Iranian linguistic loans – Հայերէնի իրանական փոխառութիւնները

Last Saturday, June 30, 2024, Armenag Yehgiayan shared with his readers the eight installments of his weekly readings. Its title was “Armenian linguistic borrowing from the Iranians. The newly elected Iranian president’s last name Pezeshkian, has aroused interest in the Armenian social media. His last name rhymes to the Armenian word - բժիշկ - medical doctor and he is a cardiac surgeon. I translated a segment of Armenag Yeghiayan’s article and posted below. The original text is also attached. Vahe H Apelian

 

«Armenian-Iranian relations have a very deep historical past. We find the first tangible evidence of this relationship in the works of er Xenophon, according to which Armenia lost its independence in the 6th century and was one of the dominions of  Persia. Behistun Inscription tells the story of the victory of the Persian king Darius I (the Great, r. 522-486 BCE) over his rebellious satraps, including Armenians. In the same inscription, one of the ancient names of Armenia, Armina, can be found to this day.

 

  Subsequently, the history of these two peoples would be intertwined with a thousand and one threads that survive to these days.

  Such a quality of relations could not remain linguistically indifferent. its first consequence would be word borrowings. From this point of view, the Arshakunis deserves a special mention.

  The first Arshakuni was Drtad I, whose elder brother, Vagharsh, was sitting on the Persian throne, succeeded to the Armenian throne in 52 AD. Subsequently, the Arshakunis held the Armenian throne until the year 428, when they had lost their language a long time ago and were completely Armenian. let's remember Arshakuni kings: Tiran, Khosrov, Arshak II., Bab, Vramshapuh and others. The clergy was added to the secular power. From Catholicos Grigor Lusavorich (301) to Catholicos Sahak Bartev (440), all were Arshakunis and all of them were Armenianized and sat on the throne of the Armenian Church.

  This huge group of Armenian Parthians would have a deep blood and linguistic influence on Armenians and the native language of Armenians, especially on words.

  According to Hrachia Acharyan - Hrachia Acharian, Armenian: Հրաչեայ Աճառեան, reformed spelling: Հրաչյա Աճառյան was an Armenian linguist, lexicographer, etymologist, and philologist -  there are 1,400 such roots words. They are characterized by the fact that they are oral borrowings. Almost all of them are essentially viable words of folk speech, which make up the feature of our everyday speech.

  Let's get to know some of them to get an idea of their capacity on our language. 

Dr. Armenian Yeghiayan then list a whole list of different categories whose words have been borrowed from the Iranian and are now part and parcel of the Armenian language and everyday conversation.

Iranian linguistic loans – Հայերէնի իրանական փոխառութիւնները

Last Saturday, June 30, 2024, Armenag Yehgiayan shared with his readers the eight installments of his weekly readings. Its title was “Armenian linguistic borrowing from the Iranians. The newly elected Iranian president’s last name Pezeshkian, has aroused interest in the Armenian social media. His last name rhymes to the Armenian word - բժիշկ - medical doctor and he is a cardiac surgeon. I translated a segment of Armenag Yeghiayan’s article and posted below. The original text is also attached.

 

«Armenian-Iranian relations have a very deep historical past. We find the first tangible evidence of this relationship in the works of er Xenophon, according to which Armenia lost its independence in the 6th century and was one of the dominions of  Persia. Behistun Inscription tells the story of the victory of the Persian king Darius I (the Great, r. 522-486 BCE) over his rebellious satraps, including Armenians. In the same inscription, one of the ancient names of Armenia, Armina, can be found to this day.

  Subsequently, the history of these two peoples would be intertwined with a thousand and one threads that survive to these days.

  Such a quality of relations could not remain linguistically indifferent. its first consequence would be word borrowings. From this point of view, the Arshakunis deserves a special mention.

