Կէթիսպըրկի Ուղերձը

Կցած եմ նախագահ Աբրահամ Լինքոլնի Կեթիսպըրկի ուղերձին թարգմանութիւնս։ Ուղերձը տեւած է մօտաւորապէս երկու վարկեան եւ բաղկացած է մօտաւորապէս 275 բաոերէ։ Բայց նախագահ Աբրահամ Լինքոլնի այդ ուղերձը կը համարուի Ամերիկեան պատմութեան մեջ ամէնայայտնի ուղերձներէն։ Թարգմանութեանս սրբագրութիւնը կը պարտիմ երբեմնի ուսուցչիս ԱրմենակԵղիայեանին։  Վահէ Յ Աբէլեան

՚՚

Կէթիսպըրկի Ուղերձը

«Չորս քսանամեակներ և եօթը տարիներ առաջ մեր հայրերը այս ցամաքամասին վրայ յառաջացուցին նոր ազգ մը բեղմնաւորուած Ազատութեան մէջ և նուիրուած այն առաջադրութեան որ բոլոր մարդիկ ստեղծուած են հաւասար։

Այժմ մենք բոնկուած ենք քաղաքացիական մեծ պատերազմի մը, փորձարկելու որ արդիո՞ք այդ ազգը, կամ որեւէ ազգ՝ այդպէս բեղմնաւորուած ևայդպէս առաջադրուած կրնայ երկար տոկալ: Մենք կը հանդիպինք այդ մեծ պատերազմին մարտադաշտին վրայ: Մենք եկած ենք նուիրելու այդ մարտադաշտին մէկ մասը որպէս վերջին հանգստավայրը անոնց որոնք այստեղ իրենց կեանքերը նուիրեցին որպէսզի այդ ազգը կարողանայ գոյատեւել: Բոլորովին տեղին և պատշաճ է որ մենք այս ընենք:

Բայց աւելի խոր իմաստով՝ մենք չենք կրնար նուիրագործել չենք կրնար սրբադասել, չենք կրնար սրբացնել այս հողը: Կենդանի և մեռած խիզախ մարդիկ որոնք պայքարեցան այստեղ, արդէն սրբացուցած են ան շատ աւելի բարձր քան մեր աղքատ ոյժը կարողանայ աւելցնել կամ նուազեցնել:

Աշխարհը քիչ ուշադրութիւն պիտի դարձնէ եւ ոչ ալ երկար ժամանակ պիտի յիշէ թե մենք ինչ կ՚ըսենք հոս, բայց երբեք պիտի չի կարողանայ մոռանալ այնինչ որ ըրին այստեղ: Ընդհակառակը` մենք ողջերս ենք որ պէտք է նուիրուինք այստեղ ամբողջացնելու իրենց անաւարտ գործը, որուն համար անոնք մաքարեցան հոս եւ ազնիւօրեն առաջ մղեցին:

Աւելի շատ մեզի համար է որ հոս ըլլանք նուիրուած մեր առաջ մնացած մեծ գործին – այստեղի պատուելի մեռելներէն մենք նուիրում ստանանք այն դատին՝որուն համար անոնք տուին իրենց նուիրումին վերջին ամբողջական չափը – որ մենք՝  մեծապէս ուխտենք որ այդ մեռնողները ի իզուր մեռած չըլլան - որ այս ազգը, Աստծոյ ներքեւ ունենայ ազատութեան նոր ծնունդ մը  - եւ որ ժողովուրդին կառավարութիւնը, ժողովուրդին կողմէ, ժողովուրդին համար չի ջնջուի այս աշխարհէն:» 

Աբրահամ Լինքոլն

 

Vartan O. mobilizing the English language

Vaհe H Apelian

 

I just read Vartan Oskanian’s commentary in Horizon Daily, the bilingual Armenian newspaper in Canada and I was reminded of the following famed sentence, "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.” However, for brevity, I did not title this blog post, claiming that Vartan Oskanian is mobilizing the English language against prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and sending it to the wrong audience, and in the wrong language. Vartan Oskanian is not addressing the citizens of Armenia in Armenia, in Armenian.

Let me sort and structure my thoughts.

The movie “Darkest Hour”, is a dramatized documentary about Winston Churchill assuming the post of the prime minister of the British Empire during the Second World War. Almost right after he assumed the post, France fell to Nazi Germany, and the British had their army cornered on the Dunkirk beach.  It was also feared that the Nazi Germany would invade England, Churchill’s island nation and there was talk in his war cabinet for seeking terms with Hitler. But Churchill refused and gave a speech in the parliament claiming that the British “shall fight them on the beaches” and expected that everyone in his government is willing to die “chocking on his own blood upon the ground”. Lord Halifax, in his war cabinet was for seeking terms with the Nazi Germany through Mussolini. After the speech he uttered that sentence. But that was in the film. In real life the sentence is attributed to famous American journalist Murrow speaking about Churchill.

