Ռամկական երգք Հայոց

ARMENIAN  POPULAR SONGS [1]

I
On Leo son of Haithon I. [2]

I say alas ! for Leo, who has fallen
Into slavery into the power of Moslems.
My light, my light, and holy Virgin!
The holy Cross aid Leo and all ! 

The Sultan is come into the meydan [3],
He plays with his golden globe.
My light, my light, and holy Virgin !
The holy Cross aid Leo and all ! 

He played and gave it to Leo :
« Take, play and give it to thy papa. »
My light, my light, and holy Virgin!
The holy Cross aid Leo and all ! 

« Leo, if thou wilt become Moslem,
» I and my fosterfather slaves to thee. »
My light, my light, and holy Virgin!
The holy Cross aid Leo and all ! 

Leo sitting in the fortress
With a handkerchief to his eyes wept:
« Thou caravan which goest to Sis [4],
Thou shalt announce to my papa ! » 

When his father heard it
He collected many troops of horsemen;
He went against the Sultan,
And made many rivers of blood flow. 

He took his son Leo, 
And obtained the desire of his heart.
My light, my light, my light, and holy Virgin!
The holy Cross aid Leo and all ! 

 

II.

On the daughter of an Armenian prince on her
departure to be maried to a Tartar prince.

THE MAID

Why dost thou sit silent at thy work ?
Rise, come forth, hear what they say.
Oh unhappy one! was this worthy of thee
To be the bride of a Tartar ?
Thou wert worthy to be the mistress,
The mistress of mistresses of the great prince;
And not so the wife of an infidel,
To have thy hands bound and become a slave. 

THE DAUGHTER

What dost thou say, o foolish maid !
I understand thee not, speak more clearly. 

THE MAID

To day thy star is fallen and vanished,
Thy radiant sun is obscured:
Unhappy me! unhappy thou Susanna!
Thou art to go as a slave to Tartary;
Thou must forget thy bright faith,
And turn to the faith of Mahomet. 

THE DAUGHTER

May thy tongue turn black, thy mouth become dry!
What news do they speak of ? 

THE MAID

The great prince has given thee
To the Khan of Tartary to take thee with him. 

THE DAUGHTER

O maids, maids, come come
Weep the misfortune of my lost head!
Black was the day of my birth,
On which I unhappy was born.
Mother, rise from thy tomb, 
Hear the news of thy daughter.
My black fate has willed it so,
It has driven me alone to Tartary.
May pitiless death tear my soul away,
May the earth open and swallow me up. 

THE MAID

What sighs are these, young princess,
Salt-tears and bitter lamentation :
Let us all bear thy grief together,
Let us offer our heads for thee:
Where thou goest let us go also,
How can we forget thy bread and salt:
Can we see with our eyes
Thee going from us all alone ?
Dry thy eyes and sooth thy grief,
Enough for thee, beat not thy breast. 

THE OLD WOMAN

I have been sixty years at thy gate : 
Thy father and grand father were on my shoul  ders
Born, brought up and became princes ;
I never saw such sorrow.
Open thy ear, and listen to my counsel,
Remember this old woman:
Wherever thou shalt go and wherever thou shalt be,
Always hold fast thy bright faith.
Forget not our Armenian nation;
And always assist and protect it. 
Always keep in thy mind
To be useful to thy country.
Oh! God be with thee, farewell!
May Christ preserve thy bright sun! 

III.

The Armenians in their emigration from  Old Ciulfa [5].

Woe to you poor Armenian people !
Without a fault and without a reason ye have beenscattered;
Ye are gone into slavery to Khorassan,
Hungry and thirsty and naked and poor. 

Ye have supported a hundred thousand sorrows,
And ye have never put your foot out of your sweet
native country:
But now ye leave the tombs of your parents,
And abandon to others your churches and houses. 

These beautiful fields, great towns,
Sweet waters and well-built villages
To whom have ye left them, ye who go?
How happens it that ye forget them? 

I fear they will be effaced from your mind :
But while ye live do not forget them:
At least recount to your children and grand children,
That you have left your country so ruined. 