  The first Arshakuni was Drtad I, whose elder brother, Vagharsh, was sitting on the Persian throne, succeeded to the Armenian throne in 52 AD. Subsequently, the Arshakunis held the Armenian throne until the year 428, when they had lost their language a long time ago and were completely Armenian. let's remember  Arshakuni kings: Tiran, Khosrov, Arshak II., Bab, Vramshapuh and others. The clergy was added to the secular power. From Catholicos Grigor Lusavorich (301) to Catholicos Sahak Bartev (440), all were Arshakunis and all of them were Armenianized and sat on the throne of the Armenian Church. (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-arshakunis-dynastic-family-1.html)

  This huge group of Armenian Parthians would have a deep blood and linguistic influence on Armenians and the native language of Armenians, especially on words.

  According to Hrachia Acharyan - Hrachia Acharian, Armenian: Հրաչեայ Աճառեան, reformed spelling: Հրաչյա Աճառյան was an Armenian linguist,lexicographer, etymologist, and philologist -  there are 1,400 such roots words. They are characterized by the fact that they are  oral borrowings. Almost all of them are essentially viable words of folk speech, which make up the feature of our everyday speech.

   Let's get to know some of them to get an idea of ​​their capacity on our language. 

Dr. Armenian Yeghiayan then list a whole list of different categories whose words  have been borrowed from the Iranian and are now part and parcel of the Armenian language and everyday conversation."

Behistun Inscription

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 Ընթերցումներս (8)

Հայերէնի իրանական փոխառութիւնները

         Պատմական

         Հայ-իրանական յարաբերութիւնները պատմական շատ խոր անցեալ ունին:  Այս յարաբերութեանց ակնարկող առաջին շօշափելի վկայութիւնը  կը գտնենք յոյն զօրավար-պատմիչ Քսենոփոնի «Նահանջ բիւրուն»-ի մէջ.  ըստ որուն՝ Հայաստան 6–րդ դարուն   անկախութիւնը կորսնցուցած՝  պարսկական  իշխանութեան սատրապութիւններէն[1] մէկն էր՝ 13-րդը:  Պարսից Դարեհ Ա. արքան իր     ← Բեհիսթունի արձանագրութեան մէջ  կը վկայէ հետեւեալը, թէ «Քա. 521–520 թթ. իր բանակը ծանր պայքար է մղած հայ ապս-տամբներու դէմ և յաջողած ճնշել հայերը»: Այս նոյն արձանագրութ-եան մէջ կը գտնուի մինչեւ այսօր  Հայաստանի հնագոյն  անուանում-ներէն մէկը՝ Արմինի:

         Եւ այնուհետեւ այս երկու ժողովուրդներուն պատմութիւնը պիտի շաղկա-պուած մնար հազար ու մէկ թելերով, որոնք կը գոյատեւեն մինչեւ մեր օրերը: 

         Յարաբերութեանց նման որակ մը չէր կրնար լեզուականօրէն  անտարբեր մնալ. անոր առաջին  հետեւանքը պիտի ըլլար բառային փոխառութիւնները:

         Այս տեսակէտէ յատուկ յիշատակութեան արժանի է Արշակունիներու  հարստութիւնը:

         Արշակունի առաջին թագաւորը եղաւ Տրդատ Ա., որ Քե. 52-ին հայոց գահին բազմեցաւ ջանքերովը իր աւագ եղբօր՝ Վաղարշին, որ իր կարգին նստած էր Պարսկական գահին վրայ:

         Եւ այնուհետեւ Արշակունիները Հայոց գահը պահեցին մինչեւ 428 թուականը, երբ արդէն վաղուց կորսնցուցած էին իրենց լեզուն եւ բոլորովին  հայացած. յիշենք արշակունի արքաներէն՝ Տիրանը,  Խոսրովը, Արշակ Բ.-ը, Պապը,  Վռամշապուհը եւ ուրիշներ: Աշխարհիկ իշխանութեան վրայ աւելցաւ հոգեւորը՝ Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչէն (301) մինչեւ Սահակ Պարթեւ  կաթողիկոսը (440)   Հայ եկեղեցւոյ գահը  նստան  բացառապէս արշակունի  կաթողիկոսներ,  որոնց բոլորն ալ հայացան:

