Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Vahan Tekeyan-Armenian Poet

I've recently begun reading Armenian poetry with the help of Dr. Kevork Bardakjian's Reference Guide to Modern Armenian Literature. We have a mini library of Armenian books and poems in our house that my grandfather brought over from Beirut and I was perusing through them and I found an old piece by Vahan Tekeyan called Hayerkoutyoon (or Hayergoutyoon) which translates to Ode to Armenia. It was published in Cairo in 1943 and is a collection of his works gathered up from newspapers. After reading through a couple of poems, I looked up Tekeyan in Dr. Bardakjian's book and read up on him, and immediately I had an affinity for the poet's works.

Tekeyan was born in Istanbul, but unlike his contemporaries Taniel Varoujan and Siamanto who were assasinated on April 24, 1915, Tekeyan was in Jerusalem teaching and therefore escaped death. He lucked out, and this realization is seen throughout his poetry and complements his lamentations for the death of his people.

Perhaps Tekeyan's character and poetry can be best described by Dr. Bardakjian,

"Tekeyan's poetry was on the whole cerebral, austere yet poignant, subtle and elegiac, distressful yet lyrical and dignified. There was something of the stoic in him; personal love remained elusive, and only dreams and hopeful anticipation of reciprocal affection periodically illuminated his otherwise sad life."

Here is one piece by Tekeyan entitled Piti esenk Astutzoh (We shall say to God). Here Tekeyan grieves over the death of his people by rhetorically asking God if he will once again allow the Armenians to enter hell (the first time being the Genocide).

Պիտի Ըսենք Աստուծոյ

Թէ պատահի որ այսօր անհաւասար այս կռուին

Չըկարենանք դիմանալ և ուժասպառ, ոգեվար

Գետին ինկած՝ չըկրնա՜նք ոտքի ելլել վերըստին

Ու յաղթէ՛ մահը կեանքի ոգորումին մեր երկար

Թէ լըրրանա՜յ այս ոՃիրն ու վերջին հայը փակէ

Վըրիժավառ իր աջքերն՝ որն յաղթութեան չողջունած...,

Ահ, թո՛ղ այժմեն երդուըննայ իւրաքանչիւրը մենէ՝

Որ հանդերձեալ կեանքին մէջ երբոր գտնենք մենք զԱստուած

Ու երբոր Ան՝ երկրային մեր մեծ ցաւին փոխարէն,

Ուզէ ըզմեզ ըսփոփել, վարձահատո՜յց մեզ ըլլալ...

Իր այդ շնորհն ապաժամ մենք մերժելով ուժգնօրէն՝

Պիտի ըսենք. - «Մեզ դըժոխք, դըժո՜խք ղրկէ՛ անգամ մ'ալ.

ՉԷ՞ որ զայն լաւ կը ճանչնանք, զայն ճանչցուիր մե՜զ շատ լաւ,

Եւ Թուրքերուն յատկացո՛ւր արքայութիւնըդ ամբաւ...:»

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful poem. Where would I be able to find Bardakjian's guidebook?

Levon said...

http://www.abrilbooks.com/Bookinfo/Reference/ReferenceGuideModernArmenianLiterature.htm

Anonymous said...

Hello, great site, I found a lot of useful information here, thanks a lot for Your work!
With the best regards!
David

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