The name of Masis [6], that of the Noah's Ark, 
That of the plain of Ararat, of S. ' Etchemiazin [7],
That of the deep Abyss [8], of S. 'Lance and Mooghni [9],
They will not forget till the day of judgment. 

That my eyes had been blind, my neck broken,
Poor Armenia, that I might not seethee thus !
If I were dead I should be happy
Rather than live and see thee! 

IV.

On one who was shipwrecked in the lake of Van [10].

We sailed in the ship from Aghtamar [11], 
We directed our ship towards Avan [12]:
When we arrived before Vosdan [13]
We saw the dark sun of the dark day. 

Dull clouds covered the sky,
Obscuring at once stars and moon:
The winds blew fiercely
And took from my eyes land and shore. 

Thundered the heaven, thundered the earth,
The waves of the blue sea arose:
On every side the heavens shot forth fire,
Black terror invaded my heart. 

There is the sky, but the earth is not seen;
There is the earth, but the sun is not seen:
The waves come like mountains,
And open before me a deep abyss. 

O sea, if thou lovest thy God,
Have pity on me forlorn and wretched :
Take not from me my sweet sun,
And betray me not to flinty-hearted death. 

Pity, oh sea, o terrible sea!
Give me not up to the cold winds :
My tears implore thee
And the thousand sorrows of my heart... 

The savage sea has no pity!
It hears not the plaintive voice of my broken heart;
The blood freezes in my veins,
Black night descends upon my eyes... 

Go tell to my mother 
To sit and weep for her darkened son;
That John was the prey of the sea,
The sun of the youngman is set ! 

V.
LAMENTATION OF A BISHOP

Who had planted a vineyard, and before it gave  fruit, his last day came.

Every morning and at dawn
The nightingale sitting in my vineyard
Sang sweetly to this my rose :
Rise and come from this vineyard. 

Every morning and at dawn
Gabriel says to my soul:
Rise and come from this vineyard,
From this newly-built vineyard. 

I must not come from this vineyard;
Because there are thorns around it;
I cannot come forth from my vineyard,
From my beautiful vineyard. 

I have brought stones from valleys,
I have brought thorns from mountains ;
I have built round it a wall:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have planted young vines,
I have watered the roots of this plantation,
I have not yet eaten of their fruit:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard, 

I have built a wine-press, 
I have buried the wine-vat,
I have not yet tasted the wine,
They say: Come forth from this vineyard.

I have shut the entry of my vineyard,
I have not yet opened the close gate
Of my well-dressed vineyard:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have brought water from valleys,
Cold and savouring fountains:
I have not yet drunk of their water:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have built a basin in my vineyard,
The dew of heaven into this basin,
Around it are flowers and light:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have planted roses in this vineyard,
There are red and white roses :
I have not yet smelt their fragrance:
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have sown flowers in this vineyard :
There are green and yellow:
I have not yet picked these flowers :
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

I have planted fruit-trees around the walls,
Pomegranate, almond and nuts :
I have not yet tasted of the fruits :
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

The turtle dove is sitting in my vineyard,
He sings to the birds :
The spring is arrived to my vineyard :
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

Bring me fruits from my vineyard,
Roses and flowers of many hues,
That I may imbibe the fragrance :
I wilt not leave this vineyard. 

The nightingale sang in my vineyard
From morning to evening:
The dew falls from the clouds ;
They say: Come forth from this vineyard... 

Gabriel come to my soul;
My tongue from fear was tied:
The light of my eyes was dimmed:
Alas! for my brief sun! 

The tendrils of my vine were green, 
The grapes of my vine are ripe:
He says: Come forth from this vineyard,
From my newly-built vineyard. 

They took my soul from my body,
And dragged me forth from my vineyard.
It is time that I leave my vineyard
This beautiful vineyard. 

My newly-built vineyard was destroyed,
Every plant and flower grew dry:
The beauty of my body was faded :
They say: Come forth from this vineyard. 

They drag me forth from my vineyard:
The nightingale sings in my vineyard,
The dew descends from the clouds
Every morning and at dawn. 

VI.

Elegy of Adam.