         Այս հայացած պարթեւներու հսկայ զանգուածը   իր  արիւնակցական  եւ լեզուական խոր ազդեցութիւնը  պիտի ձգէր հայութեան եւ հայերէն բնիկ լեզուին, մասնաւորաբար բառերուն վրայ:

         Ըստ Աճառեանի՝   ասոնք թիւով  1400 են, եւ կը յատկանշուին անով, որ  բանաւոր փոխառութիւններ ըլլալով՝   գրեթէ բոլորն ալ ժողովրդախօսակցական   բնոյթի  էապէս կենսունակ     բառեր են, որոնք կը կազմեն մեր ամէնօրեայ խօսքի առանձքը:   

         Ճանչնանք անոնց մէկ մասը՝ գաղափար մը կազմելու համար անոնց՝ մեր լեզուին վրայ  ունեցած տարողութեան  մասին:   

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         1. Բնութեան երեւոյթներ՝ արուսեակ, երաշտ, խաւար, մահիկ, պախրցի, (քա-    մի), վտակ։

         2. Կենդանիներու տեսակներ՝ ասպ,  բազէ, կաչաղակ, կապիկ, կուզ, մողէս, յովազ, սարեակ, սիրամարգ, վագր, վիշապ, փիղ և այլն։ 

3. Բոյսերու տեսակներ՝ անանուխ, արմաւ, բրինձ, գազար, թութ, կաղամբ, կանեփ, կապար, յասմիկ, մանուշակ, նարգիս, շոմին,  պղպեղ, սոխ, վարդ, վարունգ և այլն։

4.Հանքային նիւթեր, մետաղներ՝ ապակի, արճիճ, գոհար, զմրուխտ, ժանգ, խունկ, նաւթ, վէմ և այլն։ 

5. Մարմնի մասեր՝  անդամ, բազուկ, գէս, դաստակ, դէմք, դիմակ, երակ, երանք (զիստ), կուլակ, կուշտ, ճակատ, վարս։ 

6. Հիւանդութիւններ, բժշկագիտական բառեր՝ ախտ, բժիշկ, բոյժ, բորոտ, դաշտան, դարման, ժահր, կոյր, մահ։ 

7․Մարդկային յարաբերութիւններ, տեսակներ՝ ազգ, ամբոխ, ասպետ, ասպնջական, գրոհ, դայեակ, երիտասարդ, իշխան, հարազատ, հարեւան, նժդեհ, պայազատ, պապ, պառաւ, ռամիկ, սեպուհ, տաճիկ, տոհմ, օտար։

8.Գիտութիւն, արուեստ, կրթութիւն՝ աշակերտ, գուսան, դաստի-արակ, դպիր, դափ, զանգակ, խրատ, հանճար, մատեան, նկար, նուագ, պատկեր, հրահանգ, վարդապետ, վարժել, քանդակել։ 

9. Կրօն, հաւատալիք՝ ապաշխարել, բախտ, բագին, գու-շակ, դրախտ, դեւ, դժոխք, զոհ, կախարդ, հմայիլ, հրաշք, հրեշտակ, մարգարէ, նզովք, նուէր, պաշտել,  պարիկ, ջադու(ջատուկ), վանք, տաճար, օրհնել։

10. Գիւղատնտեսութիւն՝ ասպանդակ, բադ, գաւազան, գոմէշ, երասան, խարազան, ճամբարակ, ճանկ, ճարակել, մաճ, մատակ, մարգ, նոխազ, պահեզ, պատուաստ, պարտէզ, փեթակ։

11. Արհեստներ և յարակից ոլորտներ՝ ախոռ,ամբար, ամբարտակ, ապա-րանք, աւազան, բանտ, գանձ, գմբեթ, գրաւ, դահլիճ, դարպաս, դերձակ, երաշխ(աւորել), զնդան, թանկ, համարել, պահապան, պատշգամ, պատուար, պարիսպ, պարտք, սրահ, վաճառել, վաշխ(առու), վարձ, վճարել, վնաս, տաշել, տուգանք, տոյժ, փերեզակ։ 

