All about the famed song “Cilicia”

Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan’s,  Sunday April 21, 2024, mailing was labeled “Frédéric Bérat, "Ma Normandie”. But I labeled my translation as noted in the title “All about the famed song “Cilicia”,  and attached the original to the translation. Բնագիրը կգուած է։ Vahe H Apelian

 

Frédéric Bérat՝ (1801-1855) was  a contemporary of the previous two writers, Arvers and Lamartine, and is immortalized for his lyrics of one song, Ma Normandie, which under the pen of Mgrditch Beshigtashlian / Mkrtich Peshiktashlian would become "Homeland’s Song" («Երգ հայրենի») and under the pen of Nahabed Rusinian / Nahapet Rusinian, " Cilicia" («Կիլիկիա»).

Frédéric Bérat was one of the sought-after songwriters of his time, almost like today's Aznavour. He wrote his songs, arranged the music and sang them. At the same time, he was a much sought-after comedian who graced the stages of France and brought warmth at his social meetings.

He died of a spinal cord infection, just like Arvers, having been born and lived almost the same years as Arvers’.

"Ma Normandie" survived from his numerous productions. That is how he is remembered, not only in his birthplace, Normandy, but also throughout France as well as elsewhere.

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Ma Normandie

Quand tout renaît à l'espérance,                       When everything  is reborn in hope,

Et que l'hiver fuit loin de nous,                        And winter flees far from us,

Sous le beau ciel de notre France,                     Under the beautiful sky of our France

Quand le soleil revient plus doux,                     When the sun returns gentler,

Quand la nature est reverdie,                           When nature has turned green again,

Quand l'hirondelle est de retour,                      When the swallow has returned,

J'aime à revoir ma Normandie,                         I like to see again my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.                   It’s the country where I was born.

J'ai vu les lacs de l'Helvétie                               I have seen the fields of Helvetia, 

Et ses chalets et ses glaciers,                             And its chalets and its glaciers,

J'ai vu le ciel de l'Italie,                                    I have seen the sky of Italy,

Et Venise et ses gondoliers.                              And Venice and its gondoliers.

En saluant chaque patrie,                                 Greeting each homeland,

Je me disais : «Aucun séjour                              I told myself that no stand

N'est plus beau que ma Normandie,                  Is finer  than my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour».                 It’s the country where I was born.

Il est un âge dans la vie,                                    There comes a time of life,

Où chaque rêve doit finir,                                When every dream must end,

Un âge où l'âme recueillie                                A time when the restful soul

A besoin de se souvenir.                                   Needs to remember,

Lorsque ma muse refroidie                               When my chilled muse

Aura fini  ses chants d'amour,                           Makes its way back to the past,

J'irai revoir ma Normandie,                              I’ll go see again  my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.                   It’s the country where I was born.

 

The English translation is almost literal, nowhere did the translator depart from the original. While a couple of  the "translations" to Armenian are quite far from the original. They may be considered literary works of their own to be called translation. In other words, they are faithful to the original, in general terms.

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Mkrtich Beshiktashlian (Մկրտիչ Պէշիկթաշլեան) - 1828-1868 -,  learned about  'Ma Normandie ' poem when the Mkhitarian order was educating him as one of their students from 1839-1845. The date of his penning the poem is not known. It was published for the first time in "Pazmaveb" in 1850 (number 14), under the title "Homeland's Song" («Երգ հայրենի»). The editors noted the following in a comment «when everything is reborn with hope".

Despite it being one of the best examples of Armenian lyric poetry, "Homelan's Song" is not sufficiently read in Armenian. It is written in a simple and clear style. I have reworded it in current vernacular (see attached), and presented it to the readers along the original as my modest tribute to this gifted poet and patriotic Armenian.

*    *    *

«Երգ հայրենի»,

Մինչդեռ յուսով խայտայ բնութիւն               Մինչ  յոյսով կը խայտայ բնութիւնը

Յետ դառնաշունչ ձմերայնւոյն                      Դառնաշունչ ձմեռէն ետք, 

Եւ ի գաւառն իմ հայրենի                               Եւ դէպի իմ հայրենի գաւառս

Գեղածիծաղ դառնայ գարուն,                       Կը դառնայ գեղածիծաղ գարունը,

Մինչ բոյր ի բոյր փթթին ծաղկունք               Մինչ  բոյր ի բոյր կը փթթին ծաղիկները

Եւ ճռուողեն նորեկ ծիծռունք,−                      Եւ կը ճռուողեն նորեկ  ծիծեռնակները,−

Ի քեզ ես դարձ առնեմ յայնժամ,                    Քեզի կը դառնամ այն ատեն,

Ո՛վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:                      Ո՛վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:

Ո՛չ հելվետեան ինձ դաշտավայրք                Ո՛չ զուիցերիական դաշտավայրերը

Կամ թէ զուարթ մարգագետինք,                   Կամ թէ զուարթ մարգագետինները,

Ո՛չ քան զքեզ չքնաղագեղ                              Ո՛չ ալ քեզմէ աւելի չքնաղագեղ է

Իտալական պայծառ երկինք.                        Իտալական պայծառ երկինքը. 