Adam sitting at the gate of Paradise
Wept and said sadly:
Oh Seraphim, oh Cherubim,
Who enter Paradise ! 

I was king in Eden,
Like to a powerful king; 
For one only command
Of that fruit of that immortal tree, 

On account of Eve my consort,
Who was deceived by the cunning of the serpent,
They took my beautiful ornaments
And without pity they stripped me. 

This only time that I failed
By the words of my wife I was deceived.
When I saw her so shameless
Despoiled of her glory as the devil, 

I was touched with pity for her:
Of the immortal fruit I took and eat:
I said : Perhaps my Creator may come
And seeing me and Eve naked, 

With paternal love he will take pity on us
And will have compassion on me and her.
I heard the sound of the footsteps of the Lord
Coming to Paradise, and I was surprised: 

With the leaf of the figtree I girt my reins,
Among the trees I hid myself:
He come and called: Adam where art thou ?
I replied : I am naked : 

My Lord, I have heard thy voice,
I was frighted and ashamed.
- But who told ye that ye are naked ?
Or who deceived ye? tell me. 

Eve replied to him:
The serpent deceived me and I eat.
ord cursed the serpent and Eve,
And I was enslaved between them, 

The Lord commanded: Go forth:
Dust ye were and dust ye shall become. -
I pray ye, o Seraphim,
I lament, o, hear me; 

When ye enter Eden,
Take a branch of the immortal fruit,
Bring and place it on my eyes
And heal my obscured sight. 

When ye enter Eden
Shut not the gate of Paradise,
Place me standing at the gate,
I will look a moment and then bring me back. 

Ah! I remember ye, o flowers,
And sweet smelling fountains ;
Ah! I remember ye, o birds
Sweet singing, and ye, o beasts : 

Ye who enjoy Paradise
Come and weep over your king,
Ye who are in Paradise planted by God
Elected from the earth of every kind and sort. 

 

 

VII.
Lament of a mother on her son who died in infancy. 

I gaze and weep mother of my boy,
I say alas and woe is me wretched!
What will become of wretched me,
I have seen my golden son dead! 

They seized that fragrant rose
Of my breast, and my soul fainted away:
They let my beautiful golden dove
Fly away, and my heart was wounded. 

That falcon death seized 
My dear and sweet-voiced turtle dove and wounded me:
They took my sweet-toned little lark
And flew away through the skies! 

Before my eyes they sent the hail 
On my flowering green pomegranate;
That my rosy apple on the tree,
Which gave fragrance among the leaves. 

They shook my flourishing beautiful almondtree 
And left me without fruit;
By beating it they threw it on the ground
And trod it under foot with the earth of the  grave. 

What will become of wretched me!
Many sorrows surrounded me.
O my God, receive the soul of iny little one
And place him at rest in the bright heaven! 

VIII.

On the same subject.

My sun was eclipsed,
The light of my eyes obscured;
The day was to me the darkest night
And the light of the stars was covered. 

The spring became to me the roughest winter,
The summer was snowy,
The seasons were changed to me
And the freezing air struck me. 

The sweet was bitter .
And my food became ashes;
My flesh stuck to my bones was dried,
My tongue in my mouth was dried. 

When my beautiful boy died
My breath was gathered, my lips were bound:
When this my pretty boy died
My life was equal to the earth. 

When this my peacock and lamb died
My brain turned and was lost:
When this my dearest little one flew
My mouth was hushed, my ear was deaf. 

When this joyful plant faded
My foot was broken, my arm burst,
All my body was brought to dust
And with my boy was bowed to the ground. 

Yet let me thank God
Who received him with the holy boys.
O my God, receive the soul of my little one
And place him at rest in the bright heaven! 

IX.

Song of the new Bride.

Little threshold, be thou not shaken;
It is for me to be shaken,
To bring lilies. 

Little plank, be thou not stirred;
It is for me to be stirred,
To bring lilies. 

Little ground, shake thou not;
It is for me to be shaken,
To bring lilies. 

Little tree, tremble not;
It is for me to tremble,
To bring lilies. 

Little leaf, be thou not thrown down;
It is for me to be thrown down,
To bring lilies. 