 Coming to Vartan Oskanian; it should be noted that he has good, if not an excellent command of the English language and he uses it expertly attempting to mobilize the diaspora. I imagine, other than a handful citizens of Armenia, no other citizen in Armenia reads Latin Armenian Diaspora press. I remain puzzled. If Vartan Oskanian seeks to constitutionally topple the Nikol Pashinyan government, he should be addressing the citizens of Armenia and not Diaspora; and address them in Armenian and not in English.

I suggest Vartan clarify the political goals he tacitly wants to convey and have them in easily understood slogans. Such as:

First:  “կը մերժենք Ալմա Աթայի համաձայնագիրը», 

That is to say Vartan, on behalf of the opposition, rejects the Alma Ata agreement or protocol. On December 21, 1991, former USSR republics (excluding the Baltics) met in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and officially dissolved the Soviet Union and established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) consisting the former Soviet Socialist Republics. Nikol Pashinyan’s cross road for peace is based on that initiative, which Vartan objects

Second: “Վերադարձ Դէպէ Ղարաբաղ»

That is to say Vartan Oskanian, on behalf of the opposition declares that returning of the Artsakh Armenians to the Nagorno-Karabagh will constitute the cornerstone of his foreign policy, in contrast to prime minsiter Nikol Pashinyan, who has ruled that Artsakh/Karabagh issue has been resolved and is no more relevant to his government's foreign policy.

I would have suggested Vartan other platforms as well, such as «Պիտի Պահենք Էջմածինը այնպէս Ինչպէս որ է», that is to say Vartan Oskanian will have Etchmiazin continue to function as it has. 

Last, but definitely not the least, if not the foremost.  Once in power, Vartan Oskanian will have those who acquired wealth, privileges, monopolies, such the electric grid of Armenia, keep their “hard earned” wealth, the crux of the matter, Vartan Oskanian is and has been advocating all along.

Splendor in the Grass

The painting is by Laurie Konyalian graciously gifted to me. The translation of William Wordworth poem, “Splendor in the Grass” is by Ara Mekhsian. The poem became popular for a generation because of the namesake  1961 film starring Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood. Vaհe H Apelian

By Laurie Konyalian

 

 

Splendour in the Grass

by William Wordsworth

 

What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now forever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower?

I We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind

In the primal sympathy

Which, having been, must ever be.

In the soothing thoughts that spring

Out of human suffering,

In the faith that looks through death,

In years that bring the philosophic mind.

 

Մարգամիջի պերճանք

ՈՒԻԼԻԸՄ ՈՒՈՐՏՍՈՒՈՐԹ

 

Թէեւ պաղպաջը մերթ գեղաճաճանչ՝

Յաւերժ սրբուեր է աչքերէս հիմա,

Թէեւ երբեւէ ետ չի գար պահը

Մարգամիջի պերճանքին,

Ծաղկամիջեան շքեղանքին՝

Չենք ողբար, այլ կը գտնենք

Կորով մնացածին մէջ․

Վաղնջական կարեկցութեան մէջ,

Որ կայ եւ պէտք է յար մնայ․

Սփոփիչ խոհերու մէջ՝

Մարդու վիշտէն ընձիւղող․

Հաւատքին մէջ՝ մահը թափանցող,

Ուր տարիներ իմաստասէր միտք կ՚երկնեն․․․

Dogs from gods

Vaհe H Apelian

LtoR: Xolos, Haarzelf/Arazel

Recently I came across the attached picture of hairless black dogs, called Xolos.  These dogs are said to be a gift to humans, to guard them in life and guide them in the afterlife. They are considered to be among the oldest domesticated dog breeds. The remains of a such dog was found at an archeological site dating 5,500 years ago.

Xolos dog breed remained me of a mythical ancient dog, which is known in Armenian history as Harazel or Arazel because these dogs remain associated with the legend of the handsomest Armenian king Ara to who the mighty Assyrian queen Shamiram was infatuated. But Ara, remained loyal to his wife, and rebuffed her advances enraging her  to the point of attacking Armenia to capture Ara. But Ara was killed in the ensuing battle, against the wishes of queen Shamiram. Distraught, queen Shamiram had Ara’s body placed on hill so that the godly dogs Harazel/Arazel would lick his mortal wounds and bring him to life.

There are no breeds that are attributed to harazel/arazel. The Armenian Gampr (or Kampr) is also an ancient, dog suited for the Armenian Highlands. These dogs possess thick coats for harsh weather and have strong stamina to withstand the highland. They are said to be fiercely protective and deeply attached to their families. They are recognized as Armenia's national dog, but have no lineage to Aralez.