Հեռի քեզմէ պանդուխտ գոլով՝                      Քեզմէ հեռու պանդուխտ դարձած՝   

Քոյովդ յար տապիմ անձկով,−                      Քու  կարօտովըդ կ’այրիմ յար,−        

Ի խանձարուրդ իմոց կենաց,                        Քեզի՝  կեանքիս խանձարուրիդ, 

Ո՛վ Հայաստան, առնեմ ես դարձ:                 Ո՛վ Հայաստան, ես կը  դառնամ:

Գայցեն աւուրք, ուր մանկութեան                Պիտի գայ այն օրն,  ուր մատղաշ  

Անկցի տիոցս իմ գեղ դալար,                        Հասակիս  դալար գեղը  խամրի,

Եւ յինէն խոյս տացեն վայելք                         Եւ ինձմէ խոյս պիտի տան կեանքի

Կենաց թեթեւ  ի գարշապար,                        Վայելքները ՝ թեթեւ ոտքերով,

Ուր հէգ մուսայս մատն ի յերեր                     Երբ հէգ մուսաս,  երերուն  մատով,

Մոռանայցէ երգել զսէր,−                               Պիտի մոռնայ սէրը երգել,−

Զնինջ ի ծոցդ առնում յայնժամ,                     Այն ատեն   ծոցիդ մէջ պիտի ննջեմ, 

Ո՛վ  ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:                     Ո՜վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:

***

Nahabed Rusinian  (Նահապետ Ռուսինեան) - 1819-1876 - came across Ma Normandie in 1850s, when he was a medical student in Paris, and was very enthused about the 1848 French Revolution. However, his translation under the title "Cilicia" took place due to  other circumstances.

In 1858-59, another series of bloody Christian-Islamic clashes flared up in Lebanon and Syria with an unprecedented ferocity. It first flared up on Mount Lebanonn, between Maronites and Druze, then in Damascus, between Christians and Muslim and Druze combined forces. In view of the growing losses of the Christians, Napoleon III had the  French fleet anchored off the coast of Lebanon and demanded the Sultan intervene in Mount Lebanon and grant the Christians an autonous rule.  

The Sultan complied with all the demands of the  emperor and appointed an Armenian governor by the name Daoud Pasha (1861-68). The sultan also sent a medical team to treat the wounded. Nahabed Rusinian was among them. The team left Constantinople, crossed Aleppo, entered Syria, arrived to Damascus and reached Mount Lebanon. Nahabed Rusinian probably seperated from the group and went to Cyprus and from there to Cilicia.

It is under the impression of his medical mission and experiences that Rusinian wrote this poem in 1860 and titled it «Cilicia». The second stanza of the lyrics is a faithful to the original, while the rest is elaboration by the author. In the same year or the following, Gabriel Yeranian (1827-1862),  who died prematurely,  composed the music of the well known song «Ciliicia».        

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Կիլիկիա

 

 1. Երբոր բացուին դռներն յուսոյ                         2. Տեսի դաշտերն Սուրիոյ,

Եւ մեր երկրէն փախ տայ ձմեռ,                            Լեառն Լիբանան եւ իւր մայրեր¹, 

Չքնաղ երկիրն մեր Արմէնիոյ,                              Տեսի զերկիրն Իտալիոյ,

Երբ փայլէ իւր քաղցրիկ օրեր.                              Վենետիկ եւ իւր կոնտոլներ.

Երբոր ծիծառն ի բոյն դառնայ,                              Կղզու նման չիք մեր Կիպրեայ, 

Երբոր ծառերն հագնին տերեւ,—                         Եւ ոչ մէկ վայր է արդարեւ 

Ցանկամ տեսնել զիմ Կիլիկիա,                            Գեղեցիկ, քան զիմ Կիլիկիա,—

Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:                              Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:  

 

3. Հասակ  մը²     կայ մեր կենաց մէջ,                  Յորժամ քնարն իմ ցրտանայ՝

Ուր ամենայն իղձ կ’աւարտի.                               Սիրոյն տալով վերջին բարեւ,— 

Հասակ մը, ուր հոգին ի տենչ `                             Երթամ ննջել յիմ Կիլիկիա³,

Յիշատակաց իւր կարօտի.                                    Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:

            

1. Մայրիները          2. Տարիք մը     3. Կիլիկիոյ մէջ (ներգոյական հոլով)

Unofficial hymn of the Catholicosate of Antelias

(I quote from my blog dated April 14, 2020)

I became reflective as to when the song - Cilicia - became a trademark of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, if not its accepted hymn?