12. Հագուստեղէն, զարդեղէն՝ անդրավարտիք, ապարանջան, աստառ, բազպան, բամբակ, գրպան, դիպակ, զանկապան, թագ, կօշիկ, հանդերձ, մոյկ, մուճակ, մուշտակ, շապիկ, պաստառ, պատմուճան, պարեգօտ, պսակ, սանդալ, վերմակ։ 

13. Ուտելիք, ըմպելիք՝ ապուխտ, խորտիկ, կարագ, հրուշակ, ճաշ, ճարպ, նշխար, շաքար, պանիր, օշարակ։

14. Առօրեայ-կենցաղային՝  բաժակ, բարձ, բղուկ, գահ, դաստառակ, դարան, դոյլ, զամբիւղ, թակոյկ, լական, կարաւան, կուժ, հաւանգ (սանդ), ճանապարհ, ճրագ, մակոյկ, մոմ, շիշ, պայուսակ, պատրոյգ, սկաւառակ, սպաս(ք), սրուակ, վանդակ, տախտակ, տակառ, տաշտ, քսակ։ 

 15. Ժամանակ, թիւ, չափ, կշիռ եւ դրամ՝ բիւր, դրամ, ժամ, ժամանակ,  հազար,  նախ, նահանջ, նաւասարդ, փող։ 

16. Երկիր, տեղ, վայր՝ աշխարհ, անապատ, ապահարզան, ապստամբ, աս-պատակ, ասպետ, արշաւ, աւար, աւան, բարապան, դահիճ, դաշտ, դարան, դատ, դատաստան, դատաւոր, դեսպան, դրօշ, զէնք, զինուոր, զօրք, զրահ, թշնամի, իշ-խան, հաշտութիւն, հպատակ, հրամանատար, հրապարակ, ճամբար, մարզ, մարզել, մարզպան,մուրհակ, նախարար, նախճիր, նահանջ, նահապետ, նամակ,  ոստան, ոստիկան, պահակ, պայքար, պատերազմ, պատճեն, պատուիրակ, պարեկ, պետ, սահման,  սաղաւարտ, վկայ, վճիռ, օրէնք: 

17.Գոյներ՝ գոյն, երանգ, կապոյտ, կարմիր, ճերմակ,սեւ,սպիտակ:

18. Վերացական հասկացություններ՝ ախորժ, ակամայ, անգամ, կամայ, ազդ, ամբարիշտ, ամբարտաւան, անապակ, անուշ, աշկարայ, աշխատել, ապաստան, ապիրատ, ապսպրել, առատ, առոյգ, արագ, արժան, արձակ, աւարտ, աւեր, բազում, բազմել, բաժանել, բաշխել, բարակ, բաւ, բնակիլ, բովանդակ, բոյր, գովել, գումարել, դաժան, դէմ, դիտել, դժգոյն, դժխեմ, դժկամակ, դժնդակ, դժնեայ, դժուար, դսրովել, դրուատ(ել), դրժել, դրուժան, երամ, երկ, զանազան, զօր(ութիւն), զուր, զգոյշ, թշնամանք, թշուառ, թոշակ, ժահ, ժահր, ժիր, խամ, խոստանալ, խոստովանիլ, խորտակել, կամք, կարի, կերպ, կոյտ, հակիրճ, հաճել, համ, համակ, համայն, հան-գամանք, հանդարտ, հանդէս,  հաւասար, հզօր, հնար, հրամայել, հրաման, հրաւէր, ճախր, ճար, ճարակ, ճարպիկ, ճեմել, միշտ, մուրազ, յանդիման, յարգ (արգ), յաւերժ, յաւէտ, յիշատակ, յիշել, յոյժ, յուզել, նազել, նամ, նաւակատիք, նիշ, նիրհել, նկուն, նման, նշան, նշանակ, նշմարել, նպաստ, շատ, շնորհ, շտապ, չուան, պահել, պայման, պաշտպան, պատասխան, պատգամ, պատիր, պատիւ պատշաճ, պատ-ուէր, պատուիրան, պատսպարել, պատրաստ, պատուհաս, պարարտ, պարզ, պէս, պէտք, ջատագով, ջոկ, ջուխտ, սով, սպանել, ստուար, սրսկել, սուգ, վանել, վանկ, վատ, վատթար, վավերական, վեհ, վիճակ, վիշտ, վճիտ, վստահ, վտարել, վրէպ, տակ, տակաւին, տանջել, տարազ, տօթ, ուխտ, ուժ, ուշ, փարթամ, փառք, փտիլ, քանդել, քարշիլ, օրինակ։

armenag@gmail.com                                                     Արմենակ Եղիայեան

