian) Ա. Մխիթարյան, էջ 39-40
  5. (in Armenian) «Վազգեն» երգարան, էջ 316
  6. (in Armenian) «Ծաղկեփունջ» երգարան, Թիֆլիս, 1907, էջ 141
  7. «Զարթիր, Լաո». երգը կատարում են Զարուհի Փոստանջյանը և Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանի համակիրները (տեսանյութ) (in Armenian). 168 hours. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  8. 8 March 2013 protests
  9. "Զարթիր լաո" (PDF). Arak-29 Charitable Foundation. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  10. Garabedian, Kerovbe. The Songbook of Daron,1930, p. 39
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