I inquired with Der Torkom Chorbajian, who is the priest of the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Worcester, MA and with my friend Sarkis Mahserejian who, for many years, was the secretary at the West Coast  Prelacy. Upon confirmation with the Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Sarkis as well as Der Torkom claimed that the tradition of singing the song Giligia / Cilicia, at the end of the mass in the Cathedral of St. Gregory Illuminator in Antelias - began with Catholicos Zareh I Payasilian, of blessed memory  (1956-1963) who loved the song.

Since then singing Cilicia-Giligia, has become a trademark of sorts or an unofficial hymn of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias whose seat for centuries was in Sis, in the historic Armenian Cilicia.

The hymn sung by the talented Stepan Frounjian in Racine, WI.

Բնագիրը՝

Frédéric Bérat՝    Ma Normandie

         Պերա ժամանակակից է (1801—1855) նախորդ երկուքին՝ Առվերին եւ Լամարթինին, եւ իր կարգին անմահացած է իր մէ՛կ երգովը՝  Ma Normandie-ով, որ Մկրտիչ Պեշիկթաշլեանի գրիչին տակ պիտի դառնար «Երգ հայրենի», իսկ Նահապետ Ռուսինեանի գրիչին տակ՝ «Կիլիկիա»:

            Պերա եղած է իր ժամանակի  փնտռուած երգահաններէն, մօտաւորապէս  մերօրեայ Ազնաւուրը. ան կը գրէր իր երգերը, կը յօրինէր երաժշտութիւնն ու կ’երգէր զանոնք: Այս բոլորին հետ միաժամանակ եղած է շատ փնտռուած զուարթաբան մը, որ զարդարած է Ֆրանսայի բեմերը եւ  ջերմութիւն բերած է անոր ընկերական հանդիպումներուն:

            Մեռած է ողնածուծային վարակէ մը՝ ճիշդ Առվերին պէս, մօտաւորապէս անոր հետ ալ ծնած ու ապրած ըլլալով  նո՛յն տարիներուն:

            Անոր բազմաթիւ արտադրութիւններէն  ապրեցաւ   Ma Normandie-ն: Ասով է որ կը յիշուի ան՝ ի մասնաւորի ծննդավայրին՝ Նորմանտիի, բայց նաեւ ամբողջ Ֆրանսայի մէջ: Ինչու չէ նաեւ անկէ դուրս:

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Quand tout renaît à l'espérance,                       When everything  is reborn in hope,

Et que l'hiver fuit loin de nous,                        And winter flees far from us,

Sous le beau ciel de notre France,                     Under the beautiful sky of our France

Quand le soleil revient plus doux,                     When the sun returns gentler,

Quand la nature est reverdie,                           When nature has turned green again,

Quand l'hirondelle est de retour,                      When the swallow has returned,

J'aime à revoir ma Normandie,                         I like to see again my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.                   It’s the country where I was born.

J'ai vu les lacs de l'Helvétie                               I have seen the fields of Helvetia, 

Et ses chalets et ses glaciers,                             And its chalets and its glaciers,

J'ai vu le ciel de l'Italie,                                    I have seen the sky of Italy,

Et Venise et ses gondoliers.                              And Venice and its gondoliers.

En saluant chaque patrie,                                 Greeting each homeland,

Je me disais : «Aucun séjour                              I told myself that no stand

N'est plus beau que ma Normandie,                  Is finer  than my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour».                 It’s the country where I was born.

Il est un âge dans la vie,                                    There comes a time of life,

Où chaque rêve doit finir,                                When every dream must end,

Un âge où l'âme recueillie                                A time when the restful soul

A besoin de se souvenir.                                   Needs to remember,

Lorsque ma muse refroidie                               When my chilled muse

Aura fini  ses chants d'amour,                           Makes its way back to the past,

J'irai revoir ma Normandie,                              I’ll go see again  my Normandy,

C'est le pays qui m'a donné le jour.                   It’s the country where I was born.