Sun, arise not;
It is for me to arise,
To bring lilies. 

Sun, surround not;
It is for me to surround,
To bring lilies. 

Moon, arise not ; 
It is for me to arise,
To bring lilies. 

Moon, surround not;
It is for me to surround,
To bring lilies. 

Stars, sparkle not;
It is for me to sparkle,
To bring lilies. 

Crane, cry not ; [14] 
It is for me to cry,
To bring lilies. 

Mamma, weep not ;
It is for me to weep,
To bring lilies. 

Papa, veep not ;
It is for me to weep,
To bring lilies. 

Brother, weep not;
It is for me to weep,
To bring lilies. 

They had deceived the mother with a pack of linen: They had deceived the father with a cup of wine: They hade deceived the brother with a pair of boots : They had deceived the little sister with a finger of  antimony,

They have loosed the knot of the purse 
And detached the girl from her grand mother.
Mother, sweep thou not the little plank
In order that the little trace of thy girl may not be  effaced :

Let a little memory remain to thee
In order that thou mayest fill the wish of thy soul.
They passed with a sieve the dried raisin
And filled the pockets of the girl,
And they put her on the foreign way! 

 

X.
A song on the Bridegroom.

Blessed be the merciful God;
Blessed the will of our Creator (Thrice).
We have united, we have finished, 
We have placed the Cross over him (Thrice).
Go and seek the father of the king, [15]
Let him come and prepare the feast :
Let him bend his knees before the holy altar:
All good and prosperity to our king (Thrice)!
Go and seek the mother of our king,
Let her come and bend her knees before the holy
altar: All good and prosperity to our king!
Go and seek the brother, (sister, ec. ec. )
Go and seek the crane from the desert; 
Let him come and sit and observe:
Let him bend his knees before the holy altar:
All good and prosperity to our king!
Go and seek the duck from the lake;
Let him come and sit and observe:
Let him bend his knees before the holy altar:
All good and prosperity to our king!
Go and seek the partridge from the hill;
Let him come and sit and observe:
Let him bend his knees before the holy altar:
All good and prosperity to our king! 

ANSWER

To our king it must be give flowers of flowers (Thrice).
- What sort of flower must we give him ?
The flower of flowers which becomes him is the balsam:
Because it blossoms and flowers together.
The flower of the flowers which becomes himn is the snow-bell.
The flower of the flowers which becomes him is the  everlasting-flower.
The flower of the flowers which becomes him is the  pomegranate, (the lily, the rose). 

ANSWER

By the help of the holy Precursor, yes by his help
There came a king with a face like a cross. 

ANSWER

Our king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His fez [16] was red, his sun was green.
Our king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His turban was red, biś sun was green.
Our king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His tunic was crossed, his sun was green.
Our king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His apple [17] was red, his sun was green.
Our king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His cloakwas red, his sun was green.
Qur king was crossed, our king was crossed;
His hose was vari-coloured, his sun was green. 

ANSWER

Arise, let us go and meet him,
That he may not be offended. 

ANSWER

That large heap, that large heap, what is it?
That large heap it is the village-masters.
The lion is roaring, look who is it ?
The lions roaring, it is the doctors.
The partridge is chirping, look who is it ? 
The partridge chirping, it is the priests.
The sparrow is warbling, look who is it ?
The sparrow warbling, it is the deacons.
Who is he like a large column among them? 

That large column is the father of the king.
Who is she who has the headdress of cotton with a
hole in it? That of that headdress of cotton with a hole in it,
is the mother of the king. What is that bright star behind them ?
That bright star behind them, is the queen.
That brush behind the door, who is it? 
That brush behind the door, it is the servants.
The hound came with the bag in his mouth, who is it?
The hound coming, with the bag in his mouth, it is the collector of the village.
The mouse covered with flour came, who is it?. 

The mouse coming covered with flour, it is the  miller. 

ANSWER

We have praised, yes we have praised, yes finished,
We have placed the cross over him. 

XI. 
The Pilgrim to the Crane.

Crane, whence dost thou come? I am servant of thy  voice.
Crane, hast thou not news from our country?
Hasten not to thy flock, thou wilt arrive soon  enough!
Crane, hast thou not news from our country?