 

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[1] Պարսկական  կայսութեան վարչատարածքային միաւոր:

Reflecting on the proposed change of the Constitution of Armenia.

Vahe H Apelian

 

Today, July 5, 2024, Asbarez daily reported that “Claiming that the current Armenian Constitution does not “express” the views of the lay Armenian citizen, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again called for the adoption of a new constitution on Friday—Armenia’s Constitution Day.” The Armenian Constitution Day is July 5.

There was nothing new in the PM’s announcement. I would like to bring to attention that, six months ago, on January 19, 2024, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the same. He said: "We want to have a constitution that makes the Republic of Armenia more viable in the new geopolitical and regional conditions," said the prime minister.

Let us go beyond the “Haierenik” weekly’s sarcastic editorial, at the time, “A Velvet Constitution”, and point out that amending the Constitution does not enflame emotion. The Constitution was approved in 1995 and was amended in 2005 and in 2015. It is the inevitable change of the Declaration of Independence - Hrchagakir, that enflames emotions.  The Declaration of Independence has not been amended since it was issued. There is nothing unique about the Constitution of Armenia. Save few provisions, any democratic country may adopt it. But, the Constitution of Armenia and also, for an example the  Constitution of United States of America, are outcomes to their declarations of independence. In case of Armenia, it is the famed Hrchagakir, which is very Armenian and only Armenian. Consequently, it behooves us to reflect on what transpired as the Soviet Union imploded, and Armenia declared its independence and emerged as an independent country.

The Soviet Union formally dissolved on 26 December 1991. But as early as in May 1989, the Secretary of State, James Baker III announced that the Soviet Union that we knew does not exist anymore. Obviously the 15 republics that made the Soviet Union were on high gear to face the inevitable formalization of the dissolution. In case Soviet Armenia and Nagornoa Karabagh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), the specter of post-Soviet unification seemed  palpable.

On December 1, 1989, there was a joint resolution of the Armenia SSR - Soviet Socialist Republic - and the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), on REUNIFICATION.  The resolution stated the following: “Proceeding from the universal principles of national self-determination and acceding to legal aspiration for reunification of the two segments of the Armenian people torn apart by force, the Armenian Supreme Soviet recognizes the fact of NKAO's – (note: Nakorno Karabagh Autonomous Oblast) - self-determination, and the congress of the plenipotentiary representatives of the NKAO and the National Council it has elected as the sole legal authority in force in oblast. The Armenian Supreme Soviet and NKAO National Council declare the REUNIFICATION of the Armenian Republic and the NKAO. The Armenian republic citizenship rights extend over the population of the NKAO. The Supreme Soviet and the National Council hereby set up a joint commission to formulate practical steps to realize reunification. They assume the obligation to represent the national interests of the Armenian population in northern Artsakh (NKAO), Shahumian region, and Getashen districts”.  (see below)

Please make a note  of the three underlined regions in the last sentence for unification with Armenia. Shahumian region and Getashen districts remained under Azeri rule as first Artsakh war came to a halt leading to the founding of the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh, which later was named Republic of Artsakh.