Անգլերէն թարգմանութիւնը գրեթէ բառացի է. ոչ մէկ տեղ թարգմանիչը հեռացած է բնագիրէն: Մինչ հայերէն զոյգ «թարգմանութիւնները» բաւական հեռու են բնագիրէն. անոնք թարգմանութենէ անդին անցած՝ ազատ ստեղծագործութիւն են. այլ խօսքով՝ ընդհանուր գիծերու մէջ միայն հաւատարիմ են բնագիրին:

                                                      *    *    *

Պեշիկթաշլեան (1828—1868)՝ Մխիթարեաննե-րուն սան եղած  միջոցին՝ 1839—1845, ճանչցած էր Ma Normandie-ն.  յօրինման  թուականը ծանօթ չէ: Առաջին անգամ  լոյս տեսաւ «Բազմավէպ»-ի մէջ 1850-ին (թիւ 14)՝ «Երգ հայրենի» խորագրով. խմբագրութիւնը իր կողմէ աւելցուցած էր  «հետեւողութեամբ “Quand tout renaît à l’espérance”-ի» մակագրութիւնը:

            Հայ քնարերգութեան լաւագոյն նմուշներէն ըլլա-լով հանդերձ՝ «Երգ հայրենի»-ն բաւականաչափ չէ ընթերցուած  լեզուական պատ-ճառով. գրուած է պարզ ու վճիտ  գրաբարով. կու տամ բառացի թարգմանութեամբ:

            Ահա, ուրեմն,  առիթ մը՝ մեր յարգանքի մէկ համեստ տուրքը մատուցելու  այս շնորհալի  բանաստեղծին եւ բիւրեղատիպ  հայուն:

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Մինչդեռ յուսով խայտայ բնութիւն               Մինչ  յոյսով կը խայտայ բնութիւնը

Յետ դառնաշունչ ձմերայնւոյն                      Դառնաշունչ ձմեռէն ետք, 

Եւ ի գաւառն իմ հայրենի                               Եւ դէպի իմ հայրենի գաւառս

Գեղածիծաղ դառնայ գարուն,                       Կը դառնայ գեղածիծաղ գարունը,

Մինչ բոյր ի բոյր փթթին ծաղկունք               Մինչ  բոյր ի բոյր կը փթթին ծաղիկները

Եւ ճռուողեն նորեկ ծիծռունք,−                      Եւ կը ճռուողեն նորեկ  ծիծեռնակները,−

Ի քեզ ես դարձ առնեմ յայնժամ,                    Քեզի կը դառնամ այն ատեն,

Ո՛վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:                      Ո՛վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:

Ո՛չ հելվետեան ինձ դաշտավայրք                Ո՛չ զուիցերիական դաշտավայրերը

Կամ թէ զուարթ մարգագետինք,                   Կամ թէ զուարթ մարգագետինները,

Ո՛չ քան զքեզ չքնաղագեղ                              Ո՛չ ալ քեզմէ աւելի չքնաղագեղ է

Իտալական պայծառ երկինք.                        Իտալական պայծառ երկինքը. 

Հեռի քեզմէ պանդուխտ գոլով՝                      Քեզմէ հեռու պանդուխտ դարձած՝   

Քոյովդ յար տապիմ անձկով,−                      Քու  կարօտովըդ կ’այրիմ յար,−        

Ի խանձարուրդ իմոց կենաց,                        Քեզի՝  կեանքիս խանձարուրիդ, 

Ո՛վ Հայաստան, առնեմ ես դարձ:                 Ո՛վ Հայաստան, ես կը  դառնամ:

Գայցեն աւուրք, ուր մանկութեան                Պիտի գայ այն օրն,  ուր մատղաշ  

Անկցի տիոցս իմ գեղ դալար,                        Հասակիս  դալար գեղը  խամրի,

Եւ յինէն խոյս տացեն վայելք                         Եւ ինձմէ խոյս պիտի տան կեանքի

Կենաց թեթեւ  ի գարշապար,                        Վայելքները ՝ թեթեւ ոտքերով,

Ուր հէգ մուսայս մատն ի յերեր                     Երբ հէգ մուսաս,  երերուն  մատով,

Մոռանայցէ երգել զսէր,−                               Պիտի մոռնայ սէրը երգել,−

Զնինջ ի ծոցդ առնում յայնժամ,                     Այն ատեն   ծոցիդ մէջ պիտի ննջեմ, 

Ո՛վ  ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:                     Ո՜վ ցանկալիդ իմ Հայաստան:

            Նահապետ Ռուսինեան (1819—1876) ինք  Ma Normandie-ն ճանչցած է 1850-ականներուն, երբ բժշկութեան ուսանող էր Փարիզ եւ մեծապէս խանդավառ 1848-ի 

Ֆրանսական յեղափոխութեամբ: Սակայն անոր մշակումը՝ «Կիլիկիա» խորագիրով, տեղի ունեցաւ ուրիշ հանգամանքներու բերումով:

             1858—59 տարիներուն Լիբանանի մէջ աննախընթաց թափով մը  վերաբռնկեցան քրիստոնեայ-իսլամ արիւնալի հերթական  բախումները. նախ՝ Լեռնալիբանանի մէջ՝ մարոնիներու եւ տիւրզիներու միջեւ, ապա  Դամասկոսի մէջ՝ քրիստոնեաներու  եւ իսլամ-տիւրզի միացեալ ուժերու միջեւ: Քրիստոնեաներու ահագնացող կորուստներուն ի տես՝  Նափոլէոն Գ.  նաւատորմիղը խարսխեց Լիբանանի ափերուն եւ պահանջեց սուլթանի միջամտութիւնն ու Լեռնալիբանանի ինքնավարութիւնը՝ քրիստոնեայ կառավարիչով մը:

            Սուլթանը  կայսեր բոլոր պահանջներուն ենթարկուեցաւ:

            Նշանակեց հայ կառավարիչ մը՝ Տաուտ փաշան՝ 1861—68:

            Ան  շրջան ղրկեց նաեւ  բժշկական սեղմ խմբակ մը, որ իր օգնութիւնը պիտի  բերէր տուժածներուն. Ռուսինեան մաս կը կազմէր այդ խմբակին:

            Անոնք Պոլիսէն ելլելով  եւ Հալէպի վրայով մտան Սուրիա՝ հասնելով մինչեւ Դամասկոս, ասկէ անցան Լիբանան. ուրկէ անդին Ռուսինեան, հաւանաբար  խումբէն բաժնուելով,  հանգրուանեց  Կիպրոս եւ անկէ անցաւ  Կիլիկիա...

            Անոր երգին բ. տունը  հաւատարիմ արձանագրութիւնն է այս ուղեծիրին,  որուն վրայ աւելցած են եւրոպական  ծանօթութիւնները: Ահա այս  առաքելութեան   խոր ու անմիջական  տպաւորութեան տակ ալ գրուած է «Կիլիկիա»-ն՝ 1860-ին:  

            Նոյն կամ յաջորդ տարին իսկ պէտք է յօրինուած ըլլայ անոր շատ  ծանօթ երաժշտութիւնը՝ վաղամեռիկ երգահան Գաբրիէլ Երանեանի կողմէ (1827—1862):

*   *   *

 1. Երբոր բացուին դռներն յուսոյ                         2. Տեսի դաշտերն Սուրիոյ,

Եւ մեր երկրէն փախ տայ ձմեռ,                            Լեառն Լիբանան եւ իւր մայրեր¹, 

Չքնաղ երկիրն մեր Արմէնիոյ,                              Տեսի զերկիրն Իտալիոյ,

Երբ փայլէ իւր քաղցրիկ օրեր.                              Վենետիկ եւ իւր կոնտոլներ.

Երբոր ծիծառն ի բոյն դառնայ,                              Կղզու նման չիք մեր Կիպրեայ, 

Երբոր ծառերն հագնին տերեւ,—                         Եւ ոչ մէկ վայր է արդարեւ 

Ցանկամ տեսնել զիմ Կիլիկիա,                            Գեղեցիկ, քան զիմ Կիլիկիա,—

Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:                              Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:  

 

3. Հասակ  մը²     կայ մեր կենաց մէջ,                  Յորժամ քնարն իմ ցրտանայ՝

Ուր ամենայն իղձ կ’աւարտի.                               Սիրոյն տալով վերջին բարեւ,— 

Հասակ մը, ուր հոգին ի տենչ `                             Երթամ ննջել յիմ Կիլիկիա³,

Յիշատակաց իւր կարօտի.                                    Աշխարհ, որ ինձ ետուր արեւ:      

armenag@gmail.com                                                                Արմենակ Եղիայեան

1. Մայրիները          2. Տարիք մը     3. Կիլիկիոյ մէջ (ներգոյական հոլով)

  

It's high time we abandon that ambiguous, trivialized legal term genocide.

 Vahe H Apelian

April 24, the Armenian Genocide commemoration day, is a few days away. It is high time that we abandon, the trivialized, ambiguous legal term genocide that is structured to legally hold a party responsible for INTENDING to commit just that, genocide. Instead, we should have the world adopt our own term the survivors coined, MEDS YEGHERN, for what happened to the Armenian race in that time frame.  