I have left my possessions and vineyard, and I have  come hither :
How often do I sigh, it seems that my soul is torn  from me:
Crane, stay a little, thy voice is in my soul :
Crane, hast thou not news from our country? 
Thou dost not carry disappointment to those who ask  thee:
Thy woice is sweeter to me than the sound of the  well-wheel :
Crane, thou alightest at Bagdad or Aleppo :
Crane, hast thou not news from our country? 
Our heart desired it and we arose and departed:
We have found out the miseries of this false world:
We are deprived of the sight of our table-compa
nions. Crane, hast thou not news from our country?
The affairs of this world are long and tedious :
Perhaps God will hear and open the little gate:
The heart of the pilgrim is in sorrow, his eyes in
tears. Crane, hast thou not news from our country?
My God, I ask of thee grace and favour :
The heart of the pilgrim is wounded, his lungs are  consumed:
The bread he eats is bitter, the water he drinks is  tasteless.
Crane, hast thou not news from our country? 

I know not either the holy day, nor the working day:
They have put me on the spit and placed me at the fire :
I mind not the burning, but I feel the want of you.
Crane, hast thou not news from our country? 
Thou comest from Bagdad and goest to the frontiers,
I will write a little letter and give it to thee:
God will be the witness over thee; 
Thou wilt carry it and give it to my dear ones. 
I have put in my letter, that I am here, 
I have never even for a single day opened my eyes: 
O my dear ones, I am always anxious for you!
Crane, hast thou not news from our country? 
The autumn is near, and thou art ready to go: 
Thou hast joined a large flock:
Thou hast not answered me and thou art flown!
Crane, go from our country, and fly far away! 

XII.
The elegy of ai Partridge.

The partridge was sitting (Double)
And weeping on a stone: O birds !
She lamented with the little birds :
O birds, o fowls of the air !
I ascended high mountains (Double),
I gazed on verdant meadows : 
O birds, o fowls of the air !
I descended and fell into the snare,
Into a net spread on the lake:
O birds, o fowls of the air!
They came and took me out,
And showed me the terrible sword:
My tuneful throat 
They cut from ear to ear:
My purple blood 
They shed upon the ground :
My rosy beak
They exposed on the sparkling flame :
My little-stepping feet
They cut off at the knees.
My many-coloured feathers
They dispersed some to the hill some to the valley:
That which fell on the hill,
That the breeze carried away:
That which fell in the valley,
That the torrent rose and carried away.
And like saint Gregory [18] 
They let me down into the deep well.
They came and drew me up, 
They sat round a table;
And like saint James the Intercised [19]
· They cut me in little pieces :
They made the pancake [20] for my shroud,
And buried me with red wine.
I cried out the lamentation of Jeremiah,
And that of the first father and mother. 

XIII.
On the Partridge. [21]

The sun beats from the mountain's top,
Pretty pretty :
The partridge comes from his nest;
She was saluted by the flowers,
She flew and came from the mountain's top.
Ah! pretty pretty,
Ah! dear little partridge! 

When I hear the voice of the partridge
I break my fast on the house top:
The partridge comes chirping
And swinging from the mountain's side.
Ah! pretty pretty, Ah! dear little partridge ! 

Thy nest is enamelled with flowers,
With vasilico, narcissus and water-lily:
Thy place is full of dew,
Thou delightest in the fragrant odour.
Ah! pretty pretty, Ah! dear little partridge ! 

Thy feathers are soft,
Thy neck is long, thy beak little,
The colour of thy wing is variegated :
Thou art sweeter than the dove. 

Ah! pretty pretty, Ah! dear littte partridge !
When the little partridge descends from the tree
And with her sweet voice chirps,
He cheers all the world,
He draws the heart from the sea of blood.
Ab! pretty pretty,
Ah! dear little partridge! 

All the birds call thee blessed,
They come with thee in flocks,
They come around thee chirping :
In truth there is not one like thee.
Ah! pretty pretty,
Ah! beautiful little partridge! 

