The Feast of Holy Translators and the Hyortik

Vaհe H Apelian

Today, Saturday, October 11, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of the Holy Translators, one of the most beloved feasts, which is observed on the second Saturday of October which Archbishop Karekian Hovsepian designated in 1942 as the Armenian Culture month. Armenians throughout the Diaspora are expected to observe the Feast and the month with cultural events both in remembrance of the past, and also in celebration of modern-day academicians, scholars, theologians, writers, teachers and translators.

But disturbing outcries are being heard on the social media. Hagop Havatian, who is the managing director of the Hamazkayin Printing House, Bookstore and Art gallery in Beirut, wrote that the feast has “already been marginalized and undermined, as is the case with other national values”. Levon Sharoyan, who is prominent author and educator of Armenian language and literature in Aleppo, wrote that had he not by chance read about the feast, he would have remained oblivious because the community, unlike in the past, seems mute and indifferent as there are no feasible signs of observing the feast. He wrote, “Has contempt and indifference towards our national values overtaken us, or have we, like the Armenian communities in the West, collectively taken the path of national assimilation...?”

Levon Sharoyan's comment reminded of the Hyortik song by Five Finger Band. It was their signature song that came about mid 1960’s. The message of the song was to the Armenian youth growing in “far” distant land in the West and in Americas, considered to be on the verge of assimilation. The song urged them not to forget the Armenian language, but to speak it. It extolled them not to be assimilated, and in turn, teach the history of the Armenians to their children so that their children would also know “արժէքը հայերուն” (the value of the Armenians). 

The members of the Five Fingers were born and raised in what was a veritable Armenia, the Armenian community of Lebanon. They felt safe and secure there as Armenians. It is the state of the “Armenianness” of their brothers and sisters in those faraway lands that preoccupied and concerned them, and fired their youthful imagination. It is for them they composed their signature song, Hyortik, which means Armenian sons and daughter. Little they visualized that their own, once thriving communities, are facing existential threats, as the outcries indicate 

During the last decades, political and social events beyond the communities control profoundly affected the Armenian communities in the middle east, the cradles of the Armenian Diaspora, when Armenia was experiencing its own constraints as part of the Soviet Union. 

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and Soviet Armenia declaring itself free and independent republic, Diaspora political leadership miserably failed by getting involved in Armenia’s domestic politicization and brought it to Diaspora and ended up fragmenting Diaspora along fissures that the establishment of the third republic was expected to heal an invigorate the communities. Instead, Diaspora political leaders undermining the established Diaspora institutions.

The Armenian Diaspora is at an existential crossroad. It is fitting that we remain reminded of the Hyortic song and ask ourselves the lyrics of the song.

Are we not forgetting our sweet mother tongue?

Are we singing and always talking (Armenian)?

Are we seeing how sweet it is?

We’re few. But are we remaining Armenian?

Are we not forgetting our mother tongue?

Are we endlessly supporting each other?

Are we always holding our nation high?

Are we always high? And are we remaining lofty?

Are we not assimilating? And are we loving each other?

Are we keeping our holy honor high?

As Armenians we live far away (from Armenia)

Are we not forgetting our Armenian history?

Are we telling our children to know