In a few days, on April 24, 2024, president Joe Biden, will issue a proclamation or a statement and that will say, more or less, what he said on April 24, 2021, that, “Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era ARMENIAN GENOCIDE and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring. Beginning on April 24, 1915, with the arrest of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople by Ottoman authorities, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in a campaign of extermination. We honor the victims of the MEDS YEGHERN so that the horrors of what happened are never lost to history. And we remember so that we remain ever-vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms.” (capitalization is mine).

Joe Biden is not the first president to use the G word. President Reagan, had used the word genocide before. But president Joe Biden’s use of the G word had altogether different contextual meaning. He also was not the first to use our term, Meds Yeghern. It was president George W. Bush who used it first. President Joe Biden was the first president who used Armenian Genocide and Meds Yeghern in the same context. He did the same last year, during his April 24, 2023 Armenian Remembrance Day.

Raffi K. Hovannisian, the American born and raised Armenia's first foreign minister, summed what happened in that period as follows: “ (It was) the premeditated deprivation of a people of its ancestral heartland.  And that's precisely what happened. In what amounted to the GREAT ARMENIAN DISPOSSESSION, a nation living for more than three millennia upon its historic patrimony-- at times amid its own sovereign Kingdoms and more frequently as a subject of occupying empires-- was in a matter of months brutally, literally, and completely eradicated from its land.  Unprecedented in human history, this expropriation of homes and lands, churches and monasteries, schools and colleges, libraries and hospitals, properties and infrastructures constitute to this day a murder, not only of a people but also of a civilization, a culture, and a time-earned way of life." This is where the debate about calling it genocide or not becomes absurd, trivial, and tertiary".

It is high time that we disassociated the Armenian experience from the narrow definition of genocide, which is defined as “a crime committed with the INTENT TO DESTROY a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, IN WHOLE OR IN PART.”  Tell me, which warring party can be absolved from not intending to destroy the national, racial, or religious group it is fighting, if not in whole, but in part? Do not Russians intend to wipe out of Ukrainians, if not in whole but in part? Did not the Azeris intend to wipe Karabakh Armenians if not in whole but in part? Does not China intent to wipe our Tibetans in part if not in whole? 

Let us face it, the term genocide has lost the significance we Armenians attribute to the word. Norms have changed, words have evolved. The term Raphael Lampkin coined has lost its significance we Armenians attribute to the G word. It would not surprise me if he were alive, he would have realized the legal and moral dimension of the legal term he coined has been trivialized.  We all know that the suffix -cide -comes from Latin and it means to kill or cut down. The sad thing is that we cannot not accuse someone of infanticide, fratricide, matricide without having committed the act. But we can accuse almost any nation in conflict for committing genocide. Does not Israel intend to  wipe the Palestinians in part or in whole?

It is time that we introduce the term MEDS YEGHERN (THE GREAT CRIME) in the English lexicon to uniquely define and term the Armenian experience, as Jews have succeeded in doing the same with the word Holocaust in capital letter. 

The U.S. presidents have already familiarized the term Meds Yeghern to the world. Inadvertently they have paved the road for us. All we have to do is introduce the term in the language and with time educate the world and also change our mindset.  American English is a very inclusive language. It has accepted Kwanzaa among many others, as bona fide American term. Any American who claims does not know what Kwanzaa means, parlays ignorance or insensately if not outright racial indifference if not bias.

I firmly believe that what happened to us in the 1915-time frame cannot be defined by U.N.’s narrow definition of genocide any longer. Genocide perception has radically changed. The term has been gutted. It has been disemboweled.

What happened to us was indeed the GREAT ARMENIAN DISPOSSESSION, of lives, property, honor, and “time-earned way of life”. 

What happened to us was a crime that is unprecedented in scope and magnitude and has no parallel. 

What happened to us was MEDS YEGHERN, the GREAT CRIME of humanity. And yes, it was the GREAT DISPOSSESSION of peaceful Armenians of their lives, of  their properties, and of  their civilization, their culture, and their time-earned way of life.

Arayik Khantoyan - Արայիկ Խանդոյան

  I read that today, April 19, is the birthday of Arayik Khandoyan. He remains etched in my memory wearing iconic Che Guevara cap. I am also reminded of his and his four brothers’ soft spoken mother. All her children served armed forces except one because he was handicapped, Attached is the Google translation of the Arayik Khantoyan Wikipedia post that awaits translation into English. Բնագիրը ՝ https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%B1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB%D5%AF_%D4%BD%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%A4%D5%B8%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6

ARAYIK KHANTOYAN

Arayik Yezniki (Hendo) Khandoyan (nickname: Lone Wolf) (April 19, 1971, Verin Sasunik, Armenia - October 9, 2018, Gyumri, Armenia), freedom fighter who participated in the First Artsakh War, major of the reserve forces of the RA Armed Forces, public and political figure, Member of "Constituent Parliament" organization and "Sasna Tsrer" group [1].