 

XIV.
To the Stork. [22]

Welcome stork ! 
Thou stork welcome ;
Thou hast brought us the sign of spring,
Thou hast made our heart gay. 

Descend o stork! ! 
Descend o stork, upon our roof,
Make thy nest upon our ash-tree,
Thou our dear one. 

Stork, I lament to thee: 
Yes, o stork, I lament to thee,
I will tell thee my thousand sorrows,
The sorrows of my heart, the thousand sorrows. 

Stork, when thou didst go away 
When thou didst go away from our tree,
Withering winds did blow,
They dried up our smiling flowers. 

The brilliant sky was obscured,
That brilliant sky was cloudy:
From above they were breaking the snow in pieces :
Winter approached, the destroyer of flowers. 

Beginning from the rock of Varac, [23] 
Beginning from that rock of Varac,
The snow descended and covered all,
In our green meadow it was cold. 

Stork, our little garden,
Our little garden was surrounded with snow,
Our green rose trees
Withered with the snow and the cold.. 

XV. 
The Youngman and the water.

Down from yon distant mountain
The water flows through the village.
Ha! A dark boy came forth
And washing his hands and face,
Washing, yes washing, 
And turning to the water asked. Ha!
« Water, from what mountain dost thou come ?
O my cool and sweet water! Ha!
- I came from that mountain,
Where the old and the new snow lie one on  the other.
Water, to what river dost thou go? 
O my cool and sveet water! Ha! I go to that river
Where the bunches of violets abound. Ha ! 

Water, to what vineyard dost thou go?
O my cool and sweet water ! Ha!
I go to that vineyard
Where the vine-dresser is within. Ha!
Water, what plant dost thou water ?
O'my cool and sweet water! Ha!
I water that plant 
Whose roots give food to the lamb,
The roots give food to the lamb,
Where there are the apple tree and the ane mone.
Water, to what garden dost thou go?
O my cool and sweet water! Ha!
I go into that garden
Where there is the sweet song of the nightin  gale. Ha!
Water, into what fountain dost thou go? 
O my cool and sweet little water !
I go to that fountain 
Where thy lover comes and drinks :
I go to meet her and kiss her chin,
And satiate myself with her love. 

 

XVI.
The oldman and the ship.

Our Lord an oldman with a white beard
Seated in glory on the cross :
Cried sweetly to the sailors:
Oh! sailors, you my brothers!
My brothers, take this oldman into the ship,
And I will offer many prayers for you.
— Go away, go away, white-bearded oldman!
Our ship is not for prayers:
Our ship is large and the passage-money is great:
This ship is freighted by a mercbant.
– He made the sign of the cross, and sealed a paper :
He extended his hand and took some sand,
He took a stone for money: There ! 
There is money for you!
He paid his passage-money and entered the ship:
There is money and dehkan [24] for you.
The waters of the abyss were troubled,
The ship was overturned by the waves.
Whence didst thou come, o sinful man?
Thou art lost and thou hast lost us!
I a sinner? Give me the ship,
And you go to sweetly sleep.
He made the sign of the cross with his right band,
With his left he steared the ship.
It was not yet midday,
When the ship arrived at the shore.
— Brothers, arise from your sweet sleep,
From your sweet sleep and sad dreams :
Fall at the feet of Jesus:
Here is our Lord, here is our ship! 

XVII.
Canzonette which is taught to children.

The light appears, the light appears! 
The light is good :
The sparrow is on the tree,
The hen is on the perch,
The sleep of lazymen is a year,
Workman, rise and commence thy work! 

The gates of heaven are opened,
The throne of gold was erected,
Christ was sitting on it:
The Illuminator was standing,
He had taken the golden pén,
And wrote great and small.
Sinners were weeping,
The justs were playing. 

 

XVIII. 
The bear, the fox, and the wolf.

The wolf and the bear and the little fox bad made  peace,
They were became like uncles and nephews :
They have made the little fox a monk. False monk, false hermit, false! 

The little fox went into the street and found an old rag,
He made a hole and put his head in it, he took a  stick,
He put on an iron shoe, he made a hole in the stone.
False monk, false hermit, false! 