On August 23, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic issued its Declaration of Independence, the famed Hrchagakir – Հռչակագիր. There was no independent Armenia yet.  Its preamble reads as follows referring to the December 1, 1989 resolution: 

“Expressing the united will of the Armenian people;

Aware of its historic responsibility for the destiny of the Armenian people engaged in the realization of the aspirations of all Armenians and the restoration of historical justice;

Proceeding from the principles of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the generally recognized norms of international law;

Exercising the right of nations to free self-determination;

Based on the December 1, 1989, joint decision of the Armenian SSR Supreme Council and the Artsakh National Council on the "Reunification of the Armenian SSR and the Mountainous Region of Karabakh;"

Developing the democratic traditions of the independent Republic of Armenia established on May 28, 1918; " Declares.....".  The text can be easily found in the internet. It was signed by Levon Ter-Petrossian, President of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia and Ara Sahakian, the secretary of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia.

The citizens of the Soviet Armenia voted for independence on September 21, 1991. 

On August 8, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia issued a DECISION – ՈՐՈՇՈՒՄ – that would affirm that “For the Republic of Armenia, any international or domestic document, in which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned as part of Azerbaijan, is unacceptable". The textual document is available, but it was never signed or ratified, (see below).

 From there on, until its fateful sad finality, the Republic of Armenia did not recognize the Republic of Artsakh, nor incorporated it as a district -marz – of Armenia. Azerbaijan began blockading Artsakh in December 2022, and launched a large-scale military offensive in September 2023, resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and Artsakh was officially dissolved on 1 January 2024.

You may remember the “Hayakve” initiative. According to my records it ended on August 19, (2023), a month before Artsakh's depopulation. It appeared aimed amending the constitution of the Republic of Armenia by introducing provisions that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the claim that Artsakh is part of Azerbaijan. The citizens of Armenia were called upon to sign a general and unspecific “A statement of Confirmation” (Havasdakir) -  to the following: "Today you take control of the constitution and the laws of your state, the fate of your generations". But the initiators of the "Hayakve" appeared to have the ratification of the above unsigned DECISION-VOROSHOUM (ՈՐՈՇՈՒՄ) document, but for reasons of their own, went in round about ways. The response of the citizens of Armenia was very timid, at best.

The PM’s call for new constitution will likely annul or rather amend the Declaration of Independence of Armenia as ratified on August 23, 1990 and likely will have any statement in regard to the unification with Artsakh or any territorial claim from its neighbors, removed and made clear that Armenia does not have territorial claims from its neighbors.

Of course, this has come about from Azerbaijan and Turkey. But I do not entertain their pressure as I raise the following fundamental issue. Does Armenia have any territorial claim from its neighbors? If not, why does Armenia retain the reunification with Nakorno Karabagh on the preamble of the Declaration of Independence? After all, the Declaration of Independence charts the course of the Armenian state. 

The citizens of Armenia face a crucial period in our history. They will have to assume the responsibility  and the commitment of what they approve to chart the course of Armenia.    

I  support the choice the citizens of Armenia will make.  

 

Who wrote the poem Fear?

Vahe H Apelian

You may also have come across the poem titled Fear. I posted two copies of the poem from different sources. One claims that poem is by Khalil Gibran, the other claims that the poem is by Kahlil Gibran

Indeed, the Lebanese born poet Gibran Khalil Gibran’s has its literary works published as Kahlil Gibran.  I have read that it was his teacher noting an unusual latent literary  talent in her student, suggested that he adopts the name Kahlil. But, according to Wikipedia, “. His name was registered using the anglicized spelling 'Kahlil Gibran.”. In any event, Gibran’s name was not Khalil Gibran. I remember an incident in Lebanon when during an interview of an Armenian stage actor on tv, he mentioned the name Khalil Gibran Khalil. You could hear the chuckling in the background of the studio. 

I quote: “Khalil or Khaleel (Arabic: خليل) means friend and is a common male first name in the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Balkans, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Asia and among Muslims in South Asia and as such is also a common surname.” Khalil is mostly Muslim boys’ name. Gibran was a Maronite Christian and his baptismal name was Gibran Khalil Gibran.

I doubt that the poem is written by Kahlil Gibran. The poem does not make sense to me. It claims that the river is afraid as it flows towards the ocean but, I quote, “the river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then the fear will disappear because that’s when the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean but becoming the ocean.”

