Defining Nation and State Հայրենիք եւ Պետութիւն

Vahe H Apelian – Վահէ Յ Աբէլեան

 

Կարելի է Հայերէնով կարդալ սեղմելով ARMENIAN, SELECT LANGUAGES լեզուներու ընտրութեան հարթակին մէջ։

 

I read Vahan Zanoyan’s article in this week’s “Keghart.com”, titled “Defining Nation and State.” He has quoted the following biblical verse:  ““For what will profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Mark 8, 36.

Similar sentiments but without biblical quote were reflected this week by Dikran Jinbashian, in “Horizon” Weekly. 

What Vahan Zanoyan and Dikran Jinbashian wrote reminded me of the patriotic song “Yerevan Erepouni” whose lyrics is written by Baruyr Sevag. I will quote a quadrant from the song in Armenian then resort to the extremely difficult task of translating it.

The actual quote reads:

Մենք արյան կանչեր ունենք մեր սրտում,

Անկատար տենչեր ունենք դեռ շատ:

Մեր կանչն առանց քեզ իզուր կկորչի,

Առանց քեզ մեր տաք տենչն էլ կսառչի:

I do not think there is an English word that truly conveys the meaning of the Armenian word “dench – տենչ»։ Instead of translating it myself, I let Google do the job. Google translated it as follows:

We have calls for blood in our hearts,

We still have many unaccomplished desires.

Our call will be lost without you,

Without you, our hot desire will also cool down.

Now, substitute Yerevan-Erepouni by the State of Armenia and you will pretty much get the idea the arguments Vahan Zanoyan and Dikran Jinbashian are  bringing forth. Much like Yerevan, the arguments they bring is that,the State of Armenia is the depository of our “denches”, our desires per Google translation. And without the State of Armenia, substituting for Yerevan, these very “denches”,  become endangered and will not long endure, so  the nation, forged through centuries,  will not long endure.

Surely, it is easy to have the quadrant as the lyrics of the famous patriotic song and relate to the sentiments expressed therein. The problem is framing that very soul in the charter of the State that will henceforth chart the course of the Republic of Armenia.

 The Armenian Declaration of Independence is not that long. Most of it is mundane. But the very few sentences, especially in the preamble, make the Armenian Declaration of Independence, the subject of the controversy that may tear the nation apart. 

In order to have a meaningful discussion on this important matter, I invite Vahan, Dikran or anyone else, to word their own versions of what the Armenian Declaration of Independence, the famous “Hrchagagir – Հռչակագիր”, Armenia’s charter should be.

We may then have real life meaningful discussion and exchange of views.