EARLY LIFE

Arayik Khandoyan was born in 1971. on April 19, in the village of Tsaghkahovit, Aragatsotn region, in the family of Hendo (passport name: Yeznik) and Rima Khandoyan.

MILITARY ACTIVITY

Arayik Khandoyan's military career began in 1988, when he, being still 17 years old, was procuring weapons and ammunition from the nearby Soviet military base in the village of Tsaghkahovit in order to provide them to the Armenian volunteer squads.

In 1989, he was conscripted into the armed forces of the USSR, but in 1990, he did not return to the place of service.

The reason for desertion from the Soviet army was the escalation of the Artsakh war. In the same year, Arayik Khandoyan went to Artsakh and joined the volunteer self-defense movement, where he got the nickname "Lone Wolf". Three of his brothers, Ararat, Arthur and Hunan, also participated in the Artsakh war. Armen Khandoyan could not participate in the war due to health problems.

Hunan Khandoyan died during the war.

In 1994 After the ceasefire, Arayik Khandoyan and his brothers Ararat and Arthur continued their service in the RA Armed Forces.

FAMILY

Arayik Khandoyan's family is large. Parents are Hendo and Rima Khandoyan. He had 4 brothers (Armen, Ararat, Arthur, Hunan), three of whom participated in the Artsakh movement and the Artsakh war together with him. Due to illness, the middle brother, Armen, could not participate in the war. Arayik Khandoyan has 5 children.

Mother of Armen, Ararat, Arthur, Hunan, Arayik Khantoyan

POLITICAL ACTIVITY

In order to overcome the serious socio-economic, demographic and political problems prevailing in Armenia and Artsakh, and to preserve the integrity of the Republic of Artsakh, he made many political appeals. He then joined the movement founded by the commander of Shushi's special battalion, who participated in the Artsakh war, Jirayr Sefilyan. He is a member of the Constituent Parliament organization. He gave speeches at rallies, participated in political marches, made appeals through press conferences.

Arayik Khandoyan had been persecuted many times, including arrest, for his political activism.

100TH ANNIVERSARY WITHOUT THE REGIME 

Note: see main article: 100th anniversary without the regime.

Note: see main article: Berdzoryan incident (2015)

On January 31, 2015, Arayik Khandoyan, along with about 150 members of the "100th anniversary without the regime" initiative and their family members, were attacked and brutally assaulted by the police of the Republic of Artsakh masked special forces and people in civilian clothes in the Berdzor section of the Goris-Stepanakert highway and were beaten[2][3][4]. The representatives of the government who committed this crime remained unpunished until today.

STORMING THE YEREVAN POLICE STATION

Note: see the main article: Armed uprising in Yerevan (2016)

Arayik Khandoyan participated in the 2016 "Sasna Tsrer" group in the July 17 armed attack on the police regiment of Erebuni administrative district [1].

On July 31, 2016 when the group in the police station surrendered to the law enforcement officers, Arayik Khandoyan was arrested along with other members of the group. He, like the rest of the group, was charged with Article 218, Part 3, Clause 1 (hostage taking) and Article 235, Part 3 (acquiring, selling, storing, transporting illegal weapons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.[5] .

DETENTION

Arayik Khandoyan was arrested  on July 31, 2016, after the surrender of the Sasna Tsrer group to the authorities[6]. He spent nearly two years in prison, he was regularly tortured. The June 28, 2017 incident was the extensively covered by the media, when 10-15 police officers brutally beat him in the basement of the Avan and Nor Nork court[7][8][9]. Khandoyan's defenders interpreted it as retaliation against him by order of the authorities.

Arayik Khandoyan's restraining order was changed on August 17, 2018, 3 months after the Velvet Revolution, and he was released.[10]

AWARDS

On March 11, 2015, Arayik Khandoyan, as a statement against the Armenian and Artsakh authorities, renounced his combat medals: Artsakh and RA "Valor" medals, "Combat Service" award, "Soldier Andranik", "Marshal Baghramyan" awards and others.[11][12].

But in 2018 after the popular revolution, all awards were returned.

DEATH

Araik Khandoyan died on October 9, 2018 from a heart attack[13].

FUNERAL

Arayik Khandoyan's funeral took place on October 14, in Yerablur pantheon [14]. The funeral was attended by Arayik Khandoyan's comrades-in-arms, party leaders, cultural and political figures. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also sent his condolences to the relatives of Arayik Khandoyan.

