Cilician See and the mountains of Lebanon and its Cedars.

 Vahe H. Apelian

The Corona virus pandemic ranged in 2020. During that Easter, Catholicos Aram’s pictureշ taken at the end of the  mass in the Catholicosate’s cathedral, went viral. He was depicted with teary eyes as the famed “Cilicia – Giligia” song was sung, after he had led the Easter Sunday’s mass, to an almost empty cathedral  .

The picture seemed to encapsulate the mood of the Armenian communities in the Diaspora as each braves the devastating effects of the Corona virus pandemics, especially as an added burden to the Middle Eastern communities that have been facing dire political and economic situations in Lebanon and in Syria. 

A friend wondered if the Cilicia song is customarily sung at the end of mass. The hymn obviously is not part of liturgical mass. However, it turns out that the hymn is sung in the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in the Catholicosate of See campus in Antelias, Lebanon every Sunday at the end of mass. The rest of the churches sing the song on special occasions and not necessarily only in the church but also during fellowship.

Regarding the song, Garo Armenian noted the following.  The Cilicia song is not a folk song, though it is very popular. It is a poem by Nahabed Roussinian (19th Century) fashioned after a French poem bearing the  title of “Normandide". The music is by the 19th century composer Kaprield Yeranian, also of Constantinople."

I became reflective as to when the song became a trademark of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, if not its unofficial 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 administrative secretary at the West Coast  Prelacy for many years. 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, began with Catholicos Zareh I Payasilian, of blessed memory  (1956-1963), who loved the song. 

Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian of blessed memory reminisced that after the interment of the late Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin I, when they were left by themselves,  Vehapar Aram I, requested that they sing Cilicia at the tomb, before Vehapar Aram I returned to Antelias.

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

Hard to believe that I became conscious that the hymn sings in praise of the mount of Lebanon – the seat of the Cilician See - and its cedars using the classical Armenian word for mountains, thanks to medieval Armenian poetry reading course I am attending conducted by Dr. Jesse Arlen, the director of the Zohrab Center of Eastern Diocese 

The talented Stepan Frounjian singing the Giligica- Cilicia song in Racine, WI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZJdQb4pt0A

The lyrics.

Giligia

"When doors of hope are opened wide,
And dreary winter flees away,
Our beauteous Armenia
Beams forth in glad and smiling day;
When swallows to their nests return
And trees put on their leaves so bright
I yearn for my Cilicia,
The land where first I saw the light.

I’ve seen the wide Vonarian fields
And cedar-clad Mount Lebanon,
Italian shores and Venice fair,
Where gondolas are gliding on;
There’s nothing like our Cyprian isle,
No spot on earth can be so bright,
I yearn for my Cilicia,
The and where first I saw the light.

There comes to each a time of life
When all our hopes have gone at last,
The poor soul longs and strives no more;
And dwells alone upon the past;
The, when my breaking harp, unstrung
Shall sing to hope a last good-night,
I’ll sleep in my Cilicia,
The land where I first saw the light.
The land where first I saw the light..."

Կիլիկիա

Երբոր բացուին դռներն յուսոյ
եւ մեր երկրէն փախ տայ ձմեռ
Չքնաղ երկիրն մեր Արմենիոյ
երբ փայլի իւր քաղցրիկ օրեր
Երբոր ծիծառն իւր բոյն դառնայ
երբոր ծառերն հագնին տերեւ՝
ցանկամ տեսնել զիմ Կիլիկիա
Աշխարհ՝ որ ինձ ետուր արեւ

Տեսի դաշտերն Սուրիոյ
Լեառն Լիբանան եւ իւր մայրեր
տեսի զերկիրն Իտալիոյ
Վենետիկ եւ իւր կոնտոլներ
կղզի նման չիք մեր Կիպրեայ
եւ ոչ մէկ վայր է արդարեւ
գեղեցիկ քան զիմ Կիլիկիա
Աշխարհ՝ որ ինձ ետուր արեւ

Հասակ մը կայ մեր կենաց մէջ
ուր ամենայն իղձ կ’աւարտի
Հասակ մը ուր հոգին ի տենչ՝
յիշատակաց իւր կարօտի
Յորժամ քնարն իմ ցրտանայ
սիրոյն տալով վերջին բարեւ՝
երթամ ննջել յիմ Կիլիկիա
Աշխարհ՝ որ ինձ ետուր արեւ