Aralez godly dogs remain a figment of our imagination but the characters of this ancient story continue to this day. Ara is a pre-Christian name that is popular to this day. In my childhood when I was asked what to name my new born cousin, I opted the name Ara. The eminent poet Roupen Sevag named his younger child and only daughter after the Assyrian queen. Shamiram Sevag passed away in France on October 17, 2016, at the ripe age of 102. 

The hill on which Ara’s body, the legend claims was laid, exists. Over time the Armenians adopted Christianity as their state religion but they did not forget about their handsome pagan king Ara who was loyal to his wife to his political detriment, and built a chapel on that very hilltop where the dogs Haralex/Aaalez from gods were once supposed to descend. They had become Christian but had kept the memory of the happening in pagan times. The village is situated along the shore of Lake Van. The village that sprang around the hill came to be called AraLezk--a compound word made of the king's name Ara and the Armenian verb to lick. The village now has grown into a town and, as is the regrettable Turkish tradition, its Armenian name has been oblitereated. 

One more thing about the legend of Armenia King Ara, his wife queen Nevart, and the Assyrian queen Shamiram. 

Simon Simonian book titled "Ge Khntrvi Khachatsevel",

The late Simon Simonian speculated on King Ara rejecting the Assyrian queen's infatuation if nor her love, in his book titled "Ge Khntrvi Khachatsevel", which literally means, "Please Overlap". In that book, Simon Simonian had luminaries of the Armenian history come on stage to a full capacity filled audience and dwell upon what the course of our history could or would have been, if only their actions were heeded. Simon Simonian had queen Shamiram appear on stage. She stated the following:

"Ara refused my love. I had promised him my kingdom along with my heart. He would have become the king of two countries, the kingdom of Ararat and Assyria because these two countries would have ceased fighting each other to extinction. Handsome Ara rejected both the throne and my heart. Had Ara joined me, the great majority of the oil wells of Mosul, some 95%, would have belonged to the Armenians. With Calouste Gulbenkian's 5%, the Armenians would have owned all. Just for the sake of Nvart khanoum (lady), Ara lost two kingdoms and the oil wells of Mosul"

I leave upon the readers to contemplate as to what could have been the course of our history if King Ara would not have been faithful to his wife queen Nvart to a “fault” or if the Haralez, the dogs from gods, had brought Ara to life and handed him to the Assyrian queen Shamiram.

 

 

Will Arayik Harutyunyan and his associates stay in Artsakh?

A snap shot of Arayik Harutyunyan testifying in Baku prison, Sarkis Mahserejian

 I was reading today about the plight of the Armenian prisoners in Baku and the looming harsh sentences they may get at the conclusion of this sham trial.

I was reminded of the article Sarkis Mahserejian wrote on August 31, 2023, in which he asked, “Will Arayik Harutyunyan and his associates stay in Artsakh, or will they find a way to leave?”.

 My estranged friend posed that question in the brutal partisan article he wrote on August 31, 2023, in which he likened the last-minute change in the Artsakh governance under duress, to a snow ball, hoping that it will roll down to Armenia and take over Nikol Pashinyan led Armenian government. He titled his article, “The snowball that should not melt”

His article was heralded by the diaspora ARF press. “Haierenik” presented it as its primary article.  The publishers of the Aleppo community ARF leaning newsletter “Kanstasar”, found that article to be of interest to its poverty-stricken community and had Sarkis Mahserejian’s article reproduced in  their  newsletter accompanied by the picture depicted below with a smiling Sarkis Mahserejian passport like photo next to a snow ball. 

Much like many other diaspora armchair warriors who spew blinded partisanship in the long established ARF press against the government of Armenia, Sarkis Mahserejian continues his campaign against the government of  Nikol Pashinyan. Surely, Sarkis and the editorial staff members who posted that article, know that Arayik Harutyunyan and his associates did not find a way to leave  Artsakh. Aliev found a way out of Artsakh for them into the Baku prison. 

Arayik Haroutyunyan is languishing in prison in Baku and faces life imprisonment,  Sarkis Mahserejian, the armchair warrior, is at home, in LA and continues to live in his house, he rarely leaves. 

I attached my response to his August 31, 2023.  I wrote it on September 25, 2023, during one of the darkest hours in recent Armenian history, and titled it "The snowball that turned into a fireball".

https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-snowball-that-turned-into-fireball.html

I copied the picture of the snow ball next to Sarkis Mahserejian's smiling passport like picture from the Aleppo "Kantsasar" newsletter and posted in the caption the original article in Armenian. 

https://hairenikweekly.com/?p=57236