When the Wednesday’s mailing was not in the inbox

Vahe H Apelian

The Wednesday’s mailing is Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan emailing his friends and followers his customary email on Wednesdays he titles them:  «Ի պէտս զարգացելոց մանկանցն Թորգոմայ» that may be translated as “in order to educate the children of Torkomah.” Wikipedia notes the following regarding the name Torkom. “Torkom is an Armenian given name. Togarmah is ancestor of the peoples of the South Caucasus and father of Hayk, the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation.”

Armenag’s Wednesday emailing has to do with the Western Armenian language and is accompanied by a quiz.  The last email I received – no. 167 – was on April 10, 2024 and the accompanying quiz was no. 165.  On and off, I take the quiz and look forward for his grading in his follow up email the Wednesday after. He simply lists the number of correct answers each participant had and then posts his answer. But yesterday, I did not receive his email. I recall the following incident when it comes to the regularity by which he emails. At one time there was no email from him on a Wednesday. I got concerned. He was my teacher in Sourp Nshan Armenian school when he was studying dentistry at the University of St. Joseph, a French university.  Before calling a mutual friend to find out, I had the presence of mind to check my spam folder. There it was. For some reason Yahoo had categorized that week’s email as a spam and had it forwarded there. There have been times that having received his email I have said to myself it must be Wednesday or Sunday. Because he also emails regularly on Sundays but his Sunday emails are not instructional but it's about Armenian literature or an article or a story he wrote. He is a superb story teller. 

Apparently it is not only I who has become accustomed to the clock wise regularity of his emails. Yesterday, my friend Ara Mekhsian from Racine, WI, messaged me asking me if I received my Wednesday mailing from Armenag Yeghiayan, because he has not received his. I told him that I too did not receive the expected Wednesday mailing, the number 168 and its accompanying quiz no. 166.

My mother was a teacher for over fifty years. She has said the following about young students. I quote. “He is the greatest judge (մեծագոյն դատաւորն է ան), he makes up his mind quickly (շուտ կը ճանչնայ), renders his judgement fast (արագ կը վճռէ). It was in 1962 and we were in the last year of our middle school in Soupr Nshan, when we had him as our math teacher. It did not take as long for us to know him as firm, resolute and determined. But I do not mean to imply unfriendly.

Decades passed and each one of us went his way.  But I would hear about him and read his articles and comments. He became a dentist and married a student of his who was a year younger than us. But we knew of his affection to her.  He raised his family and surprisingly became an authority of the Western Armenian language. A few years ago, I contacted him by email. He remembered me and my mother well, as she thought in the same school at the time.  He does not have a Facebook account Our contact is through email. We speak sporadically.  

In his Wednesday mailing he does not shy to single out Armenian reporters, editors and fault them for their wrong usage of the Armenian. At times he likens them to students who fail to learn and end up making the same mistakes over and over again. He admitted that he is a more demanding from the staff of the Aztag daily. He attributed it to the ties he has with the daily which he considers dearer to his heart. At times his comments seem to ruffle feathers and I read covert comments to a “certain dentist"  who is relentless in finding faults!

I can visualize some feeling that way. He can come across as abrupt. But that is the way he was as a teacher, firm, resolute, determined. It does not surprise me those very attributes were reasons that enabled him to establish himself as an authority of Western Armenian language. It would have taken a single-minded determination, devotion to become an undisputed authority of the Western Armenian language. After all, how many dentists, medical doctors, pharmacists, engineers or what not, have established themselves also as  authoritative linguists.

He is generous in sharing his expertise. I quote the following from my blog dated August 29, 1922 ( see below). 

“A few days ago, the director of the Gulbenkian Foundation Armenian Department Dr. Razmig Panossian, who is a staunch supporter for the preservation of the Western Armenian language, which UNESCO a few years ago classified as an endangered language, happily announced that Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan’s “A Manual for Western Armenian: An Orthographic, Orthoepic and Stylistic Guide” is now available on Nayiri.com.   

Dr. Panossian further noted that: “This extensive and detailed guidebook for the Western Armenian language, with its unique approach and format, closes a big gap that has existed in the Western Armenian-speaking world for many years.” The manual, which is 860 pages long, provides an electronic tool for the proper or correct usage of the western Armenian language. He also noted that the manual “is the result of Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan’s dedicated work throughout his entire adult life.” Indeed, I imagine that the manual or the guide, is the culmination of Armenag Yeghiayan’s life-long quest for the mastery of the Western Armenian language, of which he is acknowledged as an undisputed authority. He has graciously donated his literary opus, be it a manual or a guide, and made it available for public’s use. A magnanimous gesture, indeed.” (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2022/08/armenag-yeghiayans-opus-magnanimous.html )

 

Well, done teacher! Keep on, it’s Wednesday!