What kind of non-sensical metaphor that is! The river flows to the ocean whether it wants or not. There is no element of taking a risk. There is the certainly of pouring into the ocean and] when it enters the ocean, it does not become the ocean, it becomes part of the ocean. Is it meant to say that we should not fear death because we all are in the process of dying? And after we die, how would we know we are part of the bigger, whatever that is? 

As a Diaspora Armenian one can visualize the process of the flowing river onto the ocean to gradual assimilation into a vast something, such as bigger and far-reaching Anglo-Saxon culture. Should we take the risk and fear not because we will become part of that Anglo-Saxon cultural ocean and are no more an Armenian river? This poem does not make sense to me. It cherishes the loss of identity! Yet the framed poem is being sold for hefty price and I have read by many on Armenian social media having been enamored by the poem! 

I doubt that Kahlil Gibran wrote this nonsense. I searched in the internet looking for the poem’s source but I did not come across any that cited that the poem is from such a literary work of Kahlil Gibran. 

The other day I ordered the collected work of Kahlil Gibran in a beautifully bound hard cover book. After a two pages long introduction about Kahlil Gibran, his literary works are cited.  The book is “a collection of some of Gibran’s best loved writings”. Consequently, it is not a complete collection of his literary works. The book is 631 pages long. The content lists 12 books. 

The introduction to the Collected Work of Kahlil Gibran, ends with the expected as to what Kahlil Gibran is mostly known for. It notes that “He is best remembered for the Prophet (1923), a collection of twenty-six fables, which has been translated into more than forty languages and continues to remain a masterpiece.” I bet for most; he is only remembered for his book The Prophet. Our own poet Bedros Tourian who died at the age of twenty-one, wrote 39 poems but he is immortalized not for all the 39 poems he wrote, but for less than 26 of those 39 poems.

Right after I received the book, I started flipping the pages one by one. I did not come across a poem titled Fear. I will go over the book again and again to make sure that I did not miss any of Kahlil Gibran’s poems.

In the meantime, if any of the readers of this blog can cite the source of the poem Fearfrom Kahlil Gibran’s works, I will be grateful. I will grudgingly admit that Kahlil Gibran indeed wrote the poem but my perception of the poem will not change. All I will say is that Kahlil Gibram stumbled in writing that none-sensical poem titled Fear. But that does not mean that he will be less of the writer to me. Not at all. It’s that the greatest among us stumbles. After all, we all are humans. 

 

Memorable July dates - 3: July 4, 1776

 Vahe H Apelian

This is the third installment of my “Memorable July dates” blog. The dates I have in mind are July 1, 1846, July 2, 1972,  July 4, 1776, and July 9, 1976. 

Today, July 4, 2024, the UI.S. of America celebrates the 248^th anniversary of its declaration of independence on July 4, 1776, while I celebrate its 48^th anniversary having arrived on its hospitable shore in July, 1976. 

The declaration phrase is mostly known. What is revolutionary is not as much as its upholding the right of life and liberty but also the pursuit of happiness. That surely was and still is revolutionary.

What fascinates me are the wordings of the declaration of independence, such as, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and that the People have the right to alter or to abolish any Form of Government that becomes destructive but not for light and transient causes. 

Representative from the thirteen original thirteen Colonies, read states, have signed the document among them stands out the signature of the sole representative from Massachusetts, John Hancock. His signature went into history as to how a person’s signature should look, beautifully scripted, bold, and impressive.

 

I quote the first paragraph in its entirety and part of the second paragraph.:

 

“In Congress, July 4, 1776: “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.....”

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 As to July 1, 1846 the Armenian Evangelical Church was established in Constantinople, Turkey. Read the following link:e http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/07/memorable-july-dates-1-2-4-and-9.html).

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As to July 2, 1972 and July 9, 1976, they are personal. If interested I invite you to read the attached blog linked below. Not on July 2, 1972 but on July 9, 1976 I made my  most westerly journey. Read the link below, if inerested.

Not on July 2, 1972 but on July 9, 1976

http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2024/07/not-on-july-2-1972-but-on-july-9-1976.html