The fox sent the wolf to fetch the bear: 
I have accepted for thee this solitary life,
And thou dost not send me rations,
My ankles are sore, my knees are sore, my knus. 

In the morning at day-light they go to the chase:
They caught a sheep, a lamb, and a ram:
They made the wolf the holy dispenser,
Unjust judge, unjust dispenser, unjust! 

The wolf had made a portion for the bear of the eve
And ordered the lamb for the poor monk:
The ram for me, says he, for I have walked much.
Unjust judge, unjust dispenser, unjust ! 
The bear had raised his paw and struck the wolf,
So hard he struck that he took away both his eyes :
I am the first among you and you have given me 
the ewe. Unjust judge, unjust dispenser, unjust !
The fox who saw it was much afraid :
And seeing the cheese in the trap, said to the bear:
My grand uncle, I have built a fine convent,
The place is a place of retreat, a place of prayer.
The bear had extended his paw to take the cheese:
The trap seized his neek on both sides :
« Little fox, my nephew, why do you not help me?
This is not a convent, not a place of prayer. » 
The little fox seeing it, was much pleased: 
He made a funeral service and prayed for his soul :
« The ill of the wolf, which thou hast occasioned, has  seeized thee:
This place is a place of retreat, a place of prayer. »
O Justice, thou pleasest me much! 
Whoever does harm to another soon perishes:
As the bear in the trap is obliged to fast:
That place is a place of retreat, a place of prayer ! 

 

XIX. 
On a little knife lost.

My heart trembled in my breast from fear: 
From fear my hands were powerless :
What shall I answer to my papa,
For I have lost my little knife ?
It was strong and sounding,
With a single stroke it cut through a large cucumber:
I did not sleep out in the village of others,
And I did not take it from my bosom in the houses  of others.
My knife had good manners: 
It remained with me all day without being tied.
They made me drunk, they deceived me
And they seized it. 
My knife gave me advice, 
That I should keep aloof from dry bread,
I know that it is not good for thy teeth,
And also without pity it burthens thee.
When there are soft loaves and hot bread,
Rejoice and expand thy visage:
Give advice and preach to the matrons
To knead them with oil.
When we went to the banquet and feast,
My knife told me slily:
When thou seest nice bits
Without me thou shalt not put out thy hand.
With much address it sliced the ham,
It encouraged me and exorted me:
Fill the glass and give it to my hand
Let us eat and drink, that my soul may be gay.
My knife had great care of me, 
It gave me good counsels with affection :
Do not sit down near any body
In order that thou mayest satisfy thyself with little  care.
I pity thee that thou hast no teeth,
When thou meetest with raw meats :
Do not swallow it greedily,
That it remain not in thy throat and thou become  a joke.
My knife was very affectionate with me:
When we went into the house of others,
When it saw the meat roasting or in broth,
It did not let me take the curds. 
My knife was more than a preacher,
Every day it preached to my parishioners :
« When the day of blessing houses shall arrive
Bring to my master fried fish. » 
My knife said to me: Thou art my master,
Do not show me to any body:
Here for a moment abstain from wine
And do not let me be stolen.
Martiros had written this song:
My knife was fond of ham : 
They carried me to the wedding of a bridegroom,
I had not advantage, because I lost it.
God was good and merciful,
I found my knife and it never left me more :
When I saw others eat any thing
My heart trembled before them. 
My knife said to me: Care not so much:
Rejoice that thou hast found me:
Till July thou must have patience,
And then I will give thee to eat cucumber with  honney. 
My knife was honest and covely,
It sat near the ladies;
It gave many good counsels :
« Take milk with cream.
When thou meetest with lamb's meat,
With pepper ground and roasted,
Sit down on the border and exhort it,
Give a little glass also over it. » 
  It was older then you in time,
It said always to itself:
Bring not dry bread,
Because it will not tender the hand for shame. 
In reading this psalın 
I bless the soul of him who give it me:
Because the two days in which it abandoned me
Not even a single sparrow fell into my teeth.
In the world there is not a more foolish man than me:
I was desirous, although ignorant, of this song:
In order that men might smile and mock me
  When they repeat it at great feasts.